Two Paddocks 2017 The Fusilier Proprietor's Reserve Pinot Noir (Central Otago)

This vintage of proprietor Sam Neill's premium organically farmed Pinot is, for the moment, young and reductive, a sturdier wine that we've seen, but one that should reward time in the cellar. Rather than the broody, oniony aromas associated with reduction, this version emphasizes the wine's vegetal and herbal characters: green bell pepper in a sea of freshly plucked, earthy herbs, brambly berries and wildflowers. Streaks of minerals appear as the wine opens. Taut, spicy, chalky tannins grip the tongue, but a river of juicy fruit washes it away, ready for the next sip. Drink 2021–2030. Christina Pickard