2020 Althorne Estate Pinot Noir Crouch Valley

Full bottle 1,551 g. 100% Pinot Noir, 777 clone grown at Althorne Estate vineyard in Essex. Made with hand-picked estate-grown grapes. Winemaking takes place in the on-site winery where the grapes are crushed and destemmed, and sorted into six batches, with either 10% or 20% whole bunches. 3 days of cold soak prior to inoculation and thrice daily punchdowns, before being pressed to 1 bar. Fermentation is finished in French oak, 10% new, with malo run concurrently. The wine spends a further 9 months on lees in barrel. The batches are then blended before being bottled and released 6 months later. TA 5.9 g/l, pH 3.37, RS 1 g/l.
Very pale red colour. Red fruit, touch of green herbaceousness on the nose. Tangy, citrus, light red fruit and just a little tannin, followed by nutty oaky notes, fruit present if a bit faded. Short finish. This has stood up remarkably well after three days open: fruit still present and a nice fragrance has come out. 16.5 points