2025 Gembrook Hill JKM Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley

A deep, bright ruby-red. Andrew Marks calls the I.J.M a vigneron's wine and views the J.K.M, with its 100% whole bunches and 50% new oak, as a winemaker's wine. Deeper in colour and more brooding, with aromas of dark raspberry, plum and black tea, yet the palate remains finely detailed and very bright. This is one of a compelling set of pinots from Gembrook Hill in '25; it will be fascinating to watch them evolve over the next decade. Drink 2026 to 2036.

97 points Philip Rich for Halliday Wine Companion, May 2026

Oak shows itself here but as a whole this wine is dramatically seductive. Deep black cherry flavours come splashed with coffee, sweet spice, undergrowth and twiggy herb notes. It’s a wine of both treble and bass, cohesively presented. The whole bunch influence feels both clear and integrated at once; it’s a finely knitted wine. It’s not too much but there’s a it of silk to the texture as well. Everything’s in place. Just a bit of extra time and it’ll be absolute roses.

95 points Campbell Mattinson for Winefront, May 2026

Gembrook Hill is one of the oldest vineyards in the Upper Yarra subregion, founded in 1983 by Ian and June Marks after a fine-combed search of Victoria's wine regions for the right place for what Ian had in mind: cool-climate wine in an old-world mould. The hilly amphitheatre they found in the Upper Yarra is on red volcanic loam soil and enjoys a north-easterly aspect. Ian passed away in 2017, and his work is now carried forward by June and son Andrew, who returned home after years of experiencing vintages across Burgundy, Languedoc, Spain and California. The low yielding vineyard is hand pruned and harvested.

The JKM is a wine where Andrew Marks deliberately pushes things a bit further than he would with the estate Pinot Noir. It starts with shoot selection, a refinement of shoot thinning that opens the vine’s canopy and concentrates the fruit. In the winery 100% whole bunch fermentation and 50% new oak are both significant compared to the estate wine. Only two barrels made.

The result is deeper in colour and more brooding in character compared to the Estate bottling. Dark raspberry, plum and black tea on the nose, with sweet spice, coffee and a whole bunch influence that feels integrated rather than imposed. The palate is finely detailed and bright despite the wine's depth, with a silky texture and a finish that has plenty of length.

Worth pairing with something that has you reading the recipe twice: braised venison with juniper or roasted duck with sour cherries.

Give it time. This is a wine that will be fascinating to watch over the next decade.