Shaw and Smith - Pinot Noir - 2023

There’s plenty of brood here and plenty of varietal character too. The alcohol feels a bit warm as well though it’s only marked at 13.5%. This wine has a leafy, spicy, autumnal side, aided by undergrowth and earth notes, which means that savouriness gets plenty of play. But then there are leather and stewed cherry flavours, and reductive woodsmoke notes, all of which add weight and substance, but not necessarily not charm. If you drink this soon-ish you get a pinot noir that pulls you this way and that in a generally attractive way. Tannin here is gruff, meaty and floral, at once, in a good way, which helps keep matters on the positive side. 91 Points Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front