2017 Tolpuddle Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
Meaty and dark-fruited on the nose, thanks to the low-cropping yield. Much less stemminess than the 2015, altogether more on the savoury/meaty side, with piquant spice instead of floral flair. (RH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Pinot Noir is one of the darkest Pinot Noirs on the table. It shows restraint and balance in the mouth like no other—the whole bunch lends a peaty character to the wine and balances the beautiful red and black fruit in the mouth. This is a wine of balance. It has light (where things grow in abundance) and shade (where lichen and undergrowth rule), and both are in balance with the other—a symbiotic relationship if there ever was one. It pulses with a return flow of in-breath and out-breath.
50% whole-bunch fermentation. Cold year but extraordinary concentration. Looked a bit of a beast in its early years. Quite dark. Light, fresh nose. Spicier than most. Sinewy and still very youthful. Somewhat chewy still with a hint of cough medicine rather than pure perfume. A bit too concentrated for Pinot perfection. (JR)