Babich, Marlborough (New Zealand) Pinot Noir 2014

The Babich family helped pioneer winemaking in New Zealand more than a century ago, and continue near the forefront to this day.  This "Black Label" Pinot excels in 2014 on the strength of very pure fruit (think red and black cherries), a judiciously modest whiff of oak, fresh acidity, and just a hint of sweetness to buffer the fine-grained tannins.  Very nicely balanced and integrated, this will out-perform 95% of comparably priced Pinots from anywhere in the world.