Port Phillip Estate Red Hill Pinot Noir 2025

The winemaker certainly worked hard with this Pinot, sourcing Pinot fruit from five blocks grown at the estate – planted in five different years – and then fermented in a combination of stainless steel and unlined concrete vats before 11 months maturation in a mix of French barriques and puncheons (14% new). There was also a role for whole bunches (12%) and a full malolactic fermentation. Phew! The result was definitely worth it with a truly joyous example of Peninsula Pinot Noir, fresh and vital. Love the translucent purple-crimson brilliant colour. The wine shows a singularly cherry influence and expression delving into additional cranberry, raspberry, red florals and a touch of pepper. A dusty earthiness and cherry pip perky dryness has a presence, but the star is the role of lively, lovely red fruits that hum along against a background of subtle and warm toasty oak.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic