Coldstream Hills Reserve Pinot Noir 2020

Great to see one of Australia’s top Pinots back in the Coldstream Hills lineup. The fruit for this cracking effort comes from the famous, low yielding Amphitheatre A Block, as well as Coldstream G Block, originally planted in 1985 when James Halliday first established the estate. Andrew Fleming and his team see A Block providing the fragrances and G Block the structure. If you have been to the winery, A Block is the steep, north-facing slope planted just below the winery. Fermentation was, as it usually is, in small open fermenters. In the never-ending search for ‘complexity and structure’, whole bunches were used in the fermenters. The wine spent 11 months maturing in new (50%) and seasoned French oak barrels.

A dark maroon colour, the nose offers brambles, warm earth, forest floor, leather, root vegetables (most notably beetroot), cassis, bergamot and a hint of woodsmoke. Even at this early stage, it is evident that there is impressive complexity to be found here. Real power on the palate, which is seamless, leading to fine satiny tannins on the long, impressive finish. Good, if ever so slightly crunchy, underlying acidity. This is a delicious, powerfully structured Pinot, balanced and complex, at the moment, but in seven to ten years, it could/should be seriously something. A welcome return for one of Australia’s best.