Pinot Noir, Lismore Estate Vineyards, Western Cape, South Africa

Perhaps the best wine I’ve received from Duncan and the team in my cellar selection box thus far. It is impossible to overstate my perception of the quality. The nose was bursting with black fruit and salinity. On the palate it was revelatory, to the point where I received the unreliable impression of an inexplicable refinement, the sense that the wine was extremely well balanced between acidity, smooth tannins and depth of fruit. It was arresting, in the best possible way, and yet so damn elegant. I’ve not tasted anything quite like to before, but even though I’m someone who prefers and leans into variety over repetition, it will happily form part of a very small cadre of wine I repeat over and over. There is a sense of the wine makers having taken a real risk with this wine, and one that has paid off in showcasing technical competency and terroir splendidly.