2013 Felton Road Pinot Noir Bannockburn

Medium ruby-purple, the 2013 Pinot Noir has a funky nose with pleasant meaty / earthy characters over notes of blackberries and mulberries with black cherry, rose hip tea and Provence herb accents. Medium bodied with plenty of ripe red fruit lifted by a gentle herbal character in the mouth, it has a medium level of silky tannins and just enough acid, finishing long and earthy.

Good bright, deep red. Red berry and spice aromas are enlivened by a flinty mineral element. Sappy, juicy and tightly wound, with terrific smoky mineral vigor giving thrust to the dark berry flavors. Finishes backward and classically dry, with an impression of energy rare for New Zealand pinot noir. Gained in complexity without losing its verve with 48 hours in the recorked bottle. This firmly built pinot should be even better with three or four years of cellaring.

Medium ruby-purple, the 2013 Pinot Noir has a funky nose with pleasant meaty / earthy characters over notes of blackberries and mulberries with black cherry, rose hip tea and Provence herb accents. Medium bodied with plenty of ripe red fruit lifted by a gentle herbal character in the mouth, it has a medium level of silky tannins and just enough acid, finishing long and earthy. Dec 2014, www.robertparker.com