2023 Montalto Single Vineyard Tuerong Block Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula

Since 42% of the wine undergoes carbonic maceration for 2 weeks before it’s destemmed, it makes an impact on the aroma/flavour profile – and a very good one. Heady with joss sticks, florals and lots of autumn leaves and damp earth, meaty reduction yet plenty of dark and sour cherries in the mix. Mid-weighted with sinewy if firm tannins; this feels energised, tangy and tart with perky acidity in charge. Delicious now yet in a transitional phase, so this will garner more complexity in time.

93 points JF winecompanion.com.au

Montalto Single Vineyard Tuerong Block Pinot Noir from the Mornington Peninsula is a striking, site-specific wine that captures the warm, north-facing exposure and deep loam soils of the Tuerong subregion. This is the most brooding and structured of Montalto’s single vineyard Pinots, offering darker fruit tones, firm tannins and a savoury, earthy core. It’s a wine of presence and depth, with a quiet confidence that rewards both immediate drinking and cellaring.

The Tuerong site consistently produces small, intensely flavoured berries. Winemaker Simon Black handles the fruit with a gentle touch to preserve complexity and structure. Whole bunches are typically included in the ferment to add aromatic lift and tannin, and the wine is matured in French oak barriques, around 30 percent new, for 11 to 14 months.

In the glass, it opens with aromas of black cherry, plum skin, dried herbs, forest floor and clove. The palate is medium bodied but powerful, with dark berry fruit wrapped in fine, savoury tannins. There's tension and drive, a streak of acidity that keeps the wine fresh, and a long finish layered with spice, earth and crushed stone.

Food pairing: ideal with duck confit, venison, porcini risotto, or miso-glazed eggplant. For cheese, try a truffled Brie or semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese.

Cellar potential: will drink well now with a decant, but best from 2026 to 2035 as it evolves more savoury complexity and finesse.