2021 Stonier Reserve Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula

As with the Reserve Chardonnay, the fruit for the pinot comes off a mix of top vineyards to create a regional stamp, although the whole bunches added to the ferment (49% all up) has made a most positive mark. Fragrant, lightly stemmy and herbal (but not green), with flavours of red cherries, chinotto, blood orange and sandalwood. Fleshy fruit across the fuller-bodied palate with raw silk tannins holding sway. Incredibly refreshing now, but will garner even more complexity in time.

96 points Jane Faulkner winecompanion.com.au

The challenge of blending the components of individually beautiful blocks is to try to make something more complete, more balanced and more complex. The 2021 achieves this with bright and shiny red fruits underpinned by some dark broody dark fruit flavours. Deep crimson with a ruby tinged hue. It shows lifted Pinot aromatics with some herbal notes adding layers of aroma and flavour. The balance on the palate with fine acidity and tannins gives the wine a distinctive line and length of flavour.