Bress Range Pinot Noir
The wine is tightly packed full of black fruit, spice, cloves, and liquorice. The grape tannins are soft and are beautifully integrated into the wine, giving the wine structure and adding power, balance and a savoury richness. Adam Marks established Bress in 2001 with a desire to produce wines with fruit sourced from notable regions and minimal intervention.“We believe certain grape-growing regions are better suited to particular grape varieties than others,” says winemaker Adam Marks. “The French have understood this for several centuries and some Australian wine producers are now embracing this belief.” Bress, located in Harcourt near Bendigo, Victoria, is one such producer. Adam doesn’t restrict himself to sourcing grapes from one specific region; he’d rather make the most of the diversity of climates and soils central Victoria has to offer and looks to the Yarra Valley, Macedon Ranges, Bendigo and Heathcote for the best quality fruit.
TarraWarra Estate Pinot Noir
This is a very affordable Pinot from the highly regarded Tarrawarra winery with fruit sourced from the estate and the hills of southern NSW. A well made Pinot with good fruit depth and varietal flavour.
Punt Road Pinot Noir
A fruit driven style of Pinot with fragrant strawberry aromas and sweet berry flavours. Moderate acidity and feathery tannins frame an elegant palate of ripe cherry with a touch of earthiness.
Toolangi Vineyard Pinot Noir
Established in 1995, Toolangi Vineyard is in the Yarra Valley adjoining the Toolangi State Forest. This single-site vineyard on fine clay loam produces wines with distinctive personalities, each wine showing a strong sense of place. The vines were cropped low, and the fruit was hand-harvested from 20-year-old vines of MV6 Pinot Noir clone. The fruit was destemmed as whole berries, with 5% left as whole bunches. There was a short cold soak prior to fermentation and the wine was then left on skins for 14 days. It was then pressed to French oak (5% new) for malolactic conversion and left on lees in oak for 10 months. “Light but satisfying. Delicious spice notes, sweet and roasted, with the tang of red cherry and cranberry flavours. It has both quality and complexity written all over it but, responsibly, it’s also the kind of pinot you just want to guzzle. It has that out-and-out drinkability. Firm-ish tannin keeps things controlled and it finishes long enough to satisfy.” 92 Points, Campbell Mattinson
Oakridge Over The Shoulder Pinot Noir
The team at Oakridge are going from strength to strength these days and they are taking the Over The Shoulder range with them. Dry maraschino cherry and gently gamey yet clean mouthful of delicious Pinot! Really great finishing length for this sort of price!
The Coldstream Guard Pinot Noir
A beautifully perfumed example of the classic medium-bodied Yarra Valley style from an exciting new entrant to the local scene, made by the highly experienced Paul Bridgeman. Medium garnet. Open and expressive aromas of mulled strawberry, forest floor and clove. Plush and polished palate, delivering a riot of red berry perfume, and velvet umami throughout, enhanced by damp earth, mushroom and stalk and charry barrel harmony.
Sticks Pinot Noir
Once again this producer provides us with a handy little number showing plenty of varietal and regional characteristics. Sticks Pinot Noir from Yarra Valley, features lovely red cherry flavours with playfull spices and charry oak influence. Lean with subtle tannins and medium finish.
Rising Pinot Noir
Giant Steps Primavera Vineyard Pinot Noir
This 20ha vineyard was planted on red clay loam soil at Woori Yallock in 2001 by Lou Primavera, with whom Giant Steps has a long-standing grape-supply relationship. Pinot Noir (114, MV6 and G8V3 clones) grown here on the north and north east facing slopes at 230m is noted for its complex structure and pronounced perfume. The 114 and MV6 are fermented as whole bunches in open vats, while the G8V3 is destemmed, given a long cold-soak and fermented separately to enhance its aromatic contribution. All ferments use indigenous yeasts and the whole-bunch components are periodically foot-stomped to release additional juice. The wines are pressed to 228 litre, French barriques (about 8% new) for 11 months before blending and bottling without fining or filtration.
Handpicked Regional Selections Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
This is a typical cool climate Yarra Valley Pinot Noir with aromas of cherries and summer berries and hints of spice and oak. The palate is bright with red fruits and soft tannin. This is a versatile wine that will match well with many foods; try it with a charcuterie platter, pizza/pasta and porcini mushrooms or barbecued meats.