Pinot Noir

95 Points - Antonio Galloni "The 2015 Bodega (Freestone Occidental) is the deepest and richest of these wines but it has somehow achieved all of that intensity while retaining its translucent personality and feel. Lavender, violet, plum and an array of blue stone fruit flavors give the Bodega its distinctly dark profile. At the same time, the 2015 is endowed with remarkable aromatic freshness and nuance. The whole clusters are evident, but also beautifully woven into the wine's fabric."

95 Points - Jams Halliday "What a glorious wine enticing immediately starting with its heady aromas. Florals, humus, raspberries, cherries, bitter orange and no shortage of spices. It has a energy across the palate with a cooling menthol character and fine tannins. It seems at first delicate but it has plenty of definition."

Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) "Always interesting to taste Cooinda alongside Butcher’s Hill. Cherry, red fruits, spice, smoke, and herbal perfume. Medium bodied, strawberry with a tangy orange flavour, light but firm sandy tannin, sap and peel, lively acid profile, and bitter orange trailing on the long finish. Nervy kind of wine with quite a bit of energy."

Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) "Butcher’s Hill is the vineyard that has some limestone over sandstone, as opposed to Cooinda with the sandy loam over sandstone. Sandy Loam would be a nice name for someone, I think. Sweet dark raspberry and black cherry, exotic spices, subtle earthiness, dried roses. Medium-bodied, rich and silky tannin, a little sap and tang, but a core of plump red fruit with a distinct minerally thing going on, and a finish that’s bright and long, with some dried herb and peel seasoning. More perky, less deep this season, but shows the site to good effect."

The 2018 vintage was slightly warmer than the long-term average leading to rich and complex fruit coming from the Butcher’s Hill Vines. A layered nose of red plum, ripe cherry, black raspberry, charred wood, cedar spice and light smokey finish. A burst of freshness across the palate with wild raspberry and baking spice showing through, leading onto a light earthy note and fresh cracked pepper. An excellent tannin structure and balanced acid gives a long and rewarding finish.

95 Points - Antonio Galloni "The 2016 Pinot Noir Suerte Solomon Hills Vineyard is broad, ample and creamy, as the best wines off this site often are. A rush of blue/purplish berry fruit provides a real punch. Explosive and full of both energy and character, the Suerte has a lot to offer. It is also one of the more open, accessible wines in this range. Time in the glass brings out the wine's expansiveness nicely."

97++ / 98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “So pure and wonderfully delicate. The bouquet is alluring with cinnamon stick, warmed earth, forest floor, sweet spice and violet – very Burgundian and Ben’s time with one of Burgundy’s great, Domaine Dujac is clearly on show. The tannins are super-fine, almost whispery. Wonderful transparency (there is no hiding with this style), sweet fruit and pangs of freshness. The fruit is spiced and feels exotic – a twist of black pepper to balance the sweetness. Harmonious and beautiful being the most accurate description. The finish is long and seamless. Wonderfully accessible but 4-6 years of bottle age will unlock the wine’s true complexity. A real triumph…”

97+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Another domestic sell out with only 576 bottles being produced. This is our second bottle in two days as it fascinated the hell out of us – bottle one was consumed throughout a day as the flavours developed (we forgot to write our notes if truth be known). I hate to say ‘this will suit a certain type of wine drinker’ as I feel this is disrespectful. However, and for the very first time (perhaps the ‘only’ occasion), this is a Pinot Noir for all lovers of bright, enthusiastic Grenache. The bouquet is epic and so different to most Aussie Pinot Noirs. Wild, savoury, lavender, sweetly spiced, dehydrated strawberry, dusty earth and orange peel. In short, the bouquet is heroic. The palate is savoury, incredibly satisfying, filled with juicy, spiced fruits juxtaposed with woody herbs. Overall, it is alive with waves of freshness – the sorbet-like blood orange finish is a dream. Ludicrously good and will convert non-Pinot Noir fans across to the dark side. Drink from now to 2030. Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware.”

