2023 Pinot Noir

colour

Crimson with ruby hues.

aroma

Pure red cherry and ripe red plum sit at the heart of this beautifully poised Pinot Noir, layered with fragrant baking spice, dried herbs, forest floor and a subtle gamey savouriness that adds depth and intrigue. As the wine opens, hints of rose petal, wild mushroom and crushed leaf emerge, lending further complexity without overshadowing the purity of the fruit.

palate

The palate is vibrant and finely detailed, with bright sour cherry and cranberry fruit wrapped around a core of mineral freshness. Fine, chalky tannins provide gentle structure and texture, while lively natural acidity carries the wine effortlessly across the palate. Elegant, savoury and persistent, it finishes with exceptional length, leaving lingering notes of spice, dried herbs and pure red fruits.

cellaring

Will reward careful cellaring of seven to ten years.

vintage

A slightly cooler and wetter spring period delivered modest crops for the 2023 season. Settled summer months of December and January allowed steady ripening and flavour development. This was followed by the driest February in 64 years (in Southern Tasmania), which allowed picking to begin in mid-March. Again, the Lowestoft Vineyard delivered Pinot Noir fruit of immense purity and concentration.

winemaking

Hand-picked Pinot Noir, fermented in 1 .5T open top fermenters with 15% whole bunch. No additions were made to ferments, with temperatures naturally peaking at 30 degrees Celsius. A judicious mixture of hand plunging and pump-over ensures gentle extraction throughout the primary ferment. Total time on skins was approx. 21 days. Finished wine was pressed off to 500L French oak Puncheons (30% new) and matured for 10 months prior to blending and bottling.

region

Tasmania 

variety

Pinot Noir

analysis

• Alcohol: 14.0%
• pH: 3.55
• Acidity (TA): 5.60 g/L

Decanter World Wine Awards 2025

Global Pinot Noir Masters 2025

Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion

Pinot noir sourced from the Lower Derwent Valley (95%) and East Coast (5%), 25% whole bunch, and matured in large-format French oak (30% new) for 10 months. Lowestoft wines and winemaker Liam McElhinney have been on a roll lately, and the 2023 release sees that form continue unabated. Pure red cherry and red plum fruits daubed in fine spice, amaro herbs, forest floor and light gamey tones. Sour cherry coming through on the palate with fine, chalky tannins and a bright, lingering exit.

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