2025 Stonier Reserve Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula

Deep ruby, a little reserved on the nose initially, opening up in the glass to a ripeness of soused plums and cherry clafoutis, wood spice and petrichor dust, a note of forest fungi and game meats. The palate is plush and fruit-rich, with a depth that belies its light-bodied frame, a fine crest of acidity and silken tannins holding through a lingering cherry pip finish. Persistent and complex, and still unfurling in the glass. Drink to 2036.

97 points Melissa Moore for The Real Review, June 2026

Made from the original plantings from ’82 with a lot of vineyard work latterly to get these old vines back into optimum condition. It’s starting to show. There’s a density here without it being a weighty wine, with exceptional tannin structure the key. Aromas and flavours marry well. The palate is supple and plush, with the acidity juicy and buoyant. Bravo. Drink to 2040.

97 points Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion, May 2026

Very good depth of red-purple colour and a brooding, complex, dark cherry, violet and spice bouquet laced with subtle toasty oak traces; the palate really fills the senses with flavour, the texture rich and dense on the tongue, with abundant fine-grained tannins and a long, long carry. Excellent pinot noir. Drink to 2036.

96 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, June 2026

This is a pretty special wine. I mean, wow. The tannin structure and the underlying, undergrowth-driven complexity are the bomb. It’s all driven by fresh, ripe, cherry-plum fruit but the rounds of pepper-and-leaf savouriness come in layers and the finish really does set sail for history. This wine is not for opening now, it needs time, but its quality is fundamentally elite.

96 points Campbell Mattinson for The Wine Front, May 2026

Stonier is one of the oldest and most respected names on the Mornington Peninsula, with vines in the ground since 1978. Now back in local family hands after a period of corporate ownership, the winery has refocused on quality and site expression, converting its vineyards to organic farming and working with long-term grower relationships across the southern Peninsula.

Fruit for the 2025 Reserve Pinot was sourced from 1982-planted estate vines on dark volcanic soils with a north-westerly aspect. Challenging conditions during the early 2025 season resolved in time for budburst and were near-perfect around the time of flowering and fruitset. Above average temperatures brought the harvest in early, and the overall quality was high. Hand-picked fruit was manually sorted before fermentation in small open vessels and included a small portion of whole bunches.

Aromas of ripe dark cherries, plums and violets are the first to emerge from the glass, with additional time revealing meaty notes and subtle toasted barrel notes. There is an overall dark feel to the wine, and the harmonious palate continues this in a seamless manner. Light- to medium-bodied, with deep, dense and textural fruit supported by lively acidity and fine tannins.

Give the wine plenty of air in a decanter as well as in the glass if patience is not your virtue. Balance the dark and savory depths of the wine at the dinner table with Persian-style duck Fesenjan made using fresh pomegranate juice.