Hunting for perfect pinot noir in Mornington, Yarra Valley, Martinborough and Adelaide Hills

Pinot noir from four regions acclaimed for their ability to produce world-class examples of this seductive wine are on show, including a special $70-a-bottle from Mornington Peninsula.

All hail the holy grails of pinot noir from four top regions.

“Making pinot noir is a bit like playing golf,’’ Victorian winemaker Andrew Santarossa says.

“You can have 100 shots in a round and be on the verge of giving up and all it takes is hitting one amazing shot and you’re coming back next week.

“That halo moment with pinot is hard to beat – it can have you chasing rabbits down rabbit holes but it has this ethereal quality that just draws you in – I haven’t seen that in any other variety.”

One of Santarossa’s finest pinots, the Sea Glass Balnarring Pinot Noir (RRP $70), stars in The Australian Wine Club’s special dozen deal this week.

We’re showcasing four pinot noirs from four regions acclaimed for their ability to produce world-class examples of this seductive wine: Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley, New Zealand’s Martinborough and the Adelaide Hills.

Santarossa has spent 25 years learning the craft of winemaking at places including Houghton’s, Chandon and Mitchelton but has fallen more and more deeply under pinot’s spell since 2015, when he began creating his small-batch Sea Glass wines from special Mornington vineyards.

The Balnarring vineyard, made up of 25-year-old dry-grown vines, produces robust fruit, delivering a wine with a deep crimson colour that balances elegance and power. It’s mouth-filling, packed with waves of flavour, but not heavy. That elusive harmony between fruit, tannins and oak has been well achieved.

It’s been a long and winding road to the top of the pinot mountain for Santarossa. He grew up on a cane farm south of Cairns and worked as an electrician in far-flung mines from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Nullarbor Plain before chancing on an opportunity to work a vintage with Margaret River’s Cape Mentelle in 1998.

The wine bug bit hard and before long Santarossa was completing winemaking studies at Charles Sturt University. “What got me really excited was seeing the whole chain from the farm to the bottle,’’ Santarossa, now 48, says. “I used to say to my father, ‘We never know where our sugar cane ends up.’

“But with wine you can experience the whole journey: from the vineyard partnering with our growers, seeing the fruit ripen, the creativity of winemaking techniques, the handprint of the season – there are so many variables on the way to the bottle. I just love that.”

And then there’s the joy of seeing wine lovers embrace the final product. Here’s four pinots worth booking in for your own journey – at a very special mixed-dozen price.

Sea Glass Balnarring Single Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2019

Like a good pinot should, the Sea Glass reveals more and more as you linger – so take it slow! Cherries and raspberry aromas come first, with just a hint of fresh roses in the background. More savoury characters emerge: almonds, thyme and olive brine. The palate melds fruit and savouriness together in a silky, mouth-filling flow of flavour that lingers on. The wine has been matured using 45 per cent new French oak, bringing extra depth and structure without swamping the fruit. There’s a finesse and balance to this wine that speaks to its high quality. Classic Mornington pinot. 95 points from Wine Orbit. 13.8% alc. RRP $70 a bottle.

SPECIAL $27.49 in special pinot dozen

Riposte The Dagger Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2020

From wine legend Tim Knappstein. There’s a beautiful freshness to The Dagger, vintage after vintage. Sweet cherries and mulberries dominate the nose, but there’s more: violets, mushrooms and spice. Pristine red fruits flow across the palate, wrapped in a silky-smooth veil. Made without oak to show what fresh, unadulterated pinot tastes like. One of Australia’s best-value pinots, year in, year out. 93 points from Wine Orbit’s Sam Kim. Drink now. 13.5% alc. RRP $25 a bottle.

SPECIALS $21.25 a bottle in any dozen; $21.25 in pinot mixed dozen

 

Palliser Estate The Luminary Martinborough Pinot Noir 2020

New Zealand’s Martinborough is one of the world’s special pinot places. Palliser Estate’s The Luminary leads with a rush of red and black cherries and plums, finishing with clove, nutmeg and oak-derived vanilla notes. This is a fruit-driven style but there are touches of savouriness; silky tannins and gentle acidity drive to the finish. A good introduction to the treasures of Martinborough from one of its highly respected producers. 14% alc. RRP $33 a bottle

SPECIALS $27.99 in any dozen; $27.49 in special pinot dozen

Hirsch Hill Estate Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2019

Savoury style of pinot. You’ll find dark cherries and almonds on the nose, leading to a restrained palate of raspberries, plum skins and earthiness. Good structure to this wine. Crafted by well-known Yarra winemaker Rob Dolan; matured in new (30%) and seasoned French hogsheads for nine months prior to bottling. 13.5% alc. RRP $28 a bottle.

SPECIALS $23.80 a bottle in any dozen; $23.80 in special pinot dozen

SPECIAL PINOT DOZEN 3 bottles of each wine for $27.49 a bottle

Order online or telephone [phone] Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm AEST. Deals only available while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine.