Central Otago is one of the wine world’s great discoveries — a region of quite breathtaking natural drama in the heart of New Zealand’s South Island, where the Southern Alps rise above ancient schist and gold-rush ghost towns, and where the combination of intense summer sunshine, cool nights, and the mineral-rich soils of the world’s southernmost wine region produces Pinot Noir of a character and complexity that has astonished and delighted wine lovers since the region first came to international attention. Nowhere else on earth does Pinot Noir taste quite like this: the altitude and the continental climate give the wines a freshness and precision that is entirely their own, while the schist soils add a mineral depth and complexity that sets Central Otago apart from every other Pinot Noir region in the world. Brennan is one of the region’s most dedicated and characterful producers, farming their Gibbston Valley vineyards — one of Central Otago’s highest and coolest sub-regions — with a commitment to quality and a deep understanding of what makes this extraordinary corner of New Zealand so special. The B2 is their most expressive and generous Pinot Noir: a wine of real depth and personality that showcases the full range of what Central Otago can produce. The 2018 is a beauty: enticing blackberry bramble and field mushroom on the nose — that lovely, earthy, forest-floor complexity that is the hallmark of great Pinot Noir — with a palate that is generously juicy and alive, showing alpine strawberry, wild thyme, and notes of cassis that together create a wine of real aromatic complexity and charm. The finish is long and luscious, with lingering hints of allspice and toasty oak that give the wine a warmth and persistence that is deeply satisfying. At £28.49, it is Central Otago Pinot Noir at its most compelling and complete.