Knightor Pinot Noir 2019, Cornwall

I was pleasantly surprised when I visited the Knightor Winery, just outside St Austell in Cornwall. Winemaker David Brocklehurst is making some stunningly good wines unlike anything else being made in England today. This Pinot Noir is no exception.

The weather in 2019 was disappointing. The warm summer promised much, sadly, the autumn let us down meaning that winemakers had to work hard to produce quality wines. David has suceeded with this 100% Pinot Noir which is a light bodied fruity red, highly drinkable and perfect to serve chilled on a sunny day.

This Pinot Noir was picked with exceptional ripeness levels and fantastic fruit flavours. The grapes were crushed into open topped fermenters where they were fermented at relatively cool temperatures to give the wine freshness and avoid over extraction. During fermentation the cap was gently punched down a couple of times a day with keen eye to the level of extraction from the fruit. After fermentation the cap was gently pressed and the wine was stored for 10 months 60% in French oak barrels the remainder in stainless steel tanks.

The palate is light with flavours of sour cherries, strawberries and juicy red fruits. Time in oak lends some body and provides hints of back pepper.

The wine is unfiltered and unfined, meaning there may be natural sediment in the bottle. To avoid this it's best to decant the wine before drinking.