Marchand & Burch Mount Barrow Pinot Noir 2023

This wine smells like a summer picnic in a rose garden – petals galore, ripe red cherries, raspberries and pomegranate with a spicy kick of pink peppercorns. Mount Barrow is an exceptional vineyard at the higher altitude, eastern end of the Mount Barker subregion of the Great Southern region in Western Australia. Subtle oak spice (25% new) and approximately 15-20% whole bunch allows the quality of the fruit to speak for itself. In the mouth, it is seamless, with flavours unfurling like a peacock’s tail – the mark of a great Pinot Noir. Cranberries, redcurrants and freshly grated nutmeg evolve into rhubarb and earthy just-picked beetroot. Lavender, fennel, rosemary and sage drive a savoury herbal note. There is perfectly integrated acidity and powder-fine tannins. The complexity in this young wine promises cellaring will delight. It stands apart from many Australian Pinots for its elegance and Old World-esque flavours that will extend well beyond the flirty berries of youth.

Nicole Bilson

Wine Critic at Winepilot

Nicole loves wine. So much so that she gave up a successful career in Pharmacy, perfected her spitting technique, and moved from sunny Queensland to the wine-drenched laneways of Melbourne. Stints in hospitality, wineries, retail, sales and marketing filled the next few years while Nicole built her knowledge and searched for the right path. She completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Diploma in 2016 and became a certified WSET Educator the following year. She now juggles a number of roles including teaching people about wine, curating wines lists for restaurants and bars, judging in Australian wine shows and, of course, writing. In 2016 she won the Negociants Working With Wine writing award and has since contributed to Gourmet Traveller WINE, Halliday Wine Companion Magazine and Nourish Magazine.

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