Distinguished Langtons Classification. One of Australia's finest Pinot Noir, from low yielding vineyards on the windswept Bellarine peninsula, by a winemaker wholly committed to Burgundian practices. Aromatic with dark cherry and spicy vanilla oak, a velvety palate of plums and gamey flavours. A wine of concentration, power and structure, with unmistakable varietal personality, more muscular and rich than it's euro antecedants.

$4999each $597DOZEN EACH DOZEN Bannockburn is about making wine that does not reflect market fashion or trends, but which sympathetically expresses a unique terrain. French influences abound at Bannockburn, where the experience has contributed richly to the style and character of wines, especially the Pinot Noir, roundly acclaimed as one of Australia's best. Nineteen hectares of vines are mostly dense planted on low-fertility clay-based soils beside the Moorabool River where yields are very low. Ripening is cool and late. Pinot Noir grapes are whole bunch fermented warm in open vats with regular pumping over the cap. The final wine exhibits stalk influence as well as a Burgundian gaminess, rarely seen in Australian Pinot.

Ruby red colour, a wine of brilliance and clarity. Lifted nose with earthy forest notes and rhubarb, five spice and toasted oak. Characters carry through to the palate, which is of medium weight - fresh, light ethereal yet with good flavour intensity. Great balance and mouthfeel, as the palate is still quite youthful and restrained, silky textured and elegantly structured. A long, smooth, fine tannin finish.

Distinguished Langtons Classification. Phillip Jones has been producing icon Australian Pinot Noir from the cool climes of Leongatha at Gippsland for over two decades.

$3499each $417DOZEN EACH DOZEN Exclusively single vineyard estate grown Pinot Noir drawing fruit from extremely low cropped, closely spaced, north easterly facing vines, off an unirrigated four hectare site. Established by Phillip Jones in 1979, it is located at Leongatha in the most southern part of Victoria, not far from Phillip Island and Wilson's Promontary. All grapes are hand-picked, batches are innoculated with wild yeasts, treated to minimal additives, foot treading (boots on), vinified in an open fermenter with regular plunging to extract colour and flavour, gravity fed transfer of the juices to avoid ripping the wine. Maturation in a combination of new and prior use lightly toasted French Alliers oak for up to eighteen months, unfiltered and hand bottled.

Deep red colour. Rich bouquets of raspberry, deep, ripe and concentrated aromas of cherry, earth and musk. Fragrant, complex and dark cherry fruit on the palate, a gorgeous mouthful of mint and blackberry, liquorice and currant, nutmeg and spice. A powerful finish closes to long and lingering, densely packed fruit, withering tannins.

Vinified from choice Pinot Noir grown to the Original 1988 Vineyard alongside a component from Bindi's newer Block K. Barely 500 to 700 dozen are made each year, a deliciously perfumed, spicy, harmonious and textured forward drinking wine that's true to the style of the estate flagships without being overly complex or intense.

$4999each $597DOZEN EACH DOZEN Bindi is a 170 hectares near Mt Macedon, six of which are planted to vines. Fifteen hectares are managed plantation eucalypts and the remainder is maintained as indigenous grasslands. The vineyard is the focus but the aim is to maintain balance and harmony between viticulture and wild remnant bush lands. Winemaking is an equal partner to preservation of the natural environment. Composition is handled in the same manner as Bindi's flagship Pinot Noir, completely de-stemmed and gently worked in small open vats, most of which are run as un-inoculated ferments. The wine spends nine months on sedimentery lees and a total of eleven ageing in a selection of new and seasoned French oak barrels.

Deep scarlet colour. Bright red fruits on the bouquet, raspberry, cherries and strawberry, beautiful sweetness and perfume with complex earth and mineral elements. The level of fragrant, Pinot purity is quite wonderful, enhanced by spicy barrel nuances. The palate begins lavish and textural before a mineral drive and grippy tannins. Highly pleasurable upon release, a well balanced, firm and long wine offering delicious combinations of flavour, silky textures and fine structure.

