2024 Dexter Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula

Showing off the exuberance of youth with vitality and vibrancy, all appealing elements. It’s a lovely wine, pretty and aromatic, juicy and supple. It's full of pink and red cherries, a dash of kirsch, warm spices, cardamom and some minty notes. It’s lighter framed and elegant, with fine tannins. While lacking some complexity today, it should build on that in time.

94 points Jane Faulkner winecompanion.com.au

Dexter Pinot Noir from the Mornington Peninsula is a beautifully composed, aromatic and quietly powerful Pinot crafted by Tod Dexter, a winemaker whose experience in both Burgundy and Napa has shaped one of the region’s most thoughtful boutique labels. The fruit comes from low yielding estate vineyards in Merricks North, where cool southern ocean breezes, grey loams over clay and long, slow ripening seasons create Pinot with perfume, tension and depth. The Peninsula’s maritime climate gives this wine its distinctive lift and elegant acidity, while the clay rich soils lend fine tannins and a silky texture.

Tod works with a deliberately gentle hand in the cellar. Each parcel is hand picked at dawn, sorted with precision, and fermented with native yeasts in small open vessels. A considered amount of whole bunches adds aromatic lift, spice and structure. Ageing takes place in carefully selected French oak barriques, mostly seasoned, which shape the wine without dominating it. The intention is always clarity, finesse and balance.

The nose is captivating and layered, offering red cherry, wild strawberry and cranberry alongside rose petals, pomegranate, orange oil and cranberry. Beneath the vivid fruit sit hints of mushroom, dried herbs, sandalwood and a faint mineral thread that echoes the clay and loam beneath the vines. As the wine takes on air, nuances of sweet soil, spice and raspberry leaf deepen the expression.

The palate is elegant, supple and harmoniously driven. Fine red fruits glide across velvety, faintly chalk edged tannins, guided by bright natural acidity. Flavours of cherry, plum skin, redcurrant and spice develop gradually, supported by a gently savoury undertone. The finish is long, pure and quietly persistent, with red fruit and florals lingering gently. With five to eight years of cellaring, richer, more savoury detail will emerge.

This style thrives with duck, roast chicken, mushroom risotto, grilled salmon, charcuterie, fresh pasta with herbs, washed rind cheeses and autumn vegetables. Serve just slightly cool to emphasise its perfume.