This is the first vintage of making a Martinborough Pinot Noir where talented winemaker Daniel Brennan got to really call the shots (picking dates, cooperage etc). I liked it on release, and am glad to be able to try it again now with years of bottle age. It is a light ruby colour in the glass – really quite translucent. The perfume has bags of savoury elements to it – that classic Martinborough ‘bloody steak’ note and an earthy, forest floor character too. Blood orange, cherry, musky incense, dark seville marmalade, blueberry, salted caramel and rose petals. An elegant balance between tannin and acidity gives structure amid the complex layers of flavours. A touch of silky texture now, and then back to savoury, with soy and marmite on the endless finish. 96pts
Testify Pinot Noir 2018
