STEFANO LUBIANA ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2009

- Southern Tasmania

- $45-$55

- Screwcap

- 13.5%alc

Easily in my top handful of Tasmanian pinot noir, Stefano Lubiana's Estate takes off from his delicious Primavera Pinot Noir and betters it - just as it should - by way of savoury complexity, texture, structure and longevity. I often wonder how many other producers would be content to classify such a wine as reserve, which of course, the Estate isn't. The 2006 was a beauty (95pts).

Beautifully bright and fragrant, with succulent dark cherry and strawberry scents bursting from the glass alongside a joyous lick of caramel oak, imbibed by a low-tone of game and a high-tone of freshly picked garden herb, the 2009 Estate doesn't quite possess the savoury complexity or finesse of the very best vintages, but its sumptuous varietal nature smells an unabashed treat. It tastes that way too, rolling out rich, almost palate staining for pinot, silky layers of cherry, strawberry and then rhubarb flavour, with the onus being on its youthful freshness and texture. Wonderfully slight, velevty tannins, which meld seamlessly into its silken core, perk up the finish beside a refreshing acidity, leaving a juicy taste of small forest berries edged by cedar to linger long into the mouth.

ü Clever winemaking from Mr Lubiana - again (does this man know how to make bad wine?). His 2009 Estate is a richer pinot noir with the depth, backbone and capacity to age, yet the sensuality to drink now. It's a classic 'each-way bet'. Drink to 2017.

93 points

www.slw.com.au

FREYCINET PINOT NOIR 2009

- East Coast Tasmania

- $63-$80

- Screwcap

- 13.5%alc

According to Langton's, who chose Freycinet as the sole Tasmanian pinot noir in their latest classification of Australian wine; 'The family-owned Freycinet Vineyard is recognised by collectors as the most consistent and distinguished producer of ultra fine Tasmanian Pinot Noir.' Stefano Lubiana and Domaine A immediately spring to mind as other names to consider, but wines like Freycinet's 2009 really hammer home why the east coast producer is a benchmark of Tasmanian style.

Showing lovely, spicy hits of clove and star anise that rise from the glass with stunning definition, Freycinet's 2009 displays a dark and dusty, regional set of sweetly fruited and savoury attractions, meshing redcurrants, cranberries and musk stick with meaty, herbal influences and some fragrant smoky oak. It's deep and beguiling yet intensified by its high toned spice and herbal elements, but the palate is where its true complexity takes form. Combining a fluffy suppleness with a concealed depth of dark cherry kernel, herb, clove and sour-edged red berry flavour, it's at once submissive, electrifying and pert, as its understated qualities are zipped up and driven long by an attractively youthful, crisp outer shell of structure, which provides wonderful extension courtesy of slick 'n' shiny acids peppered by ground spice-like tannins, leaving notes of nutty oak and a tart taste of cranberry to pass. Age worthiness is clearly on the cards here. It's wickedly Tasmanian.

ü+ A true, essential Tassie pinot, done the Freycinet way. All it needs is time and I think we'll be looking at a modern day Tasmanian masterpiece. Drink 2013-2021.

95 points

www.freycinetvineyard.com.au

BINDI COMPOSITION PINOT NOIR 2010

- Macedon Ranges, VIC

- $49-$60

- Cork (Vintage dated Diam)

- 13.5%alc

Honest, informed opinions go a long way in (independent) wine retail. I was about to buy Curly Flat's 2008 Pinot Noir, when I was told; 'It's shit. Consider something else.' So (without having my arm twisted), here I am with a Bindi Macedon fix. Happy too.

