Opened to taste in anticipation of ‘International Pinot Day’ in August 2023. The latest of two Pinots released under Rockburn’s ‘barrel’ series where winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis searches for the very best barrels of wine from each separate site, looking for special barrels where the vintage and site are best expressed. The number of barrels in each vintage release is fluid, and unknown until the pick is complete – past releases have been as few as ‘Seven Barrels’ for example.
A dark crimson-purple colour and a bright perfume of cherry, blackberry, orange peel, forest floor, sarsparilla, incense and spring flowers that lifts from the glass. Intense and concentrated, where firm, chiselled tannins in tandem with a compelling acidity sees everything in place. Some notes of spice and savouriness make a mark – nori, mushroom, allspice and cinnamon flit across the palate. This would garner more complexity in time, but has plenty to offer right now. 95pts
