The Auswine Forum

What would you consider as a very good Aussie pinot noir to buy, at any and all price points and what area is best suited for growing and thus buying from? I recently had a couple from the Mornington area and they were very good I thought but the Mrs (who is a Cab Sav fan) seemed to think they were missing something, not sure what though.

I'm no expert when it conmes to Pinot.
Mornington make some of our best Pinot.
By Farr Pinot's are good.
Your wife may like Central Otago Pinot's from NZ. They are big wines and may be more to her liking.

I like the Doktor from Timo Mayer (Yarra Valley), but I'm not sure if there's any of the current release available. And I'm not sure if it's as good as the 2012. A friend from this site recommended 2013 Mornington Peninsula - I like Bass Philip and Ten Minutes by Tractor, but I'm not much of an expert.

If your wife didn't like Mornington Pinots...(did she think it was water like?) then you can either go with the big bruiser non pinot like Pinots..or just not go there at all...Given she is a Cabernet Sauvignon fan, she probably felt they were just too light..

Domaine A
Holyman
Moss Wood

Are good examples of really big pinots....IMO, Tassie pinots will be a bit bigger in texture..although not all of them...There are also some in Western Australia that can be biggish (and some that are not). She may like Coldstream Hills or Paringa....Yarra Yering makes a big vanilla Pinot as well..

I would stay away from Geelong and Gippsland (which I enjoy but I suspect your wife will not) as they will be lighter than a Mornington...but if you do want to go there....By Farr, Lethbridge, Bass Phillip are all great...
Maybe a good in between area might be from CRFT (adelaide hills) which I think are quite nice..Texture wise they're good with very good acidity but still some bright fruit..

I've found that for some people, Pinot is often a bit of an acquired taste, including myself. A few years ago I didn't like it. I thought it was too subtle and watery, so I mainly drank Shiraz and Cabernet. But as my palate evolved I started to like Pinot. Now I absolutely love it! Give your wife a chance to get to know Pinot and eventually she will probably like it. The other thing to keep in mind is that some Pinots need a couple years or so of aging for everything to come together.

Can you tell us which Mornington Pinots you tried recently? It might help in giving you more specific advice.

To answer your two questions:

Best Aussie Pinot at any price point
The 3 top Pinots in my book are:
2012 Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir -- Very expensive! Tasted at Langtons tasting last year.
2013 Hoddles Creek Estate 1er Pinot Noir -- Sold out everywhere. Would be next to impossible to get now.
2013 Main Ridge Estate Half Acre Pinot Noir -- Sold out at the winery. You might still find a bottle or two retail.

What area is best suited for growing
I don't think there's a right answer here. The various regions that grow Pinot each have their own unique style, but I wouldn't say one style is better than another. Just different. You need to try Pinots from all the various regions and see what you and your wife like. The recommendations from others here are certainly good places to look.

We tried Ten Minutes by Tractor, Kooyong Massale and Stonier, All were great wines I thought but as I said the Mrs thought otherwise. I did try a Two Paddocks from NZ which I also liked but I wanted to stick to some Aussie wines. I will have a look around and see what's available. I had a bottle of Oakridge 864 which was very good also, maybe the wife just isn't a pinot drinker.

Red Hill used to do a big meaty Pinot, but they changed in the 90's to a lighter version (pale imitation IMO). Haven't been back. Many of the single vineyard versions leave me pale also (pun intended). Preferred the blended 10MBT Pinot to the other ones. Liked the Mayer Pinots from 2012 after Mr beanpole brought in 3 examples (Doktor, close planted and the other one), even though they weren't as full bodied as I liked. Doktor came out on top.

Some faves;
Freycinet louis pinot noir
J. Grosset pinot noir
K1 by GH pinot noir

Had Ashton Hills reserve a few times. Sometimes good, sometimes iffy.
Don't mind Pipers Brook Estate pinot too.

There's some great Pinots available from our esteemed host here - http://www.auswine.com.au/styles/red/pinot-noir.html. Have a read through the tasting notes and see what you think your wife might like. I recommend you try the ones that mention being of a "heavier" style or with references to "tannins" as these would be closer in style to the Cabernets your wife likes.

I'm a fan of the De Bortoli Estate Pinot Noir. They can be a bit light and dry in their youth, but with 6 or 7 years bottle age they are superb, particularly for $20 a bottle. The 2014 has just been released. Also good is the 2013 De Bortoli Villages Pinot, which is only $17 and will drink well over the short to medium term.

Like others here I'm a fan of Hoddles Creek, the 1er especially. I'd also have a look at Holyman, Castle Rock, Kooyong and Picardy.

[quote="Duncan Disorderly"]I'm a fan of the De Bortoli Estate Pinot Noir. They can be a bit light and dry in their youth, but with 6 or 7 years bottle age they are superb, particularly for $20 a bottle. The 2014 has just been released. Also good is the 2013 De Bortoli Villages Pinot, which is only $17 and will drink well over the short to medium term.


Nothing beats De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot. It is the ruling king in the Pinot world. (at least according to Halliday)

I like how everyone has a different pinot style to offer- I have friends that drink mainly Pinot and many whom never drink it.
Dont spend big bucks.
I would try the
Coldstream Hills 2013 for mid 20s
Giant Steps 2013

michel wrote: and many whom never drink it.

These people arent really your friends.

Holm Oak - Tamar River TAS if you like a gutsy style PN.
Otherwise;
Mac Forbes 2010 Yarra Valley
Most of the Kooyong Estates PN are good (particularly 2012 'Haven' and 'Ferrous')
Current release William Downie YV & Grampians are both enjoyable.
Circe PN (private label made by Domaine Chandon winemaker Dan Buckle) fantastic

One other producer worth mentioning, particularly if you want a bigger style of pinot, is Hurley. The Garamond and the Lodestone (both $70+) are worth seeking out if you want to add some briar to your more traditional red cherry, strawberry and plum pinot flavours.

Some great suggestions here. I would also recommend the Apsley Gorge and Freycinet from Tasmania's Bicheno region (both around the $55 mark). I also tried the Abel's Tempest the other night and if you like concentrated cherry and raspberry, but with a silky texture, in a glass then this would work. At around $20 this is good buying if you like a fruity Pinot.

But yeah if she doesn't like Pinot after trying a few different regions or styles then don't force it. Maybe try her on a lighter style cool climate Shiraz/Syrah.