Smooth assilk.

1 2014 Bream Creek Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir Vigneron Fred Peacock

This cool climate pinot has a spicy, dark cherry nose and intense, balanced palate with flavours of dark plums, cherries, savoury spices and subtle French oak. What do you look for in this wine? We want this wine to showcase the dark fruit and spice characters, balanced acidity and integrated tannins found in southern Tasmanian pinot noir. We also want a wine that is delicious now, yet that can also be confidently cellared.

What should we eat with this wine?

Pinot noir is a versatile food wine. At a recent charity dinner in Hobart, celebrated chef Jacques Reymond paired our pinot noir with lamb cutlet farcie, sweetbreads, silverbeet and a tamarind and ginger dressing. It was a fabulous match! $39, breamcreekvineyard.com.au @BreamCreekVineyard

2 2015 Payne’s Rise Mr Jed Pinot Noir Winemakers Tim Cullen & Franco D’Anna

Bright, delicate and perfumed, soft and structural. Mid-weight with flavours of sweet-sour cherry, undergrowth, spices and assorted herbs. Razor-sharp lively varietal expression with a silky texture. What do you try to capture in this wine? We aim for it to reflect the strong fruit characters of the Upper Yarra Valley’s cool climate and our unique vineyard site. It’s about fruit purity, elegance and texture.

What would you serve with this wine?

Elegant, perfumed pinot, with its silky tannin structure and fine acidity is the perfect match for lamb. A personal favourite is grilled rack of lamb in the Weber, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and freshly chopped herbs – preferably enjoyed camping by a river somewhere!

$35, paynesrise.com.au, @paynesrise

3 2017 Rob Dolan White Label Pinot Noir Winemakers Rob Dolan + Mark Nikolich

From the cracking 2017 Yarra Valley vintage, this wine displays subtle cherry and savoury plum notes with fine tannins. The fruit was sourced from premium select sites in Gladysdale and Yering. What do you believe typifies your style? We look for savoury, finely textured pinot noir, with underlying oak and supple varietal and regional flavours. It will reward cellaring and pair with modern Australian food.

What are some of your favourite food

matches for this wine? It’s a versatile pinot that’s perfectly suited to a variety of foods, from share-plate, tapas-style dishes to vegetarian favourites such as Sichuan-style eggplant with pickled chilli, or tomatobased pasta dishes such as arrabiata.

$35, robdolanwines.com.au, @robdolanwine

4 2016 Santolin Gladysdale Pinot Noir Winemaker Adrian Santolin

The nose is subtle but lifted, with aromas of red berries, dark cherry and hints of savoury spice. The concentrated palate shows soft, delicate flavours of black cherry and forest floor.

What is most critical to you when it comes

to making pinot noir? Site and regionality. We like to capture the unique nuances from individual sites.We make two pinot noirs from the Yarra Valley, from the upper and lower sub-regions. Both are made similarly, but are very different wines. What should we cook to pair with this wine? Pan-fried gnocchi with wild mushrooms is a killer match. $42, santolinwines.com.au @santolinwines

5 2016 Soumah Hexham Vineyard Pinot Noir Winemaker Scott McCarthy

Dark cherry and spicy red fruits on the nose unfold to a savoury palate showing fine oak integration and a clean focus, with strawberry and cherry fruit balanced by fine tannins.

How do you approach this wine? We set out to make a pinot noir with restraint. We want elegance over power and the fruit to be balanced with secondary developed flavours of earth and savoury spice. The cold-soak, wild-yeast ferment, and long secondary maturation in barriques, all contribute to its complexity.

Any left-field food-match suggestions?

Game dishes are among the best, but lately I’m enjoying it with beef rendang. The wine’s spice and structure goes well with dishes that have a little spice to them.

$38, soumah.com.au, @soumahwines

6 2016 Oakdene Single Vineyard Peta’s Pinot Noir Winemaker Robin Brockett

A perfumed bouquet of bright floral notes, red and black cherry fruit and lifted spice. Intense palate of cherry and dark plum notes, with spice and savoury characters. What traits are integral to this pinot noir? We seek a bright, lifted perfume, full and fleshy mid-palate, firm acidity, fine compact tannins and a long finish. These balance the region’s typical earthy notes, tannin texture and deep colour.

What dishes should we pair with it? The obvious matches are poultry and game, typically roast duck. The wine’s perfume and acid profile contrast the high-fat content of duck and other meats, such as pork. A more unique match is firm ocean fish, such as swordfish, which works well with the wine’s fine tannin structure.

