Not much gives this away as Pinot Noir except, perhaps, its colour and a hint of animalé on the nose. I tasted this blind and picked it as a commercial Shiraz blend, perhaps with a bit of Mataro. There's straightforward red fruit and a good deal of sweet, vanilla and spice oak. Perhaps a bit of funky stalk? Nothing too challenging, though.
In the mouth, light to medium bodied with a soft structure. On entry, it's nicely sour-edged, a twist of orange peel ushering in more conventional flavours of confected red fruit and oak-derived vanilla and cedar. For my taste, there's a bit too much oak here. Good intensity of flavour; the flavour profile, though, suggests a more significant red wine, so it bears its lack of weight uncomfortably. Rustic tannins emerge on the after palate, drying the tongue and roughing up the mouthfeel. A slightly hot finish.
I'm not sure what to make of this as a Pinot, but as an easygoing red wine it succeeds well. It's well made and goes extremely well with food. I'd drag this along to a BBQ or casual dinner where it could be quaffed without much thought (but with plenty of pleasure).
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