$50
The inaugural Penfolds Bin Pinot will amass more than its fair share of sceptics, and for no other reason than that it has “Penfolds” and “Pinot” on the same label. Understandably so, for the company that has done more to raise the profile of powerful, long-lived, oak-driven reds than any other in Australia. But this [...]
$140
96 points
Resembling somewhat a captain and commander of the Bass (Phillip) Strait, this wine is poised and postured, eagerly anticipating first signs of dawn after a dark and stormy night at sea. Brooding within the bottle are dark cherries, blackcurrants, distant woodsmoke, spice and forest floor, fused together with all the intensity of a thunderbolt. The [...]
$80
96 points
In top gastronomic circles, Ata Rangi is synonymous with some of the greatest Pinot Noirs made anywhere outside the hallowed turf of Burgundy itself. These are wines which display an intrinsic depth and concentration that is in no way dependent on oak, fruit ripeness or alcohol. In a superb vintage like 2008, they possess such [...]
$140
96 points
Phillip Jones is the craftsman behind one of Australia’s most longstanding and respected portfolios of Pinot Noir. At times rustic in style, but when they’re on their best behaviour, as they were in 2008, these rank among the most legendary Pinots in the country. The Bass Phillip “Premium” is exactly that. It’s lifted, perfumed and [...]
$75
96 points
When Matthew Jukes and I release our Great New Zealand Pinot Noir Classification each year, we taste every new vintage wine we can get hold of and go back over many previous releases. No New Zealand estate has ascended into the Pinot firmament as swiftly nor as accurately as Craggy Range, and Calvert is the [...]
$70
96 points
At the conclusion of a massive regional tasting in Martinborough earlier this year, I looked over my notes and one wine stood out above every other as the best in the room. This is the vintage that takes Martinborough Vineyard to a new level. Its red cherry blossom fruit is prettier than ever, its tannins [...]
$80
96 points
When it comes to winegrowing, Mike Weersing is one of the most articulate souls you will ever meet. His exacting approach flows through every detail of his vineyard and winery. Last year he destemmed all of the fruit from the vineyards. Ten tonnes, apparently a world record. With that kind of attention, even eight-year-old vines [...]
$65
96 points
High in the Upper Yarra Valley, the Lusatia Park vineyard resonates with a beauty that brings to mind the hallowed vineyards of Burgundy’s Chambolle Musigny. Two of Australia’s Pinot masters conspire to turn its fruits into an ethereal wine, with Stephen Shelmerdine at the helm in the vineyard and Steve Webber directing the winemaking. The [...]
$55
96 points
Last year Central Otago staged a sub-regional tasting in which fourteen wines from vines of at least eight years of age were compared. The only problem was that only eight wines could be found with sufficient vine age to meet the criteria. Great, world-class Pinot Noir cannot be made from very young vines. Period. This [...]
$82
96 points
On the banks of Lake Wanaka with a snow-tipped backdrop, Rippon’s vineyard is the most beautiful place to grow grapes on the planet. The release of its first single vineyard wines this year showcases just how mesmerising Central Otago Pinot can be from this picture-perfect place. These are some of the oldest vines in the [...]
93 points