2019 The Fusilier Pinot Noir

The 2019 Pinot Noir The Fusilier Bannockburn Vineyard is powerful, compact and structured. It retains a restrained mid-weight shape, but power is packed tightly within its frame, as if a ballet dancer has just performed a kung-fu kick. There's a firm line of acidity, and while the tannins are resolved, they most certainly contribute thrust. The wine's drive and its distinctive woody herbal notes, reminiscent of rosemary and pine, must surely come from the high percentage of whole bunches in the fermentation (a whopping 88% whole clusters). Beneath the array of herbs, you'll find gentle red berry fruit and the merest lick of festive spices from 11 months of maturation in oak (25% new). A characterful wine speaking of both its place and how it was made. Its innate structure means it can be cellared for a decade.