Akitu Pinot Noir Blanc 2021

Lots happening on the nose: dusty river rock minerality, rose petals, Turkish delight, slight wild herbs, and a hint of sourdough mother but more brioche than that.

The intensity on the palate impresses and it moves you in another direction: dry and savoury but full of textural depth. The interplay between acid and phenolics reminds you of that attribute in fine Nebbiolo, that leads to complex florals, particularly roses but some cherry blossom adding sedimentary depth. You cannot escape the musk, with a hint of cinnamon apricot kernel.

At Mt Barker, in New Zealandʼs South Island, in a high glacial valley of sunshine and rain-shadow on the edge of the earth, each season leaves its own vivid imprint on our vintage. Extreme temperature variations, alpine air, altitude, adversity… all the wild elements of this exhilarating land combine in a Pinot noir of exquisite quality, subtlety and strength.