Riposte Peacemaker Pinot Noir 2025

There’s a lot of thinking going on here and a focused mindfulness in this top-shelf Adelaide Hills Pinot from Tim Knappstein and son Nick. Sourced from the Riposte choice of vineyards in Lenswood, Kenton Valley and Lobethal districts, small multi-clonal batches receiving differing percentages of whole bunch, time on skins and oak treatment. The Peacemaker name, Tim reveals, is about the aim to find “the ideal balance between fruit, whole bunch lift, classy oak, mid-palate weight, acid and tannin, and to have all these elements working in harmony.” The wine begins with generous dark cherry fruit aromas, revelling in a subtle cedary oak companionship, both joining in the palate as a singular flavour, bright and energised with fine velvet-like tannins providing a classy mouthfeel, seasoned by a light peppery finish. Most attractive drinking and hits its winemakers’ goal with true class. A second glass please…

Tony Love

Journalist at Winepilot

Tony is best known for his 10 years as News Corp’s National Wine Writer, with weekly columns in major metropolitan mastheads throughout Australia including The Adelaide Advertiser, The Sydney Daily Telegraph and the Melbourne Herald Sun. He continues to write feature articles and columns for all the major Australian wine media publications. Tony has also worked as a restaurant reviewer, section editor, book editor, digital content provider, journalism teacher and was named Wine Communicators of Australia 2018 Legend of the Vine (SA). Find out more about Tony at tonylove.com.au

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