PINOT NOIR PERFECTION
Packed with bright red fruits and hints of spice, these pinot noirs are versatile and perfect for drinking now.
2021 CHAIN OF P ONDS MORNING STAR PINOT NOIR
Wine region: Adelaide Hills, SA
Lifted nose of redcurrant, cherry, crushed strawberry and hints of beetroot with wild thyme. Medium bodied with wood spice, savoury structural tannins and lively acidity.
What is unique about this wine?
Hand-picked from the Christmas Hill vineyard at Kuitpo, this pinot noir embodies the celebration. Juicy red cherries combined with woody spice, and a true expression of place.
What is the best way to enjoy this wine?
Simplicity is key. We suggest pairing a generous glass with a gruyere toasted sandwich (an adult’s rendition of the cheese toastie). The perfect balance of complexity and flavour without one overpowering the other. $35, chainofponds.com.au @chainofponds
2021 COOLA ROAD P I NOT NOIR
Wine region: Mount Gambier, SA
This pinot noir is a wonderful expression of fruit, with a textual palate of cherry and a nose of savoury herbs and spices. A lovely deep velvet red in colour, this delicious wine is full of flavour with a smooth, long finish.
What is unique about this wine?
Grown in a maritime climate on vines planted in a fractured, flinty limestone with an underlying ribbon of fertile soil and a hard limestone bedrock below. Once established, vines grow remarkably well here and produce grapes with brilliant, minerally characteristics not found anywhere else in Australia.
What is the best way to enjoy this wine?
Perfectly paired with a herb-and-pepper crusted rack of lamb. Serve this wine in large glasses and let it breathe to generate its full flavour before drinking. A wonderfully rounded wine now, but will also cellar well for another decade. $28, coolaroad.com @coolaroadwines
2021 MEDHURST ESTATE V I NEYARD P I NOT NOIR
Wine region: Yarra Valley, VIC
Bright ruby red with purple hues. This benchmark vintage has produced a wine with a wonderfully complex nose; the hallmark of all great pinot noirs. Aromas of bright red cherries are juxtaposed by earthy notes and a hint of flinty spice.
What is unique about this wine?
It's made from grapes grown on the midslope below the Warramate ranges. At 130–200m altitude, it is off the valley floor, yet is warm enough to ripen even in cooler years. The wine is complex and balanced in these 500 million year old soils.
What is the best way to enjoy this wine?
This complex wine is best drunk with food and great company. It will match well with Cuisse de Canard Confite: confit duck leg with aromatic spices, roasted kipfler potatoes, black garlic, wild mushrooms and thyme jus. $55, medhurstwines.com.au @medhurstwines
2020 SMALL ISLAND WINES SALT WATER RIVER SINGLE SITE PI NOT NOIR
Wine region: Tasman Peninsula, TAS
The new release 2020 takes this site to a whole new level – earthy, floral and incredibly complex. This wine is rapidly developing a cult following and is selling out fast.
What is unique about this wine?
Saltwater River Vineyard on the Tasman Peninsula is cold and dry. The vines struggle and produce concentrated tiny bunches packed full of flavor. This vineyard is truly unique and the wines speak for themselves.
What is the best way to enjoy this wine?
The best way to enjoy this wine is with friends, cheese and a dog. What could be better? $49, smallislandwines.com @smallislandwines
2020 SCOTCHMANS HILL P I NOT NOIR
Wine region: Bellarine Peninsula, VIC
An exotic bouquet of raspberry, strawberry and red plum fruits with spice, sappy notes and oak delivering great complexity. The palate is elegant yet vibrant and there are background flavours of spice and cedar.
What is unique about this wine?
The vineyard has delivered a purity of fruit and overall structure to the wine. The inclusion of whole bunches and wild ferments coupled with slow ageing in barrel over 12 months has produced a complete, balanced wine.
What is the best way to enjoy this wine?
This wine can be enjoyed with an array of foods, but the best is lamb rump. The texture and flavour of the lamb draws out the complex flavours of the wine and allows it to express itself. $45, scotchmans.com.au @scotchmanshill
2021 COOMBE YARRA VALLEY TRIBUTE SERIES LADY CELIA PI NOT NOIR
Wine region: Yarra Valley, VIC
A refined and meticulously structured pinot noir. Seductive aromatics of fresh cranberries, sour cherry and red plum are complemented by subtle notes of fresh toffee and timber spice. A soft rounded mouthfeel finishes this elegant wine.
What is unique about this wine?
Our C block is close planted and cropped at one bunch per shoot, evenly spaced with an open canopy. This ensures fruit has dappled sun exposure and good airflow, providing balanced ripening.
What is the best way to enjoy this wine?
This is a wine for all seasons, however we are going to be enjoying it this winter over an open fire with freshly roasted chestnuts and good friends. $65, coombeyarravalley.com.au @coombeyarravalley
20 2 1 R I P OSTE T HE DAGGER P I NOT NOIR
Wine region: Adelaide Hills, SA
A vibrant Adelaide Hills pinot noir, with notes of black cherry overlaid with exotic spices leading to a palate of supple fresh berries, bright acidity, and lingering fine-grained tannins.
What is unique about this wine?
Destemmed fruit is tipped directly into fermenters without crushing to give a high percentage of whole berries. The fruit is then gently pumped over twice a day to keep the skins wet and promote gentle tannin extraction.
What is the best way to enjoy this wine?
This highly versatile wine suits most food. As it has no oak component, it is also a successful partner for spiced foods. On a hot day, a 10 minute spell in the fridge is quite permissible. $24, ripostewines.com.au @ripostewines
20 2 1 S MI T HBROOK S I NGLE V I NEYARD P I NOT NOIR
Wine region: Pemberton, WA
This aromatic pinot displays dark cherry, wild strawberry and underlying earthy, savoury notes. Complex, with gamey, stalky aromas. The palate is medium-weighted with bright, jubey red fruits and a zippy acid backbone.
What is unique about this wine?
Hand-picked estate fruit is sourced from three distinct blocks, each individual in aspect, soil type, and clone selection. Each parcel is vinified with varying degrees of whole bunch fermentation, new oak fermentation, and gentle macerating techniques. The final blend aims to maintain structure while expressing bright primary fruit.
What is the best way to enjoy this wine?
We love drinking these pinots in their youth. Aromatically charged, with maximum fruit expression. Pair with local Pemberton produce, such as marron and black truffle tossed through fresh pasta. $25, smithbrook.wine @smithbrookwines
20 20 ST E FA NO LUBI ANA E STAT E P I NOT NOIR
Wine region: Derwent Valley, TAS
Aromatic on the nose, a combination of cherry blossom, spice and dark chocolate. The palate is opulent and perfectly poised between fruit sweetness and tannin grip. The length of the wine persists and the finish is dry.
What is unique about this wine?
We see ourselves as generational winemakers, with over 30 years' experience making pinot noir from the same vineyard in Tasmania. We strive to produce wines of vibrancy, flavour and sound structure, that speak of their place. We all work hard to harness the tangibles and intangibles of biodynamics in the vineyard and winery.
What is the best way to enjoy this wine?
We love to enjoy this wine with duck confit, (responsibly sourced), but vegetarians or vegans may wish to match this rich wine with a slow cooked kidney bean dish. Cellar for up to 10 years. $62, slw.com.au @stefanolubianawines