Akitu

Akitu A1 Pinot Noir 2017 Central Otago

A richly scented bouquet of Pinot Noir with aromas of dark berries, wood spices, wild thyme and a core of savoury complexity. Plum and dark cherry, black currant and wild flowers, stony, rocky outcrop minerality. Youthful, tense , firm and focused textures on the palate with flavours that reflect the nose - dark berries then wood spices, some wild thyme and undergrowth moments. Youthful tannins and acid line. Lengthy finish, dry, well made, youthful. Best from 2021 through 2029. 94 Points

Footnote: I judged this wine at the Decanter World Wine Awards just a few weeks ago. Wines at this competition - the largest in the world - are poured from 750 ml bottles, tasted blind and discussed by a panel of fours judges. I gave the wine 95 points - at that judging. The score above (94 points) was from a sample bottle 375 ml tasted in my tasting room at home. Have to say I’m pretty happy with the 94 Points. It demonstrates pretty clearly (to me at least) that bottle size can matter - though not by much - when wine is simply this good. Well done Andrew Donaldson and the winemaking team.