2018 Marlborough Pinot Noir

100% Pinot Noir. Maceration/fermentation: 7–10 days ambient soak, 17 days in tank, no post-ferment maceration. Malolactic conversion. 18 months in French oak barrels, 35% new. Bottled June 2017. Screwcap. TA 5.9 g/l, pH 3.75, RS <0.1 g/l, SO 2 total 82 ppm, SO 2 free 50 ppm. From a more difficult (rainy) vintage than 2017 and 2019. I tasted this recently and much enjoyed it. Paler and less blue than the exceptional Dog Point 2017 Pinot Noir. Transparent garnet. Sweet, violet-scented fruit. Very gentle, delicate and nuanced but not quite as compelling as the 2017. It's savoury and dry – there's no distracting sweetness, no beetroot quality, no obvious oakiness. Very light vegetal note but it's fully ripe fruit. So neat! You could certainly enjoy it now but I suspect it might be even better next year. (JR)

An understated Pinot Noir that is self-assured on the midpalate. It has a lovely sense of sinew, providing a chalky tension through the midweight core, which is emphasized further by the streak of cool-climate acidity. This isn't fruit-forward; it's a more savory expression, with high violet notes providing the top line of the score and subtle herb and cedar notes (30% new French oak) bringing up the base. Already starting to drink well, this has the structure to evolve from now to the mid-term.

Paler and less blue than the exceptional Dog Point 2017 Pinot Noir. Transparent garnet. Sweet, violet-scented fruit. Very gentle, delicate and nuanced but not quite as compelling as the 2017. It's savoury and dry – there's no distracting sweetness, no beetroot quality, no obvious oakiness. Very light vegetal note but it's fully ripe fruit. So neat! You could certainly enjoy it now but I suspect it might be even better next year. Amazing that one producer can be so good at both Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, and pretty smart Chardonnay too. (JR)