Central Otago Pinot Noir, Burn Cottage Vineyard 2021

Baked strawberries, pomelo zest and potpourri with underlying sweet spices of red liquorice and ground cloves. Medium-bodied, finely-grained silky tannins with refreshing acidity. A hint of tomato leaf notes at the end. Zesty and flavoursome.

The 2021 Burn Cottage Vineyard Pinot Noir is alive and energetic, svelte and composed. As I write this, I am sitting at the bottom of the Burn Cottage Vineyard in Lowburn, looking up the rows. This is a mineral, nuanced expression, with graphite and white tea, pomegranate pearls, raspberry licorice, rosehips and crushed pink peppercorns. This is what I came here for. It’s thrilling, lacy, delicate and focused. Exciting wine, exciting drinking. It sits on the palate nicely—evenly weighted, and it spools through the long finish... yes!

Tasted in May 2024 and again ten months later, the 2021 Pinot Noir Burn Cottage Vineyard remains suave and smooth. The finest of tannins provide line and poise alongside mouthwatering acidity. It maintains an elegance and excellent concentration without any heaviness. Nothing feels forced here. The aromatics are layered with black cherry, licorice, dried herbs, baking spices and chocolate. Excellent oak integration allows the fruit to shine. Drink 2025-2033.

Pretty, crushed strawberry and icing sugar. Complex, relaxed nose. Perfumed and layered. Some riper plummy notes, savoury undertow. A lick of toasty oak, Mid-weight with a bit of grainy tannin. Finishes more brooding. Long, sustained, digestible. Elegant and flowing.