Deep ruby-purple, the 2010 Morrison Vineyard Pinot Noir has a yeasty / wild nose with a bit of funk wafting over a core of red currants and wild blueberries with some perfume and lilac hints along, plus whiffs of cedar and soy. Medium-bodied and refreshing in the mouth, it is a concentrated yet elegant style with a medium level of very fine tannins and a long finish. It is still a very young wine that will benefit from 6 to 8+ aging. All but one of the Mount Edward vineyards and wineries are operated organically, with the Morrison and Drumlin vineyards also certified Bio Gro organic and the Stevens’ Vineyard sustainably farmed. The Morrison vineyard, located in the Lowburn subregion of Central Otago, has 15-year-old Pinot Noir vines along with aromatic Riesling and Gruner Veltliner vines that are less than 10 years old. The Muirkirk Vineyard is located on Felton Road in the Bannockburn subregion and harvests fruit from 13-year-old vines. The certified organic Drumlin Vineyard has the oldest vines, aged 18 years. Importer: Tamalpais Wine Agency, Richmond, CA.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2009 Morrison Vineyard Pinot Noir yields earthy, meaty, nutty fruit with dark cherries and mulberries plus hints of menthol and mocha. The medium bodied palate is elegantly fruited with fine tannins, medium-high acid and giving a long harmonious finish. Approachable now, it should drink to 2016+. Importer: Tamalpais Wine Agency, Richmond, CA.

This 2008 Morrison’s Vineyard has a more feminine nose than the Muirkirk Vineyard, the fruit not as intense but perhaps better delineated and subtle, with aromas of wild strawberry, nectarine, orange zest and a touch of violets. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins. There is a bewitching balance to this wine: a Central Otago Pinot with that rare virtue of weightlessness. It does not quite have the peacock’s tail of flavors towards the finish, perhaps inhibited by the growing season, but it is beautifully crafted. Drink now-2016. Gibbston’s ‘Mount Edward Winery’ deserves a higher profile given the quality of its wines. Alas they are produced in such small quantities they will inevitably be deprive a large audience who can appreciate the winemaking skills of Duncan Forsyth and his team. The special vineyard bottles are fascinating, demonstrating that the Cote d’Or does not have the exclusivity on terroir-driven Pinot Noirs. The scary thing is that Mount Edward’s wines? They are only going to get better. Importer: Tamalpais Wine Agency, Richmond, CA.