Rabbit Ranch, Central Otago Pinot Noir 2011

Pinot Noir is undoubtedly one of the world’s most versatile food wines and outside of Burgundy in France, the Central Otago region in New Zealand’s South Island is probably the world’s premier Pinot producing region.

The hallmarks of a good Central Otago Pinot include a savoury nose, sweet cherried fruit and a smooth smoky finish but regrettably, those fine features are not readily evident in the Rabbit Ranch Pinot Noir 2011 that I recently stumbled across in one of the “majors” bottle shops. It’s rare for me to speak ill of any Central Otago Pinot, but at around $25 a bottle, I expected a little more.

Sure, the Rabbit Ranch has abundant fragrant cherry flavours on the palate and a hint of spiciness at the back, but without the firm constraints of tannin and oak and a noble structure, the uncontrolled fruit becomes a lolly bomb in the mouth that may as well be an RTD Cruiser without the fizz.

I can’t fault the creamy texture and velvety finale, but without any shackles on the overly candied flavours, it’s just not my style of wine.