2024 Matt Connell "Rendition" Pinot Noir Central Otago

Noticeable purple rim. Already very aromatic and expressive – despite its youth – weaving together berry and floral flavours with cinnamon oak spice. The mid-weight flavours flow across the palate, soaking into a basket of lightly toasty, powder-fine tannins with dried herbal notes melting into the ripe expression of purple fruit on the finish. Possessing a beguiling lightness of touch, this is immediately approachable with sheer drinkability. That said, it has enough length and palate depth to unfurl with floral and savoury nuance as it ages. *Recommended* (SW)

The cute little note on the side of this bottle ends with "... abstinence from immediate consumption will reward." It's a great little note that I think often follows true for a lot of wine, but at the same time here we are doing a review and it must be immediately consumed. A conundrum. The nose is really pretty, with some crunchy fruit in the background but a little bit of sweeter fruit on the nose, like a juicy cherry and a craisin (for those who didn't enjoy their brief cultural relevance, it's a cranberry that has been sweetened and raisined, kinda exactly what it sounds like). I would say that the nose is really pure fruited, it really smells great. The palate is delightful, with some good balance of fruit and savory, with some dense and crunchy fruit on the palate that gives way to spice and tannin and then comes back to a darker fruit. This is really compelling at this price point and would be great with a VERY slight chill on it to make the fruit pop bit a more.