Shaw & Smith Lenswood Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024

Hand-picked and hand-sorted, then long, slow ferments in wood and stainless steel vats, followed by 10 months in 500-litre puncheons, 30% new. An attractive and suave autumnal opening makes for a strong start — dark cherry, raspberry compote, pine needle, nutmeg, crushed leaves, forest floor. There’s some emergent cassia bark and fresh-cut beets with air, and a lovely tilled-earth tone adding depth. The palate has a beautiful, supple texture with woody spice, forest floor and delicate mushroom dancing around a core of dark cherry and raspberry fruit. Quite firm tannins provide frame and long carry, with forest floor tones permeating the mouth perfume. This is exciting — a seductive, velveteen and sexy Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir of savoury complexity, depth and, importantly, structure. Very good.