Ten Minutes by Tractor continues to be one of the true stars of the Mornington Peninsula all the way from the single vineyard wines to the regional 10X wines. Always a Pinot of utmost power with dense, dark, brooding fruit typical of the region with the great savoury balance that is evident in great examples of the variety.

Only premium vineyards exclusively managed by Quealy's viticultural team are selected for the Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir. From small croppings but intense fruit each vineyard is treated separately in the winery, the final composition is a beautiful Pinot.

Planted in the Southern Victorian cool-climate region of Henty in 1964, the Drumborg Vineyard has become one of Australia's premier vineyards for producing Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. The complex, perfumed nose shows aromas of spiced cherry, toasty oak and complex charcuterie notes. Flavours of sour cherries and redcurrants combine with textural elements and fine, layered tannins with a backbone of spicy well-integrated French oak.

Heirloom’s mission is to preserve and champion South Australia’s unique old vineyards and varieties. Along the way, they’re turning out some simply outstanding wines. Halliday calls this juicy Pinot "classic Adelaide Hills" and gave it a stunning 94 point rating with this to say about it: "Mid-red, good depth; this spicy, red fruit-scented pinot is classic Adelaide Hills, juicy, fine and full of fine-grained tannins, the silky finish and kick of eucalypt typical... 94pts" (Halliday).

Red cherries and strawberries along with notes of undergrowth and preserved lemon. Bright and juicy red fruit characters with a savoury back half of earth, leather and subtle dried herbs. The palate is of medium weight with graceful, fine tannins that lend it a plush quality throughout. Grapes were handpicked, keeping individual clones separate in small open fermenters. Some whole bunch fruit was added to ferments, enhancing aromatics and structural complexity. Fermentation was initiated by indigenous yeast (wild ferment). Each clonal parcel was basket pressed and filled to seasoned French oak barrels with full solids. All barrels were kept on lees to build palate, body and complexity. They were racked and blended just prior to bottling. Stephen Georges three hectare, dry-grown, Ashton Hills vineyard lies in the Piccadilly Valley sub region of the Adelaide Hills on a ridge just below the summit of Mount Lofty. Planted in 1982, its a quality site that, thanks to the humility and integrity of its gifted farmer, has been the source of some of South Australias most intriguing cool-climate wines, and certainly its most authentic and fascinating Pinot Noir. You dont need to spend much time in the Piccadilly Valley to realise why this area was granted sub-regional statusit is totally different to the rest of the Hills. In short, its much colder and wetter. Georges Estate vineyard lies at 570 metres above sea level and the vines shudder through some of the coolest vintage conditions in the country. Meanwhile, rainfall is a whopping 1200mm a year, well over double that of the Barossa. Whether its the lifted perfumes, elegant structure and Alpine freshness of the Pinot Noirs or the icy purity of the Riesling, Piccadilly Valleys bona-fide cool-climate imprint is never far away. A healthy portion of old-vines and the vineyards south-facing aspect afford George the luxury of late harvesting that plays a significant role in the personality of these wines. Terroir is one thing, how its worked is another, and Stephen George clearly has an intuitive touch and the drive to continually evolve. Most recently this evolution has resulted in George grubbing out all varieties except for Pinot Noir, and a little bit of Riesling, focusing his Pinot Noir on four specific clones selected from a line-up of 25 that he had tested. The Ashton Hills winery is incredibly basic, with an earth floor and next to no equipment whatsoever. The Pinot fruit is destemmed via a small, customised, gentle destemmer that keeps as many whole berries as possible. The fruit is then basket pressed, and the wine is made without any sulphur additions until bottling. Some whole bunches are included, and the percentage varies according to the style of the vintage. The red wines are mostly raised in aged, neutral French hogshead barrels. Having already cemented his living-legend status amongst his peers and compiled a storied CV that includes his role at Wendouree (since the 1980s) and twenty five vintages at the helm of Ashton Hills, you could forgive this reclusive winemaker for taking his foot off the gas. Not a bit of it. Stephen George is in fact making the best wines of his career.

Saint Clar Vineyard. Grown by Jon O'Connell. Wild small ferments with varying levels of wholebunch, from 25% to 100%. 12 months in French oak Natural sediment may occur Vegan Friendly

Sourced from two characterful sites near Woodside, HSV and Bluestone - situated in the central Adelaide Hills, a commune quietly establishing itself as a natural home for Gamay's bright energy and expressive charm. An elegant and evocative expression, this wine opens with a lifted perfume of red berry compote, wild strawberry, redcurrant, and tart cranberry, all finely laced with whispers of dried sage and crushed herbs. The aromatic profile is delicate yet insistent, drawing you in with its quiet complexity. On the palate, there's a beautiful interplay of light and shade: fine-grained tannins offer gentle structure, while an inherent fleshiness lends mid-palate succulence without ever tipping into excess. There's an almost weightless quality to its movement - graceful, airy and precise carrying flavours in a seamless glide across the tongue. Ethereal, yes, but grounded in detail. A wine that doesn’t shout but speaks with clarity and poise, its beauty revealed slowly like a secret shared between sips.

Savoury and spicy dry red. Earthy good value French Pinot Noir.

The Seresin Leah is a wonderful example of hand-crafted Marlborough Pinot Noir which is sourced from 3 of Seresin's premium vineyard sites; the clay rich hillside Raupo Creek vineyard, the alluvial shingles of the Tatou vineyard and the Home vineyard, which is made up of a variety of Waimakariri type soils of alluvial origin. The wine itself shows a nose of savoury, spicy and earthy aromas with plum, berry and herbal notes. Following is a palate that is both focused and plush with a feminine feel of red fruits, namely strawberry and ripe cherry.

Tasmania is very well suited to growing and producing Pinot Noir with its cool-climate and excellent terroir. Temperate days and cool nights at Derwent Estate have produced a silky Pinot Noir that oozes class. A delicate mix of sweet and savoury fruits with a long lasting finish.