One thing that bugs me about Central Otago Pinot is the lack of what I would call “everyday” or quaffing wines. There has, in recent years, been an emergence of affordable, quality Australian Pinot Noir, so the scarcety of Central Otago cheapies has become more evident. I nabbed this one at the local supermarket, as it was well priced and the label talks about ecologically friendly farming practices, etc. Good on paper for sure.This wine shows good typicity of fruit flavour on the nose, so from the perspective of a “sense of place” in wine, it’s doing the right thing. The nose lacks impact, though, as the fruit flavour is both rather simple and somewhat dilute in character. The palate continues this impression, with a promising entry leading to a middle palate that never quite delivers the goods. It’s light to medium bodied, again a bit simple and dilute in flavour, and with acidity that is too aggressive for the wine’s intensity. Tannins are very fine and even, length is acceptable.It’s nice to be able to buy an obviously “Central Otago” Pinot Noir for a smidge under $NZ25, so I shouldn’t grumble too much, I suppose. It’s just not an especially compelling wine.Stockman’s StationPrice: $NZ24Closure: StelvinDate tasted: December 2007