2024 Best's Great Western Old Vine Pinot Meunier, Great Western

Off two blocks from original plantings in 1868. 25% whole bunch during fermentation, nine months' ageing in French hogsheads. The original and still the best, old vines bring such complexity and depth to this wine. Fragrant in cranberry, red cherry and wild strawberry fruits that meld with dried herbs, rosehip and musk. Medium bodied, it offers upbeat cherry-led flavours that are bright and brisk across the palate with background herbals and a note of red licorice. Sinewy, fine tannins provide both juiciness and a sense of elegance.

95 points Jeni Port winecompanion.com.au

Best’s Great Western Old Vine Pinot Meunier is one of Australia’s quiet treasures, a rare and beautifully expressive red drawn from vines planted in the eighteen sixties in the historic Concongella Vineyard. These are among the oldest productive Pinot Meunier vines in the world, gnarled survivors rooted deep in Great Western’s ancient quartz and ironstone soils. The site’s cool climate, chilly nights and long, gentle ripening season give the fruit delicacy, perfume and extraordinary natural balance. Winemaking is intentionally gentle: hand picking, whole berry and partial whole bunch inclusion for lift, slow fermentation in small open vessels, then maturation in seasoned French oak to preserve purity and texture. The result is a wine that sits somewhere between old vine magic and heartfelt regional history.

The aromatics are captivatingly graceful. Red cherry, wild strawberry and raspberry interweave with rose petal, cranberry and autumnal spice. Beneath the brightness lies a subtle earthy thread of dry leaves, warm quartz dust and a faint echo of sweet tobacco. As the wine breathes, notes of musk, orange rind and soft herbal nuance emerge, always staying elegant and understated.

The palate is supple, silky and beautifully detailed. Juicy red fruits glide over whisper fine tannins that feel almost talc like in texture. Flavours of cherry compote, redcurrant, pomegranate and gentle spice unfurl slowly, guided by fresh acidity and a cool mineral line that reflects the Great Western soils. There is depth without weight, finesse without fragility, and a lingering finish with red fruit, spice and florals gently fading like the end of a long conversation. It will evolve gracefully over eight to ten years, gaining savoury nuance, truffle hints and deeper woodland charm.

Perfect with roast duck, mushroom risotto, charcuterie, quail with herbs, pasta with porcini or soft, earthy cheeses. It is a soulful wine that captures the beauty of ancient vines and the quiet confidence of one of Australia’s most storied producers.