Pipers Brook Reserve Pinot Noir 2022

Ethereality and litheness define this wine once given time to blossom in the glass. Pale and translucent ruby garnet. It’s seductive and enchanting in its restraint and delicacy, with alluring aromas of forest floor, ground nutmeg, cassia bark, clove and raspberry leaf tea. An underlay of red fruit builds with air — raspberry, cranberry, Bing cherry — alongside allusions of violets, kirsch and a building tea-like savouriness. On the palate, it’s delicate upfront before a flurry of energy through the middle and back palate, echoing the nose with fine ribbons of chalky tannin and a remarkably poised, latent surge of acidity carrying it to a supple but very significant length. This is a real grower in the glass, resulting in a wine of charm, detail and brilliant complexity, bringing thoughts of tea-smoked duck to mind.

Tom Kline

Wine Critic at Winepilot

Tom Kline is a wine writer, reviewer, presenter, and educator based in Victoria, Australia. He is the Australian correspondent for the internationally respected publications Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy and Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux, where he highlights the top tier of Australian wine for a global audience. Tom also writes for leading outlets including Decanter (UK), Wine Spectator (US), and Halliday Magazine, among others. An experienced wine show judge and WSET educator, he has authored several consumer-focused wine courses aimed at making wine more accessible and engaging. In 2023, Tom was awarded Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column at the prestigious Wine Communicator Awards, presented by Wine Communicators of Australia.

Wine tasting and writing