Felton Road, Calvert Pinot Noir, Central Otago 2021

The 2021 Calvert Pinot Noir leads with pomegranate and strawberry, rosehip and crushed walnuts. This is a spicy wine with lashings of black tea, fine tannins, pliable structure and an effortless flow of fruit in the mouth. Everything feels perfectly judged. I love the freshness of the acidity; it leaves the feeling in the mouth on an uptick. A flourish. It's good. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

A very open and plush textured red with velvet and tile undertones. Full and layered with plums and oranges. Firm at the end. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Better in two to three years. Screw cap.

Just a hint of smoke pops up on the nose, along with red cherry and a promise of richness. More air brings something florally scented. There is much concentration and a really fine frame of tannins, this is bold with ripe, juicy cherry fruit and full of verve with very structured tannins. The vines were 20 years old, and the wine spent 16 months in 25% new French oak.

What fragrance the 2021 Pinot Noir Calvert displays - it twists and turns with its florals, wild herbs, fennel and licorice, which make for layers of interest with the red cherry and raspberry fruit showing through on the finish. The quality of the tannins is refined and has a sense of coating the palate with a cocoa powder-like fineness. Drawn out and long with taut acidity.