Australia doesn’t get its due in this country. The wines still suffer, perhaps, from the outdated reputation that helped put them on the map decades ago, defined largely by wines that were fat, fruity, and cheap, mainly Shirazes and Chardonnays.
But while those often mass-produced mainstays are still around and account for the lion’s share of Australian wine sales in the U.S., Australia today is also about smaller-production, artisanal wines, including exciting Pinot Noirs from a range of cool-climate appellations.
While still far from ubiquitous in this country — only a smattering of them are in New York-area wine stores, for example — the Pinot Noirs are well worth seeking out as notable alternatives to Pinots from Burgundy, California, and Oregon, among others.
The market is starting to recognize this. Gordon Little, a New York-based importer whose company, Little Peacock Imports, has been bringing in Australian wines for 14 years, says that Pinot Noirs are now among the top wines he sells.
So why aren’t more of them on wine store shelves?
Little says retailers often focus on Shiraz and don’t know to look for Pinot Noir from Australia, “or, even worse, they like it but don’t think they can sell it.” And when retailers are interested in Pinot Noir, he says, distributor sales reps tend to focus on Burgundy, California, and maybe Oregon “99 percent of the time” because that’s what they’re familiar with.
Stylistically, Australian Pinot Noirs tend to be on the lean side; one of them I cite below lists its ABV at an almost unheard of 11.5 percent. That’s because grapes in Australia are able to achieve fruit and phenolic ripeness without high alcohol levels, while maintaining good acidity.
Little says Australian Pinots land somewhere between cooler California, Oregon, and Burgundy wines — more fruit-forward than those of Burgundy, “but they still have a delicacy to that fruit that I think is specifically Australian.” The wines tend to have red fruit profiles, often with a good deal of minerality.
Pinot Noir is grown throughout Australia’s winelands, which are mostly in the cooler, southern coastal parts of the country. They include the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Adelaide Hills and Limestone Coast in neighboring South Australia, and the island of Tasmania, where Pinot is the most planted grape.
For now, at least, the prices relative to the quality of Australian Pinot Noirs make them among the world’s best Pinot values. “I go through a wine list,” Little says, “and with Burgundy, everything’s got three digits in front of it, but you can get some really great Australian Pinots at two digits on a list, even with a significant markup.” He adds that “Pinot Noir is becoming very expensive for many places and Australia can still do very high quality at not outrageous price points.”
Here are eight top Pinot Noirs from Australia.
Karatta ‘Gold Miner’s Trek’ Pinot Noir 2022
From the small, coastal Robe appellation in South Australia, this is a beautifully balanced wine with flavors of overripe raspberry, strawberry, and a splash of cherry cola. There’s also a hint of braised meat, all of it supported by vibrant acidity. The vines are dry farmed and the grapes are fermented with wild yeasts.
Price: $19
Buy This Wine
Dalrymple Pinot Noir 2022
This bottling from the island of Tasmania opens with orchard fruit aromas. This leads to ripe cherry and blueberry flavors punctuated by a distinctive white pepper note along with hints of powdered cinnamon, vanilla, and a wet-stone minerality. Lively balancing acidity keeps the wine fresh.
Price: $40
Buy This Wine
Ben Haines Pinot Noir 2023
You would never guess that the ABV in this Yarra Valley wine is a mere 11.5 percent. Its phenomenal fruit notes — spicy cherry, ripe strawberry, raspberry — are framed by a flinty minerality. At $25 or so, it’s a top-value Pinot Noir.
Price: $26
Buy This Wine
Carpenter Rocks Mount Gambier Pinot Noir 2022
Coming from Mount Gambier, a stunning region that lies on the slopes of a dormant volcano on Australia’s Limestone Coast, this Pinot Noir offers concentrated flavors of cherry cola, blueberry, and overripe strawberry, accented by hints of braised meat, black licorice, and fresh mint. As with most of these wines, the use of oak is subtle and well integrated.
Price: $23
Buy This Wine
Bare Winemakers Limestone Coast Pinot Noir 2023
This wine reminded me of a leaner California Pinot with dark fruit notes accented by baking spices and a wet-stone minerality. A bit enclosed at first, it opens up nicely with a little time. From a single vineyard, with 550 cases produced.
Price: $22
Buy This Wine
Yering Station ‘Village’ Pinot Noir 2022
This $20 bargain Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley is straightforward and delicious, showing generous spicy cherry and a touch of vanilla with good supporting acidity. Chilling it slightly will make it all the more refreshing.
Price: $20
Buy This Wine
Moorooduc Estate Pinot Noir 2020
There’s lots of dimension in this Pinot Noir from the cool-climate Mornington Peninsula that’s drinking beautifully with five years of age. Dried herbs infuse a range of red fruit flavors, with hints of green tea and eucalyptus on the nose and palate. Chalky minerality and refreshing acidity round out the picture.
Price: $37
Buy This Wine
Shaw & Smith Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2023
Blueberry and red cherry flavors dominate this complex Pinot Noir, with hints of graphite, flowers, and baking spices in the mix. The ripe fruit flavors are accented by a good deal of vanilla from eight months of aging in French oak barrels.
Price: $41
Buy This Wine
Next up: Top Australian Chardonnays
