Paddy Borthwick Paper Road Pinot Noir 2024

Paddy Borthwick Paper Road Pinot Noir is bright, supple and immediately appealing; a Wairarapa Pinot Noir that brings together juicy cherry, dark plum and red berry fruit with savoury spice, gentle florals and a subtle chocolate note from light French oak. The 2024 fruit was drawn from three vineyards around Gladstone, giving Paddy Borthwick plenty of material to shape into a medium-bodied, finely textured style with soft tannins and a lively finish. It has enough depth for Pinot devotees without losing its easygoing charm. A smart match for roast duck, mushroom dishes or lamb.

What the winery says:

The 2024 growing season brought early budburst, a long dry summer and an earlier than usual harvest, with the fruit picked fully ripe and in optimal condition. Fruit from three vineyards was fermented under temperature control using a mix of natural and inoculated yeasts, with hand plunging and extended post-ferment skin contact. The wine was then drained and pressed to barrel, with 85% aged in French oak for eight months and 15% of the barrels new. The finished wine is dry, medium-bodied and focused on bright red fruit, cherry, savoury spice, soft tannins and a lightly oaked finish.

What the experts say:

Cameron Douglas MS, 93 Points, Excellent (2024)
“Flavours of dark plums and raspberry with baking spices and gentle smoky wood tones. A rather delicious wine, taut and youthful.”

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, 93 Points, 5 Stars (2024)
“Delightfully fruited and inviting, the bouquet shows dark plum, wild strawberry, toasted almond, and warm spice aromas.”