97-98 Points – Magdalena Sienkiewicz "Beautifully scented with sweet raspberries and cherries, revealing riveting spice and delicately earthy complexities with aeration. An elegant whiff of rose petal and mint adds a wonderful lift. The palate is equally fine and elegant and simply melts away slowly after wrapping the taste buds in a luxuriously soft blanket of flavour. The purity and precision is highly impressive and the balance between fruit, acidity and svelte tannins is astounding. High class from the 1er Cru Pinot Noir is never surprising and yet, it always amazes me. Please decant, as this wine really shines when allowed the time. Clearly, it will continue to evolve for years to come. Sampled using Zalto Burgundy glassware on opening and again on the following day, when it showed even better."

97+ Stuart McCloskey “100% Pinot Noir. The bouquet is ripe, highly elegant and defined by orchard fruits underpinned with subtle baking spices and the slightest hint of marzipan. The palate oozes with the same sensual charm as the Pinot Gris – just with a touch more grip on the finish. There’s a generous core of orchard fruit, which reminds me of my neighbour. My home adjoins a large orchard, and this reminds me of my journey home after taking a long walk around the nature reserve – I would help myself to a dew-drenched apple that satisfies my thirst with a little puckering grip. The acidity is racy, it’s super bright with a little chalk / mineral finish. The finish is long and mouth-watering. Of course, very much an infant and will be divine over the decade to come. Simply, a beautiful creation. This may form a natural deposit. Stand upright for approx. 30 mins before pouring and pour the last glass carefully… Do not overchill. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

Stuart McCloskey “My first comment being that this is a very different style to the previous Avancé vintage. The fruit component both on the nose and palate provides pillowing cushions of voluptuousness. If served blind, the bouquet reminds me of a plush, high-quality Pinot Noir from Sonoma. The perfumes exudes blood orange (unmistakable), black raspberry, spiced infused red fruits with some darker depths coming from black plums, damsons infused with a saline solution. My glass is supercharged with lavender, more sweet spice and a kirsch-like character. Avancé is on steroids. Take a sip and wait for the galloping flavours to hit you – The intensity is off the scale for a wine of this value (and clearly why we have lost 60% of our allocation). This flows with exotic richness, but I must emphasis the lightness of touch, the freshness and the salinity which adds a layer of grown-up sophistication – this is far from clumsy. Succulent, moreish and drenched with unbelievable goodness. A little floral-pastille character provides more layers of complexity. This is a full-throttle Tassie Pinot Noir which is going to create, quite the stir. I did not expect this – I am shocked and brimming with a huge smile. Drink now to 2030. Served with Zalto Burgundy glassware (I failed to decant and look at the result)…”

96+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “60% Pinot Noir / 40% Chardonnay. I like the nose very much as it wafts from my glass with a crescendo of red berries, pomegranate, crisp green apples and chalk. The palate is super fresh and comes across more succulent and fuller compared to the Cuvee Catherine. The mousse is rich and the mid palate weight adds further depth and a lovely mouthfeel. The fruit is fresh and sings with ripe raspberry, wild strawberry, pomegranate and a little bitter orange rind on the long finish… I detect a little chalkiness and salinity too, which brings a welcome distinction to the fruit. The balance is textbook and the structure provides some girth. I like it very much, but I feel the cold, outside temperature and driving rain is playing havoc with my senses (take note to my score!) - the colour and flavours talk to me of the summer and not the deep winter. Unquestionably, this drinks fabulously now, but I would like to see a further five years bottle age. Served using Zalto Universal glassware. Do not overchill.”

96+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Such a pretty bouquet filled with ripe, sweet red berries, peony, rose hip and lots of spice. The palate is medium bodied and presents itself incredibly well (given it’s their most recent release). Youthfulness contrasts so well with the wine’s generous core of fruit. The mouthfeel is ample, fleshy with some textural grip (the tannins melt). The flavour profile is impressive and fans out fabulously. The acidity is racy and provides a lovely freshness minutes after the wine has escaped your palate… This also provides the opportunity to examine those lingering flavours of sweet raspberry, blood orange and wild berries. A very promising Tassie Pinot Noir which would certainly benefit from a few years in the cellar (consume within 5-8 years). Very impressive for such a young release. Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware.”