Irresistibly funky and savoury, meaty and musky, with a beguiling depth of well ripened pinot fruit, Bindi's 2010 Composition reveals a beautifully floral fragrance of earthy red and blackcurrants with smooth edges of licorice and vanilla oak. By some distance, it's the most interesting Composition I've sniffed. Showing classic Bindi feel; soft, supple and unforced, its palate just graces its way through the mouth, dropping its earthy, cedary and spicy announcement of red berry fruits with real delicacy and fragility. The whole, texturally driven package is appropriately bound by an extremely fine-grained, powdery structure that lingers long into the mouth, depositing real tightness and lasting savoury impression across a taste of red licorice. It's a truly ethereal Bindi pinot noir, with plenty of potential for secondary development.

ü+ Absolutely fantastic. Working its way up a gradual curve to greatness, through increased elegance and complexity, Bindi's Composition Pinot Noir keeps getting better every year. At this rate, you might wanna put your pre-orders in for any Block K pinots now. Drink to 2019.

94 points

www.bindiwines.com.au

TEN MINUTES BY TRACTOR 10X PINOT NOIR 2010

- Mornington Peninsula, VIC

- $32-$39

- Screwcap

- 14.0%alc

Ever wondered where Ten Minutes by Tractor gets its unique name from? It's derived from the estate's 3 original vineyards, and the 'ten minutes by tractor' separating each of them.

Enhanced by some very fragrant caramel-like oak, notes of spearmint and a spicy high tone of cinnamon, the 2010 10X underpins these leading, sweet and savoury suggestions with a typical yet attractively varietal base of juicy, succulent cherries, rhubarbs and strawberries, to altogether announce a nose of brightly lit charm. Without being too complex or other worldly, it actually smells delicious, in an over achieving style for an entry level pinot. Travelling along a light-medium bodied framework, its satiny palate races into the mouth, releasing an ultimately youthful taste of varietal cherries and clove which persist and evolve with surprising length. As the progression continues, the back palate practically steals the show, by punching out an intensifying and gripping, yet still lithe, structure of succulent acids and fine-boned, powdery tannins, underscored by sour-edged meaty notes and a dry rub of herbs and spice. Its composition is set particularly well for an earlier drinker, yet there's sufficient character to see it improve in the bottle.

ü+ The 2010 10X is a pleasingly varietal yet rather intense, racy little Mornington pinot, guided well by aroma, weight and penetration. It's a wine where I can see development but I'm already liking its youthful aggression. Consequently, it's great value for now or later. Drink to 2016.

92 points

www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au

NEPENTHE THE GOOD DOCTOR PINOT NOIR 2010

- Adelaide Hills, SA

- $34-$47

- Screwcap

- 14.0%alc

Even though I've always cast my doubts over Nepenthe's ability to produce truly great pinot noir, I remain constantly on the lookout for worthy examples of the style from my home state. So, when Nepenthe's 2010 Good Doctor recently grabbed the bling for 'Best Pinot Noir' (judge's choice) at the South Australian Wine of the Year awards, I felt compelled to take a trip back up through Balhannah to investigate.

Quite fragrant and arrestingly varietal for an Adelaide Hills pinot; particularly a Nepenthe, the 2010 Good Doctor opens to a pretty, musky nose scented with bright cherries, rhubarb, cured meats and soft vanilla oak, with side notes of spearmint, caramel and clove providing a lively edge. Its ripeness and handling are pitched about right, making the whole aromatic presentation a shock in the best of ways. Silky, long and wide, the palate doesn't really let the wine down, but I would've loved to have seen more tightness, focus and flesh, as its meaty, juicy strawberry flavours seem to wash around the mouth in an unusually spread, slightly loose fashion, without ever spiralling down the palate with taut direction, or ever commanding the mouth's upper reaches with a definitive structural backbone. Having said that, what is there is composed, balanced and completely ready to drink, while its smooth fruit shows good persistence and a pleasingly herbal, smoked meat and tomato-like aftertaste. Essentially, its quality reminds me of some of Victoria and Tasmania's better second labels, when really, it's an Adelaide Hills reserve label.

ü I'm happy to say Nepenthe's 2010 Good Doctor is the best pinot noir I've had from their stable, however, it might be better suited to the short term. If it's a precursor of what's to come from the Adelaide Hills' 2010 pinot crop, then I'll be waiting with eager anticipation. Drink 2012-2015.

