Mount Riley 2017 Pinot Noir (Marlborough)

This wine leads with baking-spice and sun-warmed wood notes, followed closely by ripe brambly black- and red-berry fruit. It has a pretty, fragrant nose, but it feels a touch synthetic and overdone, like the aromas of an air freshener versus the real deal. The palate also seems a little warm and woody, ensconced in tannins are that both chewy and drying and also lean and sharp edged. Nevertheless the brambly fruit makes its presence known, and there are plenty who will find this an approachable drop. Christina Pickard