Ten Minutes By Tractor Estate Pinot Noir – 2012

A wonderfully light aroma, this smells of bright red fruits, subtle spiced oak, sap and forest floor. It speaks clearly of Pinot (something not to be taken for granted with this variety) and possesses the sort of transparency and definition that are hallmarks of the house style. Those not yet converted to the joys of Pinot would do well to taste this wine. Rather than appealing to a craving for a Big Red, this revels in its true nature as a perfumed, elegant wine and provides a convincing argument for this expression of Pinot.
In the mouth, a vivid acid line pushes bright red berry flavours onto the tongue with thrilling freshness. Immediately, a range of other notes emerge, from spiced oak to tingly sap and more savoury fruit. The fundamental contradiction of such a light wine possessing such power and impact lies at the heart of Pinot appreciation, and the performance this wine gives is nicely illustrative. Some flesh creeps in at the sides of the palate, suggesting bottle age will be very kind. One can’t help but think of a precocious sprinter, one who looks too slight to really fly yet who manages to race with effortless speed.