91 points

www.nepenthe.com.au

MAC FORBES WOORI YALLOCK PINOT NOIR 2010

- Yarra Valley, VIC

- $60

- Screwcap

- 12.5%alc

Mac Forbes is an emerging name rightly associated with Australia's new wave of fanatical pinot noir producers. With no less than 6 individual Yarra Valley pinot noirs in his range, Mac's focus is squarely set on promoting distinguished sites within the Yarra Valley and realising the potential of each site's unique attributes. As I was feeling in need of something special today, I thought I'd splurge on the most expensive 2010 Mac Forbes Pinot Noir available, the Woori Yallock.

The Woori Yallock's name may be about as elegant as a bow-legged ballet dancer in desert boots, but its aroma is a thing of elegant bliss. It's bright yet seductively understated, with a wonderfully airy perfume of sweet, succulent cherries bonded by notes of stalk, fresh herbs, balanced spices and a lick of caramel, reflecting true Yarra elegance without a forceful impression of oak. Although lightly scented and a touch simple in its youth, it's in no way thin or dilute. The palate enters with the restrained, textural lightness of a genuinely polite pinot, before building expansively yet gracefully with intensifying meaty/cherry notes blessed by outstanding length of flavour. It reveals a finish whose wonderfully quaint tapestry of svelte, caramel tannins and slick acids glide throughout the mouth with precision, leaving a long lasting impression of utter brightness and ideal ripeness, marked by sour-edged aspects and dry touch of earth. Yep. . .

ü+ On first sip the 2010 Woori Yallock appears to be one of those pinots where less is more, but then it just grows and grows into the mouth until you're left thinking; 'Wow! Gimme some more!' Even then, I can still see this really flying in a couple of years time. Brilliant Yarra pinot. It's hit the spot nicely. Drink to 2018.

94 points

www.macforbes.com

DE BORTOLI GULF STATION PINOT NOIR 2010

- Yarra Valley, VIC

- $14-$22

- Screwcap

- 13.0%alc

It's refreshing to see a high profile name like De Bortoli treat pinot noir as a variety that's not just for the wine-educated elite, but more so, everyone. Their Windy Peak and Gulf Station labels have now justifiably become modern day pacesetters amongst Australia's large volume, modestly priced pinot noir class.

De Bortoli's fine form with pinot noir continues with the 2010 Gulf Station, which releases a bright, almost piercing fragrance of mixed cherries, strawberries, toasty oak and earth with a crack of white pepper and a sprinkle of dried herbs. It's clearly a proud overachiever, with an outstanding array of varietal scents for a wine of its price. The palate's a bit juicy, perhaps rich and wholesome for pinot noir, but it glides with the smooth, silky, seductive curves common to the style, unleashing delicious flavours of blood plums and black cherries with savoury/toasty tones as she goes. To top it all off is a beautifully balanced finish, which accentuates the wine in a drier, more savoury manner courtesy of persisting toasty/spicy qualities and a well positioned framework of prickly tannin. Like the fine 2008, a good decant emancipates this wine - so patience people!

ü+ A wonderful release which might even surpass the bloody good 2008 Gulf Station (90pts). Fans of that wine should go equally gaga over this. Drink to 2015.

91 points

www.debortoli.com.au

STEFANO LUBIANA PRIMAVERA PINOT NOIR 2010

- Southern Tasmania

- $25-$36

- Screwcap

- 14.0%alc

When it comes to sub-$30 Australian pinot noir, Stefano Lubiana's Primavera has been a model of supreme consistency for the best part of this century. If you ask me, the Primavera's reliability over the last 5 years has put a lot of Australia's other, significantly more expensive pinot noirs to shame.