The Brown Brothers Pretty in Pink” is exclusively 100% Pinot Noir. This delicious mouth-watering wine makes the perfect partner to a wide range of dishes. It would be fabulous with a pasta dish or a pizza garnished with savoury elements such as anchovies, olives and capers. Equally suited as a delicious partner to smoked salmon, or as a wonderful accompaniment to a platter of goat's cheese – the slight tartness of the wine working fantastically with the bite of an acidic and flavoursome cheese style.

$1799each $213DOZEN EACH DOZEN The juice of the King Valley Pinot was macerated with the skins of the dark-coloured grapes until the required colour was reached. The juice was then separated from the skins and fermented in the white wine manner. The fruit was harvested in parcels from early March until mid March 2006 at a range of baumé levels from 11.7° to 14.2°. It was bottled soon after fermentation was completed with an alcohol of 12.5%, a pH of 3.33, and an acid level of 8.5gr/l.

The 2006 Rosé is a bright, attractive, vibrant watermelon colour. Hand picked from the King Valley this Pinot Noir Rosé has aromas of watermelon combined with hints of rose petal and a touch of strawberries. The palate inspires words such vibrant, racy, fresh and zesty. Classic in the European Rosé style the wine is almost savoury with a hint of citrus; a lip-smacking wine that makes your mouth water with desire for more. With a crisp refreshing finish, chill and enjoy this wine with or without food.

For many years, Gary Farr followed up every vintage at Bannockburn with a tour of duty at Burgundy's Domaine Dujac. He believed Australian technology to be superior but was greatly inspired by the traditional practices of French vignerons. Farr brought home the ancient technique of pigeage, throwing whole bunches into large, open vats and immersing his body into the wine to break up any hot spots. The Farrside vineyard was planted in 2001 to clones 114 and 115, 113 and 667, 777 and MV6. The site's black volcanic soils yield a cogent, masculine Pinot wine.

$6499each $777DOZEN EACH DOZEN Vines on the northeast facing slopes of Farrside are grown to a thin layer of rich volcanic soils over limestone, planted east to west so that grapes receive some cover from the sun. Farrside makes wines of greater structure, tannin and savouriness. Farr chose his ground carefully, to compare favourably alongside some of the finest Pinot growing sights in the world. He aspired to owning the seven hectare property for over twenty years but it's owner resisted all temptation to part with his land.

Deep crimson colour. A rich, full nose exhibiting floral Pinot characters and powerful berry fruits which build and develop as the wine breathes. The palate offers sweetness of fruit with overtones of minerality enhanced by toasty oak. Fine tannins and great structure are a trademark of Farr, fine texture and savouriness complete the gem. A weighty Pinot wine, Farrside combines density and precision with a capacity to endure and evolve.

One of Australia's inspiring, salient winemakers, Gary Farr has always aspired to formulate the ultimate Pinot wine. He may be very close. Gary Farr's style is traditional and essentially Burgundian, employing natural yeasts and whole bunch ferments, he insists on cork. A wine of exceptional balance and finesse, seamless from fragrance to finish, Farr was inspired after reading the Da Vinci Code, to annoint this superlative cuvée Sangreal. As the estate vineyards continue to mature, the holy grail of Gary Farr Pinot Noir comes within easy reach.

$6999each $837DOZEN EACH DOZEN The By Farr vineyards have plantings of a mixture of Pinot Noir clones and rootstocks. The aspect of the vineyard is north to northeast and quite undulating. The soil is volcanic loam over limestone, in some sites the limestone dominates the loam, well drained and of low fertility. They compare well with the best sites for Pinot Noir anywhere in the world. Farr applies techniques he learned in France, whole bunches with stalks fermented in large, open, cylindrical vats. The traditional process requires him to immerse his body into the wine and to break up the hot spots which occurr in this uneven and ancient form of vinculture. This method called pigeage is practised in the production of the great burgundies.

Deep scarlet colour. Great perfume on the nose, fine well integrated fruit of highly complex red berries and subtle toasted oak. Perfumed but savoury, the essence of Pinot Noir from a precious site. Strong colour, rich flavoursome palate, showing weight, true length and depth. Seamless in its delivery and a joy to drink but there's good underlying material and a balance to age. A velvety, generous Pinot wine, seamless in its delivery, a nice dose of currant and plum fruit balancing the animal character, lingering long. Flavoursome and compelling, yet acquiescent and accomodating. Is it really the sangreal of myth and lore? Not yet, but it's getting closer, the aficianado's style of Pinot, gamey and moreish.