$43, oakdene.com.au, @oakdenewines

Consider these top pinot noirs to see you through the cooler months. The winemakers discuss what they like to showcase in these wines and share their favourite food pairings.

7 2017 Prancing Horse Estate The Pony Pinot Noir Winemakers: Richard McIntyre and Jeremy Magyar (Moorooduc Estate)

Classic red-fruited pinot noir of wild strawberries and red-cherry characters, highlighted by floral and Darjeeling tea notes. The palate shows savoury acidity and the fine tannins that are typical of the Red Hill zone. What do you believe typifies your pinot? Pinot noir is a great conduit of where it is grown. Our biodynamic vineyard is farmed to provide an amplified sense of place. We look for classic ‘up-hill’ Mornington characters: bright, fresh and red fruited.

How should we be enjoying this wine?

The Pony is our ‘by the glass’ range. The wine shows great compatibility with a variety of cuisines, particularly roasted free-range pork. $35, prancinghorseestate.com @prancinghorseestate

8 2016 Riposte The Sabre Pinot Noir Winemaker: Tim Knappstein

Power with finesse. The 2016 Sabre Pinot Noir layers cuts of dark cherry and forest berries with subtle spice notes on the nose.

What do you look for in the pinot noir you

produce? I aim for complex, multi clonal wines with a focus on richness, weight and mouthfeel, as well as bright pinot aromas. Oak is part of the whole, but should not dominate.

Which dishes do you think best showcase

this wine? Move on from the traditional duck and pinot combination, and try this extremely versatile wine with chicken, lamb, pork or any strong-flavoured fish. For spicy Asian food, find a pinot without oak, such as The Dagger. This is a far better match.

$35, timknappstein.com.au

9 2017 Stefani Estate The View Yarra Valley Pinot Noir Winemaker: Peter Mackey

This wine is light red in colour, displaying notes of wild cherries, wet coal and Christmas pudding. The palate is seamless with rich fruit and integrated tannins.

How does this growing site impact the

wine? The View vineyard is about 350m above sea level and enables the fruit to grow in cool climate conditions. Hence we aim to develop a pinot with an elegance similar to Old World French Burgundy, with rich and complex characteristics.

How do you like to serve this wine?

We enjoy drinking our pinot noir with slowcooked goat or venison. It pairs beautifully with fresh goat’s cheese and pear, giving an explosion of flavours on the palate.

$65, stefaniestatewines.com.au

10 2016 Geoff Weaver Single Vineyard Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir Winemaker Geoff Weaver

Lifted primary cherry fruit with hints of earth and spice. Distinctly pinot. Ripe fruit, complex juicy and supple. Generously flavoured with a lingering, drying, savoury tannin on the finish.

What traits do you believe define your

style of pinot noir? A fragrant and complex, yet subtle pinot aroma is vital. The palate must be supple and generous, but not big. And there must be savoury tannins and acid to balance the sweet fruit. It should be feminine and gentle, not overt and overbearing.

Any leftfield food matches that work

well with this wine? I love it with roast duck, but also with seafood and even, surprisingly, oysters.

$45, geoffweaver.com.au

11 2015 Trofeo Estate Single Block Amphora Pinot Noir Winemaker: Richard Darby

100% matured in Florentine terracotta amphora, this wine is reminiscent of ripe strawberries and maraschino cherries, lashings of liquorice and notes of mocha. A generous mouthfeel and well-integrated fine tannins create a delightfully moreish wine.

What qualities do you strive for in your

pinot noir? Being 100% terracotta, I look to produce wine that is full flavoured, well balanced, displays great complexity and is enjoyable to drink now, while continuing to improve over time. Essentially, it’s pinot that best expresses the site and specific vintage conditions.

What do you love to pair with this wine?

Local wild mushrooms and goat’s cheese pappardelle, burnt sage butter or with a round of BoatShed Black Pearl French vine ash goat’s cheese and crackers.

$65, trofeoestate.com, @trofeoestate

12 2015 Nazaaray Pinot Noir Reserve Winemaker Paramdeep S. Ghumman

Intense perfumed nose; more concentrated with herbs and spices than the Estate Pinot Noir. Lovely sweet fruit on the front palate with appetising acidity. Good texture and richness. Great balance. Five-plus years.

What do you believe adds to your point

of difference? We planted eight different clones to get as much complexity of flavour as possible from the clay and basalt soil, and our terroir. Nazaaray is the southernmost vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula, producing wines that are a tad different from other sites further north.

What dishes should we pair with it?

Besides the common match of duck, I favour tandoori quail, or quail cooked in the Avadhi style with saffron, fennel and milk among the ingredients.

$45, nazaaray.com.au, @nazaaray