Aromas of blackberries, wet and dark earth, dark mushrooms and some flint. Medium- to full-bodied and spicy, showing terra cotta and black pepper. This has a creamy, polished texture and a flavorful finish.

The 2023 Waimaunga Pinot Noir is reductive and mineral, with dark forest-floor characters, peat and black cherries, new leather and blackberries. The wine has loads of cigar leaf and black pepper, with black cherry and tapenade to close. It's long, lingering and chalky. The ripeness on show here is in the guise of clove and dark chocolate.

This vintage from a French-owned biodynamic estate is especially reductive when first poured, requiring a good stretch of time aerating in bottle, decanter- or even by vigorous swirling in glass- before releasing quite lovely, complex red and black fruit, cumin, ground peppercorn, crushed violet and stony mineral aromas. Those bacon-y notes that dominate initially sink into the wine, adding nuance and food friendliness. It's silky and structured with sturdy yet fine, well-placed tannins. This is set for aging and should evolve for a decade or more.