Top 5 Pinot Noirs from Wine Australia trip

If ever there was a grape capable of the bewitching alchemy of capturing the essence of a place in liquid form it’s Pinot Noir. This most beguiling and finicky of varieties is often a winemaker’s holy grail, as it’s so damn hard to get right but when you do, few other grapes can touch it for complexity, depth, and haunting beauty.

While I believe Chardonnay is currently shining brighter in Australia than Pinot, which is proving trickier to master, a number of estates across the country are making sensational examples that could rival Grand Cru Burgundy in brilliance but cost a fraction of the price.

Australia’s top Pinots aren’t confined to a single region – I enjoyed delicious examples from the Adelaide Hills, Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. In the end, it was hard to whittle down my favourites to just five.

Click through for my top picks. If you’ve enjoyed any of them then let us know, or flag up any Aussie Pinots you feel should be on our radar.

Ashton Hills Adelaide Hills Reserve Pinot Noir 2014, £42

Ashton Hills’ eccentric winemaker, Stephen George, shuns both shoes and publicity, but is one of Australia’s most talented vintners that also crafts the wines at the near mythical Wendourree. Made from old vines in an elevated spot in the Adelaide Hills, George is fanatical about fruit selection, leading to Pinots of astounding complexity, depth of flavour, structure and length.

Effortlessly marrying power and finesse, the 2014 Reserve begins with a lifted, pretty, perfumed nose of raspberries, cherries and Oriental spices. With a texture like silk, the aromatic, spicy palate reveals autumnal, savoury notes or forest floor and dried herbs.

Tightly wound, it’s a beguiling, ethereal wine that could easily be mistaken for Grand Cru Burgundy. The fruit is ripe, pure and bright and the flavours dance on the palate for minutes. A seamless wine and easily the best Pinot Noir I’ve enjoyed from Australia, it’s in a league of its own.

Stefano Lubiana Tasmania Pinot Noir 2015, £60 

Stefano Lubiana is one of Tasmania’s brightest stars. The affable winemaker is passionate about biodynamics and his wines have a signature brightness and vitality to them as a result. Based in Granton, Stefano and his wife Monique specalise in sparkling wine production, producing their first vintage in 1993, but have since added a number of still wines to their range including this killer Pinot.

Bright and vibrant, it boasts a pretty, aromatic nose of black cherry, bramble and summer fruits. Rich and concentrated on the palate, with a silky, slightly oily texture, the wine has wonderful grace and tension, with red and black cherries, hints of spice and zippy acidity on the palate culminating in a sweet, ripe finish. A wine with great potential to age.

Gembrook Hill Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2013, £33

Founded in 1983 by Ian and June Marks, today Gembrook Hill is one of the oldest estates in the Upper Yarra sub region. Winemakers Andrew Marks and Timo Mayer have Old World principles and take a minimum intervention approach to let the terroir shine through, creating wines of elegance and balance.

The 2013 Pinot is made in the Burgundian style and boasts an ethereal nose of dried herbs, vermouth, forest floor, mushrooms, beetroot, leather and earth alongside bright red fruit. Earthy, meaty and savoury on the palate, it’s a serious wine with serious potential. Pizza optional. 

Elmswood Estate Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2015, £21

At the helm of Elmswood Estate is the super talented and incredibly self-effacing chief winemaker Han Tao Lau, who, in addition to this beautiful Pinot, makes stunning Chardonnay and impressive Syrah from the Upper Yarra Valley.

Made in tiny quantities that sell like hotcakes, Han’s 2015 Pinot is feminine and delicate, with a perfumed nose of rose petals and Oriental spices that are echoed on the palate alongside cherries, raspberries and Turkish delight. Made using 50% whole bunches, it’s a hauntingly beautiful wine that’s a bargain for its price and has a pretty label to boot.

Moorilla Estate The Muse Tasmania Pinot Noir 2014, £35

Moorilla Estate is owned by one of the big characters of the Australian wine trade – gambling tycoon Dave Walsh, who has helped to put Tasmania on the tourist trail with his ambitious, multi-million dollar modern art gallery Mona in Hobart. At the helm of his winery is talented young Canadian Conor van der Reest, who makes a broad swath of styles including red and white field blends.

Boasting a raunchy label (we’d expect no less from provocateur Walsh), the 40% whole bunch 2015 Pinot is savoury and leafy, with pretty perfume and floral flavours, from violets to rose petals. Silky and ethereal on the palate, it offers grip and dryness from the stalks, and autumnal notes of cranberry, cherry and forest floor. Elegant, bright and beautiful, this delicate drop will reward further cellaring