Evenly pitched cherry kernels, red berries, bacon and sweet vanilla/nutty oak enrich the floral fragrance of the 2010 Primavera, which rises in the same unassuming yet keenly varietal manner as Lubiana's previous releases. Also following the label's well worn (and delicious) path is the palate, which is supple, succulent and long - very long in fact - as its smooth expression of sour-edged cherries and meats unfold deep into the mouth with a springy extract of bright acids and fair tannins, before finishing with lingering traces of rare red meats and fresh garden herbs. A seamless integration of texture, refreshing structure and penetrative length make this one stylish little pinot, no matter what the price.

ü+ Steve Lubiana's passionate toils are clearly paying off here, because the 2010 is another surefire winner from the Primavera label. It's hard to imagine how you could pack much more style or sophistication into an earlier drinking Tasmanian pinot noir than this. Drink to 2016.

92 points

www.slw.com.au

COLDSTREAM HILLS PINOT NOIR 2010

- Yarra Valley, VIC

- $25-$39

- Screwcap

- 13.5%alc

I think it'd be fair to say Australia's most interesting and progressive pinot noir comes from smaller makers, but there remains a couple of brands from within the corporate groups, most notably Accolade's Bay of Fires and Treasury Wine Estate's Coldstream Hills, who do an outstanding job of representing the other side. As little as 5 years ago I would've said Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir shone like a beacon within its marketplace, but these days, $20-$30 Australian pinot noir is an increasingly competitive crowd.

Very pretty and openly aromatic, with floral, peppery scents adorning aromas of dark cherries and plums, continental meats and spicy vanilla/cedar oak, Coldstream Hills' 2010 paints a picture of a perfumed, spicy and delightful little pinot noir, constructed beautifully within its maker's intentions. Its palate however, just seems to let the nose down initially, especially if you're an impatient drinker. At first, its dark and savoury suggestions of exotic meats and spice lack mid-palate stuffing and textural excitement, but with patience (3+ hours decanting) the wine fleshes out nicely, revealing a juicy core to connect agreeably with what is essentially a lithe, prickly outer shell of fine, crisp structure. It's quite meaty yet fresh to finish, like cabanossi pulled straight out of a fridge.

ü Practically all the elements of a good Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir are here. It just needs time, a decanter, patience, or some sort of a combination of all of the above. Drink 2012-2015.

90 points

www.coldstreamhills.com.au

RIORRET THE ABBEY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2008

- Yarra Valley, VIC

- $36-$42

- Cork (Diam)

- 13.0%alc

Spelling terrior backwards for your brand name might sound like a bit of a gimmick, but there's absolutely nothing foul about the intentions of Riorret Pinot Noir. Riorret is the brainchild of De Bortoli's Stephen Webber and Leanne De Bortoli, whose low intervention winemaking and single vineyard selections focus solely on promoting the special relationship between key Victorian sites and the pinot noir variety.

From a Healesville site planted in 1993 to the MV6 clone, the 2008 Abbey Vineyard reveals a nose of sweetly fruited, succulent and musky charm. Earthy suggestions of cherry kernel and dry spice pepper its bright cherry scents with a layer of savoury aromatics, expressing a pretty, sweet and savoury fruit profile bound by a relatively forward influence of raw cedar/vanilla oak. Elegant and unforced, its lightweight palate just glides in on entry, but it's driven assertively, deeper and wider by a beautifully varietal, genuinely sour-edged extract of refreshingly glossy, brisk acids and an ultra-fine sheet of velvety tannin. Within its structural outline resides a classically regional, savoury interplay of dark cherry and strawberry flavour, which may be a touch lean and clean at the moment, but it evolves tidily into lingering notes of clove and white pepper, providing a fine lasting impression throughout its bright acid wash.

ü Powered by a particularly slick acid structure, Riorret's Abbey Vineyard sits well away from De Bortoli's 2008 Yarra Valley pinot noirs, just as it should. I'll be watching the future of this label with keen interest, particularly as its asking price falls well within the reaches of normality. Drink 2013-2015.

