Giesen Clayvin Pinot Noir 2014

Organic, north facing vineyard, wild ferment, basket press, 30% new oak - there’s some tech notes for you. Smells firstly of power, then brooding, swirling sweet and sour red fruits, then pinot. The palate though is brazenly pinot. You have to have pretty incredible fruit to whack it with the evident amount of spice and pepper here, and maintain such silky balance. 

It’s fleshy but dry, tensioned but generous. It’s got that elusive ‘tepf’, if you like. There’s a word I learned about this week. I’m sure I’d heard it before, but never as eloquently as Andrew Jefford’s explained it here. To save you the click, it’s tension, energy, precision and focus - as distinct from the never-ending and often fruitless (ha!) search for ripeness and power.