This is a wine I first picked out at the Waitrose Spring press tasting and I’ve now returned to it for a closer look. It comes from South Australia and is made entirely from Pinot Noir. The vines are dry grown, with minimal intervention in the vineyard, while the wider approach focuses on sustainable production. A native tree is also planted for every six bottles sold. This is the 2025 vintage.
Let’s talk about the packaging first. The bottle is made from 100% recycled glass, with a minimal front label that feels in keeping with the low-intervention growing and the aim of reducing its environmental impact. The back label, however, has a more decorative nature-inspired design, matched by the bottle cap. I’m showing both here as they look very attractive.
In the glass, it is pale to medium ruby, just beginning to show a little browning. It is highly aromatic, with red cherry, cranberry, forest floor and spice. The taste brings elegant red fruit together with a savoury complexity. It is dry, light to medium-bodied, with low to medium fine tannins and medium acidity. The finish is silky and savoury.
It feels fuller than you might expect from a Pinot Noir, particularly one with only 10.5% alcohol. Interestingly, it is technically off-dry because not all of the fruit sugar has converted into alcohol, which helps explain the lower alcohol level, yet it does not come across as sweet. I also tried serving it slightly cooled, but found it was better at room temperature.
It is available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. The usual price is £10, which is already excellent value, but I have seen it reduced to £7.50 and then included in a further 25% discount. That brings it down to £5.62, which is amazing value.