92 points

www.riorret.com.au

WESTEND COOL CLIMATE SERIES PINOT NOIR 2010

- Tumbarumba, NSW

- $14.95

- Screwcap

- 13.5%alc

The cool, elevated slopes of southern NSW's Tumbarumba region have already accounted for some particularly fine expressions of chardonnay and sparkling wine, but what about that other essential sparkling wine grape, pinot noir? For $15, Westend's Cool Climate Series Pinot Noir makes an affordable excuse to see what the style is all about.

Lean and thin like a supermodel's legs yet still attractive to sniff within its context (!), Westend's Tumbarumba sourced pinot noir reveals a simple, somewhat confected yet valid aroma of musky cherries, with soft, airy scents of fluffy herbs/mint and white pepper lifting its varietal definition well into recognition. The palate flows with a lean accent of what tastes like diluted fruit, bound by faint, stringy, slightly sappy edges and a rustic, cured/aged meat-like aftertaste, but really, this wine's all about feel, simplicity, form and function, all of which receive big ticks for a sub-$15 pinot. Its suppleness, texture and unforced movement succeed where many of its rivals fail, so if it's a cheap, genuine pinot noir you're after, then you could do a lot worse than this fine example from NSW (of all places!).

ü+ Whether or not Tumbarumba is cut out for world class pinot noir I can't say, but I can say Westend's 2010 Cool Climate Series is a wonderfully correct, textural driven pinot noir that's as tidy as anything Australia has to offer within its price bracket. Good stuff. Drink to 2013.

88 points

www.westendestate.com.au

TAMAR RIDGE KAYENA VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2009

- Tamar Valley, TAS

- $20-$32

- Screwcap

- 13.0%alc

I've been thoroughly enjoying Tamar Ridge's Kayena Pinot Noir over the last few years, as its value and true varietal quality have seen it become the go-to cheap pinot at my place on many occasions. However, even I was a bit surprised when the 2009 won the Best Pinot Noir Trophy at the 2011 Sydney Wine Show, furthering the reputation of a wine which had already been awarded 96pts by James Halliday. Rest assured, my hopes have been riding high on this one.

Although not entirely complex, the 2009 Kayena Vineyard is a beautifully fragrant, genuinely affordable north Tasmanian pinot noir of some class. It reveals more spicy, clove-like, stalky aromas than its predecessors, which give the wine a more savoury edge, in addition to lifting and defining its nose with perfumed appeal. There's also a clean influence of oak, which might be a touch spicy too, as well as a fruit fragrance that sits right in the dark cherry/cute strawberry spectrum. Texturally, it's velvety and succulent yet proudly medium-bodied, as it's just so smooth, supple and seamless in an easy to understand manner. Its slightly sweet dark cherry and strawberry flavours are joined by secondary nuances of stalk and sap, leading into a rather chewy pinot structure laced with a brisk movement of ultra-fine tannin. If you read the presses you might want more, but if you sit down and enjoy it with friends your wallet won't be complaining.

ü+ Not the show stopper my ambitions hoped for, but I'm still loving this label for its consistent value. With hindsight, I can see another 12 months of empty Tamar Ridge bottles at my place. Now, where's that pâté? Drink to 2016.

91 points

www.tamarridge.com.au

ASHTON HILLS ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2009

- Adelaide Hills, SA

- $40-$53

- Screwcap

- 14.5%alc

For a number of reasons, Ashton Hills is a winery I hold a serious amount of respect for. One of my favourite little touches is Ashton Hills' informative label texts, which actually change every vintage. The 2009 Estate Pinot Noir reads; 'Overall Pinot quality in 2009 was so good that all 18 of our clones (selections), instead of the usual handful, made the grade for this Estate wine. One third of the grapes were uncrushed, adding to the wine's complexity, structure and interest.'

Distinctly darkly coloured by Ashton Hills standards, the 2009 Estate essentially matches its appearance with a dark fruited, somewhat raisiny and rather ripe fragrance scented with herbs/menthol and suggestions of stewed pinot fruit character. Its aroma lacks lift, perfume and elegance, but perhaps most disappointing for the style, is a hint of alcoholic warmth that pokes through. The palate regains some credibility thanks to the typically silky, supple qualities associated with Ashton Hills pinot noir, as clever winemaking has imparted reasonable balance and a degree of elegance, but the 2009 remains much riper and conversely darker fruited than the label's better wines. A herbal note emerges in its finish, contrasting the riper front palate, but regrettably, there's also a slightly rough-edged feel emanating through some fairly grippy tannins.

X As a pinot noir I'm not totally convinced by this, which is a feeling I don't usually associate with Ashton Hills. Unfortunately, the 2009 Estate is the type of pinot I'd be happy paying $20-$25 for. Drink to 2014.

89 points

BANNOCKBURN SERRÉ PINOT NOIR 1998

- Geelong, VIC

- $120

- Cork

- 13.5%alc

As a (terribly) general rule of thumb, I'd put most good Australian pinot noir within an 8 year cellaring bracket, with the odd standout drinking well at 10 or 12, and the occasional, welcomed freak going beyond that even. Screwcaps may well prove me wrong though. The 1998 Serre represents Bannockburn's finest efforts with the variety, from a period when the winery was performing exceptionally well. Even then, I'm still holding my fingers crossed on this 13 year old Australian pinot noir.

Defined by savoury scents of brown leaf litter, damp, earthy soils, light spices and gentle aniseed, Bannockburn's 1998 Serre has bid farewell to its primary fruit aromas, although it still rises from the glass with vitality, fragrant lift and an ever present hint of dry cedar. In the mouth it's luxuriously silky, sensual, gentle in its weight and understated in its entry. The palate then follows through with a powerfully sour-edged extract of cherry, earth and tea leaf-like flavour, becoming more intensely acidic and sour-edged as it progresses into a very long, fine and ultimately dry finish, that does reveal complex and savoury, if faint touches of fennel, spice and tea leaf character, with essentially little or no tannin influence.

O Very good and holding up particularly well for a teenage Australian pinot noir, but I suspect the 1998 Serre might've been a better prospect around 3 years ago. Drink now.

92 points

www.bannockburnvineyards.com

BANNOCKBURN STUART PINOT (NOIR) 2008

- Geelong, VIC

- $57-$75

- Cork

- 13.0%alc

Over recent years I've held my reservations with Bannockburn Pinot Noir, however, the quality of Michael Glover's 2008 Chardonnay (94pts), in cohesion with an anonymous tip on this website, tells me 2008 might not be a bad time to revisit one of Australia's most decorated makers of pinot noir. After all, my opinions are only ever there to be changed.

After some of my more recent encounters with Bannockburn Pinot Noir, I was delighted to remove an exceptionally clean cork from the 2008 Stuart. Following that delight (and a spell in a decanter) came feelings of confusion and intrigue, as I edged my nose into an intense fragrance marked strongly by scents I could only describe as smoky and tinned corn-like. The corn note does integrate with time, allowing more orthodox pinot aromas of succulent red cherries and cranberry to come forward, with further suggestions of smoky bacon-like oak and a dumping of leaf litter. It's certainly more complex on the nose than it is rich or deep. Light, silky and airy, with a gentile movement, the palate presents herbal, sour-edged small red fruits up front, before revealing a smoky aspect that truly transforms its delivery of bright fruit to the back palate. Structurally, it's refreshingly acidic and quite welcoming, if somewhat lacking in aggressive intensity or chiselled definition, but once again, like the nose, I hold a question over the palate's depth. To think positively though, I must say it's undeniably complex and it just might improve with a touch more time.

O Much like the 2010 pinots of a certain Adelaide Hills producer, I can see the 2008 Stuart dividing opinion. It's undoubtedly complex, fragrant, textured and varietal, but it clearly lacks wow factor at its RRP for me. Drink 2013 to 2014.

