2024 Gembrook Hill Estate Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley

The Gembrook Hill Estate Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley is one of Australia’s most elegant and soulful expressions of the variety. Grown in the cool, forest-fringed hills of Gembrook in the Upper Yarra — the region’s highest and southernmost subzone — this wine speaks with quiet authority, built not on flash or fruit bombast, but on texture, finesse and a sense of place that borders on the poetic.

Gembrook Hill was founded in 1983 by Ian and June Marks, true pioneers in the Upper Yarra when few others were planting vines so far south. Their estate sits at around 250 metres elevation, with volcanic loam soils, gentle slopes and constant breezes from the nearby Dandenong Ranges. The vineyard is dry-grown, farmed with care, and remains one of the most distinctive single sites in the region. Since 2000, winemaking has been handled by their son, Andrew Marks, who brings a sensitive, minimalist touch and deep respect for the vines his parents planted.

The Estate Pinot Noir is the winery’s flagship, sourced entirely from mature, low-yielding vines planted in the early 1980s. These older vines contribute depth and concentration without sacrificing elegance. The winemaking is deliberately gentle — 100 percent handpicked fruit, a significant portion of whole bunches in many vintages, indigenous yeasts, and aging in French oak (mostly older barrels with a small portion of new). There is no fining or filtration, allowing the wine to speak for itself.

In the glass, it is typically pale to medium ruby, offering an intoxicating perfume of crushed red cherries, wild strawberries, pomegranate, rose petals and subtle forest floor. As it opens, earthy spice, pine needles, and gentle whole bunch notes emerge. The palate is light-bodied but quietly intense, with fine, chalky tannins and a vibrant line of acidity that gives the wine structure and length. There is a signature savoury edge, an almost misty quality that seems to mirror the cool, eucalyptus-scented air of Gembrook itself.

This is a Pinot for those who love nuance and detail over weight and gloss. It ages gracefully over 8 to 12 years, evolving into something truly haunting — floral, truffled, and deeply expressive. Drink it with roast duck and rhubarb glaze, mushroom bourguignon, or just with good conversation and time.