Neck of the Woods Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018 $38 
Neck of the Woods is the brainchild of AJ Johnson, a long-time television industry professional who got the wine bug bad and set about securing sites that’d deliver pinot noir that wasn’t “mass-produced sh*t”. This vintage hails from two Bendigo vineyards, one on a flat river terrace of sandy loam soils near the Clutha River and the 2nd on the steep-sloped, glacial, schisty, windblown soils of Chinaman’s Terrace. Aromatically it leans right into the cherry and black tea spectrum, with raspberry, blackcurrant and plum notes on the palate. The tannins are fresh yet very smooth and fine-grained, creating a silky, succulent finish that goes for miles.
www.neckofthewoodswines.co.nz