Coldstream Hills is the quintessential Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, gentle, complex and developed. A gamey, earthy proposition displaying all the requisite varietal characters, a stylish wine of varietal intensity, fine textures and great length of slowly ripened characters.

$2699each $321DOZEN EACH DOZEN Coldstream Hills was established in 1985 by James and Suzanne Halliday. From its initial vintage of 450 cases it has grown to become one of Australia's leading small wineries with a reputation that belies its size. Situated in the cool Yarra Valley, its steep, closely planted vineyards have become a signature of the region. So too have its wines, most notably a Pinot Noir which reflects a clime cooler than Bordeaux and warmer than Burgundy. Hand picked grapes from low yielding vineyards in the Lower and Upper Yarra Valley are vinified to a variety of burgundian handling techniques, including whole bunch fermentation. Matured nine months in a selection of new and seasoned French oak barrels. Approx 14.0%

Medium red with vibrant purple hue. Fragrant cherry and blueberry fruit aromas with underlying gaminess and spice. Toasty oak adds further complexity to the wine's bouquet, but does not dominate. Vibrant fruit characters of cherry, strawberry and blueberry persisit on the juicy palate alongside stalky savoury notes of game, leaf and spice. An elegant medium bodied style with silky tannins and fine length to accompany, venison, hare and duck.

As a key figure in the establishment of Mornington viticulture, Garry Crittenden was instrumental in forging for the Peninsula the reputation as a distinguished producer of distinctive, regional wines. From the outset, Crittenden recognized the area's climatic suitability to Pinot Noir, exploiting it through meticulous land management and sophisticated vinification techniques. Fashioned from a mix of Pinot Noir clones, including 114 and 115, MV6, D2V5 and D5V12, all grapes are hand picked off the Crittenden property at 25 Harrisons Rd Dromana.

$3199each $381DOZEN EACH DOZEN Grapes are immediately destemmed to small open fermenters without crushing. Juices and musts, pulp, skins and seeds are sent to fermenters via a heat exchanger, the temperature is lowered from ambient to approximately 7°C. A protective CO2 cover is maintained and the must is cold soaked for four or five days prior to vinification. Half the fermenters are allowed a spontaneous wild yeast ferment, the balance is inoculated with a choice red wine yeast. Ferments are allowed to peak at 32°C, the wine is pressed off skins at dryness into a mixture of new and prior use French 225 litre oak barriques. Malolactic commences naturally and is complete by mid winter.

Bright scarlet hue. Crittenden walks the middle ground between being fruit driven and and supply elegant, yet complex and soundly structured. Each clone contributes unique characters. There is a faint but appealing stalky character which has nothing to do with stems in the ferment, speaking more about the smaller size of hand picked berries. The texture is rich and structured, soft tannins and bright cherry fruit resolve on a good acid finish.

Curly Flat is located on a slope which catches the very last rays of sun in the Macedon Ranges at the magical moments before dusk. The vines here yield a national flagship wine that beat Domaine de la Romanee Conti at a Winewise taste off and was listed by Wine Ark as the second most collected Pinot Noir in Australia.

$4799each $573DOZEN EACH DOZEN The choice of trellis sets Curly Flat apart. Divided trellis systems are more costly to construct and manage, only a manual harvest is possible, making it unviable to larger commercial operations. Curly Flat have planted multiple clones for complexity, their property was selected by the Victorian & Murray Valley Vine Improvement Association to be one of only two Victorian custodians of the most recently introduced Burgundy clones 114 and 115. A prolonged exposure to autumn sun contributes to the exceptional quality of harvest. A combination of whole bunch and de stemmed fruit is vinified without being crushed in a highly traditional, minimalist approach, followed by twenty two months oak maturation on lees.

