Penfolds Bin 23 Adelaide hills pinot noir has definitive earthy cherry, cooked beetroot, and crushed vine leaves aromas along with subtle dustiness on the nose; softened, silky tannins with lively mixed red fruit flavours framed by nicely balanced acidity throughout impart a velvety texture that leads to a lengthy finish.

Tasting Notes:

Color: Fuji-apple red

Nose: An immediate ascent of delicate white strawberry and raspberry pastille fruits. Yes, overtly cool-climate pinot noir. Quickly following, a garnish of fresh thyme flowers and Hungarian sweet paprika. And something else, admittedly hard to identify – an aroma lying somewhere between saffron and mustard seed. If only a spectrophotometer could … !?! Oak? Perhaps a scent of star anise may be a link? Upon sitting, the faintest waft of pencil shavings confirms a definite Quercus robur or sessiliflora connection.

Palate: Medium-bodied. Weight and texture are no doubt positively influenced by an appealing glycolic contribution. It felt like, rather than velvety tannins, with cherry and strawberry fruits inducing a refreshing, mouth-watering/salivating grip.