2012 Tolpuddle Pinot Noir

The 2012 Pinot Noir leads with an array of coffee grinds, cocoa powder, redcurrants and black cherries. The whole bunch aspect contributes a salted licorice and tobacco leaf character in the mouth, while the fruit sails through it all with grace. This is elegant and fine, balanced in its outlay of sweet vs savory. The color is fresh both in the glass and in the mouth. There’s red toffee apple through the finish. It has a decade to go or more.

After an extended time in barriques on lees in their cool room this was quite reductive as a young wine. Hill Smith argued with Steve Pannell about how long to leave it on lees. Pannell argued for longer than Martin Shaw because lees contact creates a reductive environment and protects the wine from oxidation. Shaw and Smith like the added complexity that lees contact adds but the debate was when to rack this wine off lees – or how much reduction was too much. This year and in 2013 there was 15–20% whole bunch as opposed to the 50% adopted from 2014 onwards. Much darker colour than most – definite garnet with a ruby rim. Rich and rewarding on the nose. And then a tiny bit rustic in terms of tannins. Grainy finish. But fine fruit and just the right amount of acidity. Definitely more pleasure than the Chardonnay 2012 at this point. (JR)

Very charming, flattering ripe fruit but probably at or past peak now. Super juicy and fragrant but lacking a little bit of structure. (JR)