2018 Tolpuddle Pinot Noir

If 2017 is the in-breath/out-breath pulsing wine, then the 2018 Pinot Noir is the glossy, succulent, polished wine. It has grace and flow and an ease about it. Black cherries, pomegranate and red licorice mingle with Szechuan peppercorns, star anise and praline, plus rose petals and minerals. The fruit has enveloped the structure a little better than some of its peers. I love this wine.

50% whole-bunch fermentation. Very easy vintage. Transparent garnet. Lots of perfumed fruit. Hint of mushrooms and sophistication. Light chewiness in a good way that suggested there is more to come. Long and resonant. (JR)

Glistening ruby-red. Expansive red fruit preserve and vanilla aromas show fine definition, complemented by succulent floral, exotic spice and smoky mineral notes that build with air. Sappy, appealingly sweet and energetic in style, offering Chambord, cherry cola, candied rose and five-spice powder flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. The floral note repeats emphatically on the impressively persistent finish, which features polished tannins and reverberating floral and spice notes. One-third new French oak.