Best’s Great Western Pinot Noir 2022

If consumers are surprised to see Grampians Riesling taking it up to the more noteworthy Riesling regions, they are often doubly taken aback to see how good Grampians Pinot can be. With vines dating back to the 1860s and with more recent plantings in the 1980s, Best’s old vine Pinot plantings definitely play a role here in the quality stakes. Bright, glistening red hues. Alluring scents come out to play in pomegranate, cherry and cranberry with just a touch of blood orange rind and a small pinch of spice and vanilla. While cedary oak provides a steady background note, the palate is given over to red cherries and earth with a touch of Amaro bitters, sinewy in mouth feel, slightly savoury in edge and finishing dry and clean. It gives Grampians Pinot Noir a good name and is most definitely a wine to be taken seriously.