Deep ruby colour, brightly lit. Generous, complex and seductive bouquet, showing vibrant aromatics, red and black fruits, cherries and plum. Lots of secondary characters, dried flowers, chocolate, white pepper and spices, earthy, toasty oak with hints of cigar box and tobacco. Speaks of Pinot Noir and of place. Medium plus palate weight, with dancing acidity, lots of fine powdery tannins and savoury fruit. The complexity of bouquet flows through to the palate, supported by integrated oak to give a long and lingering finish. A complex aromatic Pinot Noir with loads of primary and secondary layers. Drinking well now and will continue to develop beautifully, a wine with fine acid, well suited to food.

Dalwhinnie know that great Pinot Noir can only come from a healthy, well pruned vine which has the proper balance of fruit to foliage for even ripening. The bunches must be disease free, compact in composition and have good exposure to sunlight. Dalwhinnie is fortunate to have planted just such a site.

$2199each $261DOZEN EACH DOZEN Dalwhinnie was established in 1976 by Ballarat architect Ewan Jones near the tiny village of Moonambel at the heart of the Pyrenees. His eldest son now manages the property and makes wine. It's the kind of stability one can find at the great winemaking establishments of the old world. Just four kilometres down the road on the Moonambel valley floor, estate plantings of Pinot Noir have taken very well to Dalwhinnie's Hut Vineyard. The cooler ripening site sees longer growing seasons and vintage arrives three weeks later. Grapes are crushed and vinified in two small fermenters before being pressed to a selection of well seasoned three and four year old French oak barriques for six months maturation.

Medium light red colour. Lovely lifted herbal nose of dark blackberry, cherry fruits and subtle spice. A soft, easy drinking wine with a hint of middle palate sweetness, lightly oaked, delicious and fruit driven in the style of a Beaujolais, ideally to be enjoyed right now alongside crispy skin chicken or Vietnamese faire.

Dalwhinnie established new vines to estate property, just four kilometres down the road on the Moonambel valley floor in the 1990s. These younger Forest Hut blocks were pampered with care until plantings came of age. Now fully mature, these unirrigated and dry farmed, well canopied, vertically shoot positioned vines are yielding harvests of the most exquisite Pinot Noir.

$2199each $261DOZEN EACH DOZEN A handsomely hued pink wine fashioned from harvests of Pinot Noir grown to the cooler, slower ripening Forest Hut property. The climes are three to four degrees cooler than Dalwhinnie, all year round, so vintage arrives some three weeks later. Vines make the most of the extra time on offer to ripen grapes fully and develop vibrant fruit characters. The winemaking team know that great Pinot Noir can only come from a healthy, well pruned vine which has the proper balance of fruit to foliage for even ripening. Grapes are lightly pressed to barrel for a three week alcoholic fermentation. The finished wine is matured six months in a selection of well seasoned three and four year old French oak barriques. Approx 13.5%

Very attractive pale eye of partridge red/ orange colour. Slightly savoury nose layered with strawberry fruit characters. Juicy with just the right amount of sweet and savoury flavours and texture on the palate. The perfect accompaniement to paella, savouries and cheese.

From the exclusive Dixon's Creek vineyards, by the most progressive maker of Pinot Noir in Australia. Pinot Noir is tricky to handle. De Bortoli specialise in the development of flavour within the Pinot grape, whilst attaining balanced alcohol levels. A richly textured, elegant medium bodied wine with ripe aromas of red currants, red cherries and ripe raspberry.

$2799each $333DOZEN EACH DOZEN All fruit is harvested from four elite estate vineyards that are managed without the use of synthetic chemicals. Grapes are hand sorted before being destemmed and transferred by gravity into open fermenters. A natural inoculation ensues without the introduction of yeasts. After twenty one days ferment and maceration, batches are carefully drained to tank and allowed to rest for twenty four hours. The clear wine is then racked via gravity into a combination of new and prior use French oak casks where it is treated to ten months maturation. Alcohol 13.0%

Vibrant red with garnet hues. Elegant Pinot fruit aroma with red currants, cherry and raspberry over subtle spice and forest floor. Medium bodied, building weight across the palate, richly textured, long and fine with gentle but obvious tannin. A treat alongside European inspired recipes and all things duck.