Kumeu River Rays Road Pinot Noir 2021

Kumeu River is a New Zealand estate founded near Auckland in 1937 and known internationally for its Burgundian-style wines, having beaten French bottles in blind tastings. Rays Road is a Pinot Noir grown in Hawke's Bay on the North Island, a cooler-climate site chosen for its suitability to the grape. Hawke's Bay has a long, temperate growing season and free-draining soils, conditions that ripen Pinot Noir gently while preserving the bright acidity and delicate aromatics the variety needs, here giving a light wine of just 12% alcohol. The vineyards are farmed sustainably. The wine spends 12 months in French oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange rounds Pinot Noir's fine tannin and adds a restrained spice and toast that support rather than dominate the fruit. Expect a translucent ruby colour and a nose of red cherry and wild strawberry over earth, dried herbs and a floral lift. The palate is light to medium-bodied, with crisp acidity, silky tannin and a savoury, earthy finish. Serve at 15 to 16 degrees in a wide glass and drink it youthful for its freshness. It suits duck, poultry and mushroom dishes.