2025 Crittenden Peninsula Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula

While it’s a tad muted aromatically, just a whiff of undergrowth and fungi, the palate is light and bright. It comes with a squirt of raspberry and cherry juice, some blood orange with pomegranate, zesty acidity and lithe tannins. Not complex, but drinking well now. Drink to 2030.

91 points Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion, July 2026

Crittenden was established in Dromana in 1982 by Garry Crittenden — at a time when planting those first vines effectively doubled the total vineyard area on the Mornington Peninsula. His son Rollo returned home after years making wine abroad and now leads the winemaking, bringing a broader perspective to a place he knows intimately. The Dromana vineyard is farmed sustainably without synthetic inputs, with a focus on building natural resilience in the vines over time.

The Peninsula Pinot Noir draws from selected grower vineyards across the Mornington Peninsula. The 2025 vintage was one of Victoria's finest this century, with calm conditions through flowering, a moderate summer with steady ripening, and no extreme heat events.

The fruit that arrived at the winery was in exceptional shape. A four-day cold soak preceded wild yeast fermentation in small open fermenters, the temperature allowed to climb naturally before pressing dry to two and three-year-old French oak for nine months, with full natural malolactic fermentation through winter.

Lifted and fragrant on the nose — red cherry, raspberry and violet with a waft of rose petal and gentle spice. The palate is bright and juicy with fine, supple tannins and a fresh, elegant finish that lingers cleanly.

A genuinely lovely Pinot Noir at the price. Enjoy with a Japanese-style pork belly or a simple roast chicken with herbs.

This wine is vegan friendly. Drink now through 2030.