Burn Cottage Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020

Burn Cottage Vineyard farms biodynamically in Central Otago, the southernmost wine region on New Zealand's South Island. The vines sit on free draining schist and loess over a clay subsoil, in a continental climate where hot days and cold nights give a wide diurnal range. That swing slows ripening and holds onto acidity, so the fruit reaches full flavour without losing freshness, the hallmark of Central Otago Pinot Noir. The wine spends twelve months in French oak barrels, a portion of them used, where slow oxygen exchange through the staves softens the tannins and adds a fine grained structure without overt wood character. The colour is a deep ruby. The nose leads with dark cherry and wild raspberry, backed by forest floor, dried herbs and a thread of black pepper. The palate is full bodied and firm, with ripe red and black fruit, a smoky savoury edge and tannins that carry a long finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant young bottles for half an hour. It suits roast duck, game birds and mushroom dishes.