Review: 2018 Quiet Mutiny Venus Rising Pinot Noir by Mark Smith

Casting herself in the role of a mutineer winemaker, 2021 Young Gun of Wine finalist Greer Carland certainly crafted a gun Pinot Noir from the superb Coal River Valley fruit she was able to purchase three vintages ago.

A multi-award winner, the wine offers lashings of colour, aroma and flavour. It's characterised by rich dark cherry and plum elements, supported by fine ripe tannins.

A whiff of mint or eucalypt telegraphs its valley origins, while neatly judged cool climate acidity provides welcome freshness and genuine cellaring potential.

Make that a clear shot across the bows of New Zealand's Central Otago.