Warramunda Liv Zak Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2020

For once, the outside label perfectly reflects the contents. There’s a sense of spring, of wildflowers and ferns, while leafy things mass in vibrant colour on the label (yes, the part you don’t see in the accompanying photo, sorry). You’re already thinking freshness and liveliness when you move in for your first taste of . . . bright cherry-red berry fruits, dried herbs and pot pourri. Fresh and lively, yes, and definitely boasting a sense of youthful vitality.

I am inclined to recommend earlier drinking to fully enjoy that just-picked cherry taste and crunchy acidity that goes hand in hand with a relatively early picking (12.5% alcohol). Not that I’m against a little ageing.

Liv Zak Pinot Noir is a relatively new wine from Warramunda, and without much of a drinking track record to go on, it’s hard to judge. That slight dip on the middle palate may improve with a little more bottle time; the attractive dried herbal thread might become more embedded. A more developed complexity could be on the radar. For the minute though, I am happy to drink it right now.