Blank Canvas Anthem Pinot Noir 2018

Ripe, intense, richly scented, varietal and fruity bouquet with aromas of ripe dark cherries and plums. There’s a definitive dried herb, savoury complexity – classic Otago message – then aromas of smoky oak with a quiet clove baking spice suggestion. All the action for this wine is on the palate – it’s delicious with a detailed story of spices and fruits, textures and length, concentration and a sense of place. Tannins are fine and polished, oak has a nut-like quality alongside the toast-wood. The core of fruit finishes with a floral note – a flick forming part of a lengthy youthful finish. Fabulous drinking now and through 2026+. Definitely a wine of discussion. Score – 95. (Cameron Douglas, MS, camdouglasms.com, Aug. 22, 2020)