Amisfield Lake Hayes Pinot Noir / 2024 / 750mL

Amisfield Lake Hayes Pinot Noir is a lush wine it has the taste of black cherry and forrest berries, It anticipates a intense palate and is very earthy. This wine has a strong and bold taste.

The Amisfield Lake Hayes Pinot Noir 2024 is a bright, approachable Central Otago Pinot Noir built for early drinking rather than long cellaring. Expect vivid red fruit, a light frame and enough savoury edge to keep it interesting past the first glass.

Aromatically it leads with fresh raspberry and dark cherry, a lift of rose petal and a dusting of dried thyme. There's a whiff of forest floor underneath, the sort of earthy note Central Otago tends to give even in its lighter wines.

The palate is medium-bodied and juicy, with cherry and cranberry running along a clean line of acidity. Tannins are fine and powdery, more a gentle grip than a structural wall, and the finish carries a faint peppery spice that tapers off cleanly. Texture is silky rather than plush — this is a Pinot Noir that prefers agility to weight.

Pour it with duck breast, mushroom risotto, roast pork belly or a plate of charcuterie and washed-rind cheese. It also handles grilled salmon well, and a light chill in warm weather does it no harm at all.

Drinking well now and through to around 2029, with the fruit at its most expressive over the next two to three years.