2015 The Fusilier Pinot Noir

Pale ruby-purple in color, the 2015 The Fusilier Pinot Noir has an earthy nose with notes of underbrush, loam, fungi and moss over a core of cranberries and red currants. Medium-bodied, it fills the palate with complex earthy/meaty flavors supported by a solid backbone, finishing long and chewy.

The latest addition to the Two ( four?) Paddocks stable in Bannockburn named for Sam Neill's father. A 5.6 ha mature, north-facing vineyard next to one of Felton Road's. Alluvial fans made up of varying depths of silt, sand and gravel. Very pale ruby. Broad and round, red pimento nose. Very delicate and both light and sweet. Super flattering. Lots of fun already but with the potential to age. Crystallised violets. Long. Good stuff. (JR)

Ruby-red colour with some depth, lighter edged. This has a softly full and voluminous nose of ripe, dark-red berry fruits with a solidly packed core with harmoniously entwined aromas of dark thyme herbs, red florals, whole bunch stalk nuances and savoury, earthy plum notes. The aromatics grow in presence with aeration. Medium-full bodied, the palate has rich, broad and mouthfilling flavours of dark-red berry fruits with dark plum and spice notes, along with savoury dark herb, whole bunch stalk and earthy elements. The fruit is supported by balanced, fine-grained tannin extraction providing elegant structure and grip, with the acidity softly ripe and integrated. The wine flows smoothly to a fulsome, even finish of red berry and plum fruit with notes of spice and earth. This is a rich, mouthfilling, smooth-flowing Pinot Noir with ripe red berry fruit with plum, herb and earthy detail, on a finely extracted palate. Match with casseroles and game meat dishes over the next 6-7+ years. Clones 115, 10/5, 677, 777, 6, 5, 113 and 114, hand-picked and sorted, indigenous yeast fermented with one-third whole bunches to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 11 months in one-third new French oak barriques. Apr 2017, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz