Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2018

First we adored the Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand’s flagship winery Cloudy Bay. Then, 10 years later, its West Aussie founder, David Hohnen of Cape Mentelle, launched show-stopping Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir to equal acclaim. Every year the winery hosts an in-depth international Pinot Noir tasting in a bid to learn from established masters and improve their own already very impressive results. For the 2018 Pinot Noir, grapes were hand-harvested from vineyards on alluvial gravel in Wairau Valley, then the juice was fermented with naturally occurring yeasts and aged in French oak barrels (35% new). With hints of strawberries, earthy mushrooms and smoky spice, this silky red is a dream with chicken salad and pomegranate or wild mushroom risotto.