97++ Points - Stuart McCloskey “It takes time to unfurl, but when it does, it’s a dreamboat of aromatics. From the outset, the French oak (38% new) is obvious and adds a pencil shaving freshness. With aeration (decant for an hour or so) the aromatic fruit develops with orange zest, raspberry and a lovely brightness from red berries - there’s a pretty savoury complexity too. The palate is tensile, medium bodied – the tannins providing a cloaking hug to the fruit. It feels natural and unforced. I find the harmony and elegance particularly enjoyable. All-in-all, a wine which offers supreme elegance without being sparing on fruit. The finish is super long with a slight tingle coming from an almost sorbet like blood orange finish. Delicious now but will only get better with time in the cellar (10 years maximum). Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware”

99 Points - James Suckling

Even better than the debut and great 2014. Perfumed and vivid with strawberry, raspberry, flower leaf, cedar, stone and flint. Full body yet compacted and compressed giving it an ultra-fine palate profile. Tension and finesse. Light citrus finish. Polished to almost perfection. Seamless finish. 500 cases made. Drink now.

We love this Pinot Noir. Our full tasting note coming soon...

Mike Bennie, The Wine Front “It greets drinkers with that mix of sour-sweet cherry fragrance wafting through sweet earth, undergrowth, brambly-hedgerow kind of scents. The palate has a suppleness and that general sense of ‘dryness’, a powdery web of fine tannin draped on succulent sour-sweet cherry flavours, licks of nutty-savouriness and a quick suck on a ham bone gamey quality. The length is epic, a gentle staining that lasts with little stony-minerally chomps in the palate. It has that more open weave feel to it than so many polished and preened Australian pinot noirs, and better for it. Compelling wine.”

We love this Pinot Noir. Our full tasting note to follow shortly...

Tasting note to follow shortly...

Tasting note to follow shortly...

Tasting note to follow shortly...

Owen Latta (Winemaker) "Dream season! Easy year in the vineyard with no pressure on to get anything done great quantities per acre. Amazing grapes. Beautiful for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Coghills Creek. 15% whole bunch indigenous yeast and no adjustments. 12 months in 4-10 year old barriques. SO2 added post Malo and prior to bottling. From the get go this wine was ready to roll and has made heads turn. It has aged gracefully and is singing its song loud at the moment."

Our tasting note to follow...

97 Points - James Halliday "MV6, 777 and 115 clones, 60% from the Derwent Valley, 30% East Coast and 10% Tamar Valley. The bouquet is multifaceted, with no single message from the single vineyard group, the palate moving onto another tier, but carries with it the higher-toned red fruits of clone 115 (compared to MV6 last year). It also achieves a lightness of touch without any sacrifice of line or length. This is the serious business of enjoyment, not the science of dissecting small pieces of a large puzzle."

98++ Points - Stuart McCloskey “The bouquet is both intoxicating and beguiling ranging from petrichor (that wonderful earthy scent when rain falls on dry, hot ground) brambles, hedgerow fruits, orange rind and floral notes to pencil. Certainly, edging towards a more savoury side. The palate is broad, expansive and keeps giving – far from being a nervous Pinot Noir. The tannins are svelte and melt into a heady mix of wild berries. The lavish texture is impossible to ignore – Satin and structurally perfect. The deep core of fruit is impressive as is the bottomless finish. Simply magical and a highlight in our portfolio. I cannot wait to see how this wine ages over the coming 6-10 years. Served with Zalto Burgundy glassware (as important as the wine itself)”

98++ Points - Stuart McCloskey “The bouquet is both intoxicating and beguiling ranging from petrichor (that wonderful earthy scent when rain falls on dry, hot ground) brambles, hedgerow fruits, orange rind and floral notes to pencil. Certainly, edging towards a more savoury side. The palate is broad, expansive and keeps giving – far from being a nervous Pinot Noir. The tannins are svelte and melt into a heady mix of wild berries. The lavish texture is impossible to ignore – Satin and structurally perfect. The deep core of fruit is impressive as is the bottomless finish. Simply magical and a highlight in our portfolio. I cannot wait to see how this wine ages over the coming 6-10 years. Served with Zalto Burgundy glassware (as important as the wine itself)”