Yabby Lake's 'no expense spared' approach to viticulture and winemaking, is amply demonstrated in this super Pinot; fresh and fruity with secondary nuances, will please all Pinot lovers on a budget.

Ample and dark fruited, with a smoky, savoury feel. Plenty of spice amid the berry fruits, with lovely earthy and graphite notes running through. Predominantly from Garagiste's Balnarring, Tuerong and Merricks vineyards, with a small proportion of Red Hill fruit. The grapes were sorted then destemmed--a small percentage of the Merricks portion was fermented with a 100% whole bunches--and fermented in small open fermenters using indigenous yeast, minimal hand plunging and spending 25 days on skins. The wine was aged for ten months in 10% new hogsheads with the balance being raised in older hogsheads. Unfined and unfiltered. Barnaby Flanders created the Garagiste label following his amicable split with Allies co-founder David Chapman (who continues with the Allies label). Barney now focuses on a snug range of small-batch wines from fruit sourced from the highly prized Merricks Grove vineyard, the Silverwood vineyard (Balnarring), and the Hugh Robinson vineyard in Moorooduc. Garagiste, the main label, is ably supported by delicious entry-level wines under the Le Stagiaire banner. Barnaby and Cam (Marshall) manage all aspects of the viticulture and winemaking themselves and a range of succulent, finely tuned and elegantly crafted cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is what results.

Lindsay McCall has produced a seriously concentrated Mornington Pinot with spicy cherry fruit great cedary oak and a finish that will leave you wanting more. Fantastic value!

Sandro Mosele's Kooyong Massale Pinot Noir has gamey, wild berry and forest floor aromas offer richness and complexity on the nose. Sappy, sour cherry flavours with well judged oak are framed by silky tannins and bright acidity. Outstanding!

Elanto Vineyard, a 10.6-hectare high-density site on the Mornington Peninsula, is managed by acclaimed winemaker Sandro Mosele and his team. With 11,000 vines per hectare—four times the typical density—yields are limited to 300-500g per vine, enhancing concentration and power in the wines. Organic practices, deep soil cultivation, and volcanic basalt soils rich in iron stone encourage site-specific expression, while the vineyard's southeast aspect and cool sea breezes preserve natural acidity and freshness. The five Pinot Noir vineyards—Vertex, Ironstone, Chicory, Kilnside, and Basalt—span 6.7 hectares on the upper slopes with basalt-rich soils. The red volcanic soils transition to shallower, stonier terrain mid-slope, producing lower yields, concentrated flavors, and a distinct tannin profile. Each vineyard was harvested and vinified separately, with chilled, destemmed fruit (3-5% whole bunches) undergoing cold soak and natural fermentation in concrete vats. After 25-30 days on skins, the wine was pressed and aged in a mix of new and older French oak barriques for 11 months before blending and bottling. Very deep dark red black tinged core with a dark red hue. Potently alluring aromas of dark cherries, strawberries, violet, dried herbs and subtle anise flood the olfactory senses with earthy rhubarb and spicy cedar notes ensuing. Rich and powerful the seductive palate has a wonderful velvet like feel to it with spicy dark cherry, strawberry and rhubarb flavours expanding across the palate like a peacocks tail, carrying with it ample textural volume. Lending further interest are brambly dried herb characters, forest floor and spicy cedar. Silky smooth tannins finishing very long, gorgeously fruited and supple. Drink over the next 5-6 years. Alc. 14%

Paringa Estate Peninsula Pinot Noir Mornington Peninsula The Paringa wines in the Peninsula range are an haut Mornington Peninsulathe emphasis being on the liveliness of the fruit. 'The quality of these wines are often equal to many other vineyards best'- James Halliday The fruit is de-stemmed and fermented in large open fermenters. The fruit spends around three weeks on skins. Maturation takes place on lees over the better part of a year in French Oak barrels. Shop Paringa