2025 Aloft Pinot Noir, Adelaide Hills

Twenty bucks for this Aloft Pinot Noir is a mighty fine deal. It's a youthful, inviting and energetic red that will even take a slight chill in warmer months. Cut loose with this free-flowing beauty. Crunchy blueberries, red apples and an abundance of cherries skip out of the blocks on the balls of their feet. Add flickers of earthiness, twigs and a little dark chocolate and you have a very neat package. The fluidity and approachability elevate this furthermore. Nicely done.

91 points qwinereviews.com

The Aloft Pinot Noir from the Adelaide Hills is a refined and expressive red that highlights the elegance and perfume Pinot Noir can achieve in one of Australia’s premier cool-climate regions. The Adelaide Hills, with its altitude, long growing season and mix of clay loam and shale soils, is renowned for producing Pinot Noir of vibrant fruit purity, fine tannin structure and savoury complexity. Aloft sources fruit from carefully selected vineyards across the Hills, where meticulous viticulture and small-batch winemaking ensure clarity and finesse in every glass.

In the glass it is a bright ruby with garnet edges. The bouquet is lifted and aromatic, showing red cherry, strawberry and raspberry notes interwoven with rose petal, spice, forest floor and a touch of smoky oak. On the palate it is medium-bodied and silky, with juicy red fruits balanced by fine tannins and a refreshing line of acidity. Subtle savoury hints of earth, mushroom and clove add depth, while the finish is long, supple and elegant, making it both approachable in youth and rewarding with age.

Food pairings bring out its versatility and finesse: duck breast with cherry glaze, roast chicken with herbs, mushroom risotto, or chargrilled salmon. It also pairs beautifully with soft cheeses like Brie or Taleggio. With 8 to 10 years of cellaring potential, this Pinot Noir develops more complexity, gaining earthy, truffle and gamey notes while retaining its bright fruit core.