Burn Cottage 2022 Pinot Noir "Moonlight Race" 750ml

The 2022 Moonlight Race Pinot Noir is supple and spicy, with pink peppercorn, cherry blossom, red apple skins, a hint of blond tobacco and white pepper. The wine is light in the glass (but vibrant) and the tannins suit it—they are totally fresh and fine—finely milled and like poudre. Superb, silky, totally satisfying and enlivening. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Score: 94 points -- Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate, 2023

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American-owned Burn Cottage is a 24-hectare estate in Pisa, Central Otago. (The Sauvage family also owns Koehler-Ruprecht in the Pfalz.) With Ted Lemon of Littorai as a consultant, the amphitheater-like site is farmed biodynamically. The emphasis is on Pinot Noir, although there's also a tiny amount of white wine produced (a blend of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling).