Lime Rock Kota Central Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2020 $28
If you thought the oyster shell on the label was large, wait until you see one of these ‘kota’ shells in real life! They’ve got one on display in their tiny cellar door and it is literally as big as this bottle. No joke. The deep, ancient soils that Lime Rock’s vines thrive in, are littered with incredible undersea fossils which deliver intense minerality and character to their wines. This vintage has an earthy, dried herb note on a bed of baked tamarillo, smoked cherry, clay and soft pepper characters. It’s less fruit-forward and instead leans into a complex spice and earthy sphere, yet the tannins are fine-grained and deliciously dusty. If you’re a plate of wild mushroom risotto I’d be very afraid.
(label indicative of what 2020 vintage will look like)