90 points

www.bannockburnvineyards.com

DOMAINE LUCCI PINOT NOIR 2010

- Adelaide Hills, SA

- $28-$32

- Cork (Diam)

- 13.8%alc

You'd have to be blind to unknowingly walk past the artfully labelled pinots of Lucy Margaux Vineyards at your local independent. Like others, I was tempted by curiosity the first time I gazed upon these bottles; however, with scant information (no back labels) I didn't know where to start. So, it was the words of Tim Cohen; "whatever you do, do not 'not' buy this wine - 98pts', that steered me towards the Domaine Lucci.

From first sniff there's an attractive statement of character emanating from the Domaine Lucci, which isn't exactly typical of Adelaide Hills pinot noir. There's sweet-edged scents of redcurrant and rhubarb expressed with lively appeal, as well as rather compelling, savoury notes of yeast and tomato stalk joined by more a familiar undertone of dark cherry. Its fragrance is vivid, interesting and different, but the show goes on. The unusually varietal palate may be straight forward in pinot texture, structure and progression, but it drinks with ease, thanks to clean balance and intriguing flavour. I can't help but think of thinned-out tomato sauce and beetroot, graced by a leafy suggestion of stalk - somewhat red and vegetal really. Structurally, it shows a moderately dry caress, leaning towards stringy, lithe, unforced acids that drive with ample zip through the finish, before it leaves the mouth feeling clean and refreshed, with that initial tomato stalk/beetroot note returning to wrap things up.

ü For a $30, 1 year old Adelaide Hills pinot noir; I'm gushingly intrigued. It probably isn't everyone's cup of tea though. I wonder if the Lucy Margaux wines represent similar value for money... Drink to 2014.

90 points

www.domainelucci.com

WICKHAMS ROAD GIPPSLAND PINOT NOIR 2010

- Gippsland, VIC

- $16-$18

- Screwcap

- 12.5%alc

With fruit sourced from key Victorian regions such as the Yarra Valley, Gippsland and the Mornington Peninusla, Franco D'Anna's regional Wickhams Road wines sit happily at the classy end of cheap Australian pinot noir.

Although somewhat idiosyncratic, the 2010 Gippsland Pinot Noir does prove attractively varietal for $16. It shows a prominent stalky/sappy accent on the nose, with faintly musky red cherries and strawberries providing the underlying fruit punch. Taking into account its price, 12 year old vineyard source and a slightly lean nose, the Wickhams Road is ably textured and supple in the mouth, with a smoothly controlled extension of cherry flavours aided by a hint of white pepper emerging in its soft, lengthy finish, which also produces a more complex, savoury and tart note that just dissipates in a watered down fashion towards the end. There's not a huge impression of tight, drying structure (remember the price!) but its genuine length makes up for it.

ü Wickham Road's 2010 Gippsland is pretty good value for a $16 pinot noir really, but I am surprised by how much time and air it required to come together and truly show top form (3-4 hours in the decanter). A touch more bottle age might even be on the cards... Drink 2012-2014.

88 points

www.hoddlescreekestate.com.au

RIPOSTE THE SABRE PINOT NOIR 2009

- Adelaide Hills, SA

- $26-$33

- Screwcap (Stelvin-Lux)

- 14.0%alc

Yes; I am one of those people who isn't fully convinced the Adelaide Hills has made it as an elite pinot noir region just yet (Ashton Hills being the notable exception). One label I believe is capable of changing my opinion, is veteran winemaker Tim Knappstein's Riposte, which delivered a very attractive, cleanly balanced Sabre Pinot Noir from 2007 (91pts). More recently, Tim's 2009 won the trophy for 'Best Pinot Noir' at last year's Adelaide Hills Wine Show.

