Gusbourne Boot Hill Pinot Noir 2018

This has been the benchmark for English Pinot Noir for quite some time, often combining vibrant red fruit flavours with judicious use of textural oak.

The nose on the 2018 Boot Hill instantly grabs you. Vibrant cherries, raspberry and cherry blossom leap out the glass, with toasted oak and cracked black pepper complexities.

To taste, there’s a fusion of jammy, ripe red berries and taut, tangy cranberry; the acidity is lively and punchy, and does need a bit more time to settle down. The oak is less pronounced than the nose suggests, intermingling nicely with a light tannic chew on the finish.

Overall, this is hugely enjoyable, however you can’t help but feel this will not hit its drinking stride for a good few more years.