2008 Escarpment Pinot Noir, Martinborough, NZ
Bright, not overly deep purple colour.
Fresh, most fruity nose. Loads of fresh berries, strawberries and a touch of cherries. Some toasted, meaty notes give a hint of some time spent by the wine in barrels.
In the mouth, again the taste is of fresh, young berries. The acidity is refreshing and the underlying meatiness gives the wine a good structure. The tannins are moderate and fine grained. The aftertaste is surprisingly long. The pure Pinot fruitiness mingles with a charming smokiness. Overall, it is a rather lightbodied wine, typical of the 2008 vintage in New Zeeland, definitely fruit driven and youthfull, but it does not lack other qualities, such as the slight meatiness and a certain mouthfeel, that suggest that a quite different kind of wine might emerge after some time in the bottle. It is hard to know, though, so I will keep a few bottles in the cellar to return to them in 2-3 years or so. If I can keep my fingers away, since this is drinking so nicely now.
Cheers,
Anders