Dog Point Pinot Noir, Marlborough (2022)

Dog Point was founded by Ivan Sutherland and James Healy, two of the people who built Marlborough's reputation from the inside - Sutherland was Cloudy Bay's long-time viticulturist before he and Healy struck out on their own. The estate is now New Zealand's largest certified organic vineyard, and the wines are made with as light a touch as possible: this is Marlborough taken seriously, well away from the supermarket version of the region.

The Pinot comes off old vines in the southern Wairau Valley, drawing on six different clones, some planted back in the early 1980s. It's hand-picked and hand-sorted, fermented with wild yeasts and a portion of whole bunches in small open-top tanks, then aged around eighteen months in French oak, a part of it new. It's bottled unfined and unfiltered, which keeps the texture and aromatics intact.

Expect a highly perfumed Pinot - rose and violet over red cherry and dark berry, with a savoury lift of dried herbs and spice from the whole-bunch fruit. The palate is silky and succulent, carried by fine, supple tannins and the bright acidity that Marlborough does so well. Serve lightly chilled at 14-16°C.