The 2004 First Paddock Pinot Noir shows an improvement in quality. Fermented using natural yeasts and matured in 37% new oak, it has a gamey, leathery nose with touches of dark chocolate, the palate fresh with vibrant acidity, a little savory on the palate with a bitterness that lends it freshness and vitality. Simple but effective. During our brief tete-a-tete, Hollywood A-lister Sam Neill came across as passionate about wine as acting, double-checking that he had a ticket for the impending Pinot Noir Celebration whilst I sampled his Pinots. His first five-acre vineyard was planted in 1993 in Gibbston, Central Otago, debuting with the 1997 vintage since when he has expanded his holdings with -Alex Paddocks- and -Redbank Paddocks- both near Alexandra. The wine is vinified at the Central Otago Wine Company facility in Cromwell, two vintages overseen by Rudi Bauer (see Quartz Reef) and currently by Dean Shaw, who has worked in Pommard with Pascal Marchand amongst others. Indeed, Two Paddocks- style hails more towards the Cote d-Or than Central Otago, medium-bodied, earthy, brambly and natural with 20% whole-bunch ferments lending it a less fruit-driven but more complex style. The mini-vertical demonstrated a gradual improvement that I suggest is due to the maturing of vines.Importer: Total Beverage Solution, Mt. Pleasant, SC; tel. (843) 881-0761; fax (843) 881-1468

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