Bindi Block 8 Pinot Noir 2021

Bottom line first, when I first encountered this wine, I thought it the equal of any Pinot I had seen made in Australia. Looking again, I have no reason to alter that conclusion, at all. This is a brilliant wine. We will see releases from 2019 and 2020 in the years to come (’19 my pick of those two). Block 8 is 0.75 hectares, with close planting, around 11,300 vines/hectare, although there is a section at an amazing 22,600 vines/hectare, with seven clones. Production quantities are similar to Block 5. The wine spends almost a year and a half in French barrels, around half new. From a brilliant vintage, as we have surely seen, the wine is a vibrant and almost lurid purple. There is perhaps a hint more oak obvious here than in some of the other releases at this early stage, giving pleasing nutmeg notes. The wine is still extremely youthful with aromatics including black fruits, cassis, bergamot and blueberries. There is fine and quite vibrant acidity, knife-edge balance and stunning length. Showing early complexity, this will surely drink beautifully over the next ten to fifteen years. What a glorious Pinot.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.

Wine writer and critic