The aromas on this wine are so beautiful, I felt like a bumble bee drawn to a rose. It’s exactly what I want from a red Burgundy, the sweetly seductive scent of morello cherry, kola nut, cassia, hibiscus tea, neroli and orange peel all swirling around to create a heavenly congregation of vapours. I actually blurted out “Oh, wow!” when I tasted it, but thankfully the producer wasn’t within earshot or I would have ruined my hopes of negotiation, like a poker-player squealing “Yippee!”. The palate is so pure and refined, with super-silky tannins supporting classic Pinot Noir fruit flavours of strawberry and cherry, with the top-class oak adding woodsy, sweet spice notes. Nothing feels overworked, it feels like an infusion rather than an extraction, so everything flows smoothly and the alcohol is a pleasingly old-fashioned 12.5% alc. With so many new world Pinot Noirs demanding sky-high prices from Oregon to Otago, it puts this wine’s value, from Pinot Noir’s heartland, into sharp focus. It’s completely ready to drink now and should hold until 2032 at least.