Carrick Excelsior Organic Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2021 $110 
A supremely fine, stylish and sophisticated pinot noir, the Excelsior has lifted, youthful textures which cloak a core of gunsmoke, wild cherry, baked rhubarb and rooibos tea. Fresh, floral and frisky-textured, it’s a multi-layered pinot noir that’s finely tuned and built for the long haul. Named after the coal seam which lies beneath Carrick’s vineyards which was mined during the goldrush years, this is a wine that doesn’t happen every year. Only when the fruit is exceptional will the winemaking team declare an Excelsior year, and in 2021 the harvest was so good, minds were blown and there was only one thing for it. Artist Neil Driver was tasked with providing the label art, depicting a track above the Slapjack Saddle and the team blended two clones, the best four barrels were then blended and aged for 20 months in 25% new oak. The wine was bottled, unfined and unfiltered then carefully bottle-aged for another 2 years before being released. Just 97 dozen bottles were made.