Riposte's 2009 Pinot Noir throws off a fairly woody scent to commence (10 months French oak, 10% new), which does restrain its stalk-edged dark fruits somewhat, before a timely, gentle aromatic lift arrives in the form of dry spice. The palate shows an interesting combination of lean boundary lines filled in by a rather rich, dark fruited and meaty interior, but like many from the Hills, it's textural expression isn't exactly a pinophile's dream. Its ripe flavour finishes with a procrastinating extension that follows the lines set by its fore-palate, revealing dark cherry liqueur and apricot kernel notes underneath a tight, dry and ultra-fine structure. With extended aeration it seems riper, richer and smoother, which isn't necessarily a good thing, as it also seems less varietal.

O A fair Adelaide Hills pinot noir, which isn't exactly jumping from the region's pack. I'm sure it'll have its fans. At least Tim Knappstein has his Riposte at a fair price point. Drink 2012-2014.

89 points

www.timknappstein.com.au

YARRA BURN PINOT NOIR 2009

- Tasmania/Adelaide Hills, SA/Yarra Valley, VIC

- $24-$35

- Screwcap

- 13.0%alc

The Victorian bushfires of 2009 forced Yarra Burn to look further afield for their 2009 Pinot Noir, drawing in fruit from Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills to create an intriguing tri-state blend. Also lookout for a similar three region blend from the award winning Coldstream Hills 2009 Pinot Noir, which was sourced from Tasmania, the Mornington Peninsula and western Victoria's Henty region.

I can't recall drinking a tri-state pinot noir before, or at least one that was labelled as such, and well; the 2009 Yarra Burn smells a treat. It's rather elemental in its intensely lifted, fragrant and juvenile state, with a range of sweet, musky spices and herbs that literally own the airspace sitting above the wine's surface. Cherries, plums, toasty vanilla/cedar oak and perhaps even meats and stalk reside in the bouquet as well, all leading into a dark fruited (Tassie?), medium/medium-full bodied (Adelaide Hills?) and relatively savoury palate that takes a long spell in the decanter to fully show its best. It's quite lithe and travels with the keenly balanced extract of sour-edged acids and tannin that pinot drinkers seek, however, although it eventually shows a pleasing richness of flavour and a certain fragility, I do detect a slightly astringent hardness at the climax of its firm, dry finish, which barely passes with time.

ü+ For around $27 the 2009 Yarra Burn is a genuinely complex (could just be the unusual regional make-up), cellaring style pinot noir. I optimistically envision it getting much better with time, so give it some. There's a clear extra point for potential here. Drink 2014-2016.

92 points

www.yarraburn.com.au

TRENTHAM PINOT NOIR 2009

- Big Rivers Zone, NSW

- $11-$18

- Screwcap

- 13.5%alc

Reliable performers among Australia's mass produced, sub-$15 pinot class are so thin on the ground you could count them on one hand. In fact, here we go; De Bortoli's Windy Peak and Trentham Estate's. If anyone has any suggestions for my remaining fingers I'd be very grateful.

Unsurprisingly Trentham's 2009 Pinot Noir smells ripe, with dark cherry and blackberry fruits graced by a meaty edge, but there's also a herbal, sappy and perhaps spicy note that is keenly varietal. The palate drinks fractionally warm and as a result is nothing if not straight forward by pinot noir standards, but that's it - it actually fits within pinot noir standards. Its warm climate fruit has imparted a body that's relatively medium-full for the variety, yet it's beautifully soft in its progression, unravelling true flavours of dark cherries, meats and light spice in the white pepper/cinnamon spectrum. As one should expect its refreshing, acid-based structure won't see this wine into the cellar, but there's definitely a backbone; it's clean in nature, devoid of harshness, with an ease of gentle accessibility that's bound to see streetwise quaffers aching for more.

ü+ A wonderful summertime quaffing red. Smooth, soft, silky and varietal; I continue to be amazed by what Trentham Estate can achieve with a $13, warm climate pinot. Drink now.

89 points

www.trenthamestate.com.au