In the glass, Barringwood Estate Pinot Noir shows a beautiful and dusky plum colour, with pinkish edges. The bouquet exhibits aromas of cherries, violets and vanilla, fusing with cherry and earthy notes. The bright and fruity palate bursts with spicy oak, balanced by soft and savoury tannins. Enjoy this Tasmanian Pinot Noir wine with beef, braised Wagyu, or aged Basque-style cheeses.

Barringwood Mill Block Pinot Noir shows a soft raspberry red colour in the glass. The wine presents a generous nose of cherries and raspberries underlined by earthy and cherry tones. The gentle and fruity palate gives way to delicate spiciness and vibrant minerality. These enticing characters culminate the wine in a long and elegant finish marked by fine and powdery tannins. This tempting Tasmanian Pinot Noir tastes excellent with truffles, dark chocolate, or washed rind cheese.

Domaine Chanson Le Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021 vintage has a bright red colouring in the glass. Scents of violet mixed with crunchy aromas of ripe cherries and strawberries on a hint of spice. Complex and full of energy. Tight texture on a very pure fruit. Long aftertaste with spicy nuances. Super classic Burgundy, ideal with braised and roasted meats, as well as meat-sauced pastas and regional cheeses (Comté, Epoisses, Citeaux). After a mild winter, spring settled down in March with very warm temperatures. May and June were warm and dry. Summer was warm and dry as well and punctuated by several heat waves and a few thunderstorms épisodes which brought some water. All the plots with a soil combination of clay were less sensitive to the hydric stress and lack of water. The harvest started around August 20 in Burgundy, an historically precocious date for the region. At Chanson, they started on August 23 under a bright sunshine. The red wines are crunchy, energetic, lively with a pure fruit.

Australian Pinot Noir does not get any better than the wines produced by Phillip Jones at the iconic Bass Phillip winery. A Pinot Noir of utmoust power and elegance, the rival to any great Burgundy. Rated in the top classification in Langton's Classification of Australian Wine, Bass Phillip Pinot Noir is riddled with complex flavours of strawberry, violets, rose petal and forest floor. The length of palate is immortal.

Alma 18 is a triumph of aromatic wild strawberry, black cherry, currants, marzipan, sage and sandalwood. Established in 1896, Te Mata Estate remains family owned, producing internationally recognized wines exclusively from its Hawkes Bay vineyards. A temperate maritime climate with low rainfall, due to the rain shadow from mountains to the west, ensures Te Matas sites make the most of every vintage. At the heart of Te Mata Estate are the Havelock Hills Vineyards - the first legally-protected vineyards in New Zealand. Te Mata has five sites on these free draining, north-facing slopes. Soils to the east are mostly sandy loam over a sandstone base, and towards the west are sandy loam over a thin layer of clay and a silica pan. The distinctive shape of the hills is due to their comparative youth, in geological terms. At the meeting point of two tectonic plates, sandstone has been pushed up then worn away relatively quickly leaving a landscape of steep and gentle slopes, and terraces ideal for grape-growing. Under vine for over 120 years, and including some of the oldest grape growing sites in New Zealand, the Havelock Hills are protected for their distinct character, special ambience and unique viticultural heritage.

Clarence House was built in 1830 on land which was originally the market garden for the city of Hobart. Present owner David Kilpatrick first planted vines on the north-east slopes of the property in 1998. Located in the foothills of the Meehan Ranges, halfway between Hobart and the Coal Valley, Clarence House Estate sits in a unique location atop Jurassic dolerite and basalt soils with low annual rainfall. The 2022 Clarence House Estate Block 1 Pinot Noir was produced by Anna Pooley and Justin Bubb at Pooley Wines. A combination of 114, 115 and 777 clones from the oldest vines on the estate. One third whole bunches of 777 were included, 20 days on skins, aged in a combination of new and old French oak puncheons for 11 months. This marks the fourth release of the Block 1 Pinot Noir. Floral, red and black fruits, forest elements and mixed spices. Seamless palate, textural yet buoyed by fresh, lively acidity and a long, tannin-infused finish. A great candidate for the cellar, yet equally enjoyable as a young, primary wine full of fruit and energy.

This tiny vineyard is one of Australia’s most southerly located in the Huon valley in southern Tasmania. So to the name, where does that come from? There was a handwritten sign on the wall at the Red Velvet Lounge in Cygnet, our local coffee and cake respite from the Tasmanian weather. It said, “Sailor Seeks Horse” and went on to explain that the author had sailed solo around the world and ridden across the US from coast to coast and back again…on a mule. He’d then decided he wanted to travel around Tasmania by horse but didn’t have one. So, was there anyone who would lend him one? If they didn’t have a horse then a pony would do. It was an idea that resonated with us. Here we were, trying to do something a little bit crazy, without much money and requiring a little bit of help to get to where we wanted to be. Paul and Gilli Lipscombe own the vineyard and make the wines and both have considerable vineyard and winemaking experience behind them including winning the Jimmy Watson trophy for Home Hill where they have been the winemakers in recent years. From working together in the Languedoc to New Zealand, Oregon and Margaret River they spent a lot of time researching and considering the best possible vineyard site with the aim to produce Australia’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay finally settling on this ideal north facing vineyard which is sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly winds. Best described as a warm site within a cool climate, the soil is free-draining quartz inflected mudstone soil over clay. The vineyard is planted to a large variety of Dijon clones as well as numerous other clones planted by the previous owners and all vineyard work is done as organically as possible. In 2019 a new planting including some Trousseau has been made on the steep north-west facing slope beside the main vineyard block. Even though the 2022 season fell into another La Nina event, there was good rainfall early on and then, as seems normal these days, the tap was turned off in the new year. A fairly pleasant, dry, if not particularly sunny summer with a return to more typical yields compared to 20/21/23. After the previous two years the were able to use more fermenters in the winery with the fruit tasting great and the end of the season finishing off ripening nicely. As the wines developed in barrel some blends were tasted and discovered a combination of the three low-yielding Dijon clones (115, 114 and 777) resulted in a higher-toned, more spice-driven wine with a slightly denser palate weight than the normal Pinot. So they decided to bottle it separately.