Pinot Noir Perfection: Our Top Winter Picks
As the balmy blue skies of Cottesloe begin to drift into the crisp, cool nights of July, you may notice a shift in your sunset sip yearning. A taste for something a little more powerful and richer, to accompany the heartier, more substantial meals that go along with the change in season. When the usual shiraz’s and cabernets just won’t do.. perhaps something a little more elegant and refined will satisfy your palette, enter… PINOT NOIR! At Lamont’s Cottesloe we’re here to help soothe your fleeting winter blues, by curating a list of our top pinot picks, perfect for a glass alone at home, or for entertaining at your next dinner party. So, let’s begin…
Pinot Pick #1:
2019 Humbert Freres Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Vieilles Vignes’ Pinot Noir
Our Special Price: $185
Allan Meadows, Burghound.com
I have said this repeatedly, but I will say it again: if you're not familiar with the Humbert wines then you are in for a treat as the wines are flat-out terrific. There is a purity to the wines that is really lovely and, while there is a nod towards the modern, the wines are also made with a significant percentage of stems. Overall, the wines are at once stylish and beautifully rendered with outstanding transparency. Take a look at the Humbert wines: you'll thank me.
Magnumdevin.com
The Humbert brothers, Frédéric and Emmanuel, have wine in their blood and land in their hearts. Men of few words, but always fair and profound, they alone embody good peasant sense, or rather winegrower.
93 points, Tim Atkin MW, Decanter
The Les Marchais lieu-dit at the bottom of the Combe de Lavaux supplies half of the fruit for this excellent Gevrey village, with the rest coming from 14 other parcels. Ambitiously concentrated, with 70% new oak, serious tannins, ample concentration and crunchy acidity, this is a wine with more gas in the tank, as it were.
Browse this wine on our online store here.
Pinot Pick #2:
Yarra Yering “Carrodus” Pinot Noir 2021, Yarra Valley
Our Special Price: $275
“Bright crimson in colour. Rose petals and cherry fruits. Highly aromatic with some oak adding a vanilla sweetness. An elegant and silky fruit profile, cherry-soft, the palate is silky, seamless and expansive. Some graphite and oak spice lend a fine tannin structure to the finish.” (Yarra Yering).
Critic Reviews:
97 Points – Huon Hooke, The Real Review
97 Points – Halliday Wine Companion 2024
93 Points – Ned Goodwin for James Suckling
Only 4 bottles available…
Browse this wine on our online store here.
Pinot Pick #3:
Shepherd’s Hut Heritage Series ‘Michael Mayo’ Pinot Noir 2023 (NEW RELEASE)
Our Special Price: $52
Erin Larkin on Shepherd’s Hut & the Porongurups
Porongurup, to the northeast (broadly speaking) of Denmark, is a region better known for riesling (and with good reason, I believe that the best of the Porongurup rieslings rate amongst the very best in the country), however the pinot vines are still gaining age and with it, reputation. The best examples come from Castle Rock, Sheperds Hut (both featured in the below tasting, however the Shepherds Hut coming out just on top by a whisker) and others.
The pinots from Porongurup are typified by sweet red berry, raspberry, red cherry, spice and acidity. They are not unlike the juicy plushness we have come to expect of the wines from Tasmania, albeit finer in body. As is present in the rieslings, there is a distinct floral character to the nose of these wines.
Browse this wine on our online store here.
Pinot Pick #4:
2020 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir - Martinborough NZ
Our Special Price: $115
Wine of the Year, Top 100 NZ Wines for 2022 - James Suckling
98 Points, James Suckling
A beautiful nose of sliced strawberries, crushed cherries, violets, grated nutmeg and a hint of white pepper. Some hibiscus, too. Supremely vibrant and perfumed with fine tannins that run the length of the medium-bodied palate. Textural. Ground spice and fresh fruit are intertwined, providing wonderful depth and complexity. So long as well. Seamless balance. Superb. Sustainable. Drink or hold. Rating
98 Points, Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review
Concentrated, complex pinot noir with cassis, blackberry, dark cherry, violet, wood smoke and savoury/dried herb flavours. Accessible now but with a proven history of ageing gracefully. Elegant wine with impressive power. Ranked #1 of 34 2020 Pinot Noir from Martinborough; Date Tasted: January 2023; Drink: 2023 to 2035; Alcohol: 14%; Rating
Browse this wine on our online store here.
Pinot Pick #5:
2021 Picardy Pinot Noir - Pemberton, WA
Our Special* Price: $50
“The first wine produced at Picardy was the 1996 Pinot Noir. Picardy Pinots exhibit finesse and complexity, inspired by the great Pinot Noir wines of the old world.
Excellent fruit intensity, structure, pH to acid relationship and fine-grained tannins guarantee long life and excellent bottle development. The wines are also very approachable in their early years.
Since the first vintage in 1996, an increase in new clonal plantings and an advance in vine age has resulted in wines of greater texture, structure and complexity. Picardy Pinot Noir consists of 11 clones: upright, droopy (existing clones in Australia) and clones 114, 115 and 777 (which are special selections from the University of Dijon) as well as 6 new clones imported from Burgundy. It took 21 years - from the time Bill supervised the sourcing of these clones - until the last one was finally delivered to Picardy from quarantine in 2011.” (Picardy.com)
Tasting note by Ambrose Nock
Already radiating with pleasure, the gentle weather of 2021 has translated into a wine of up-front drinkability and charm. Slightly floral, showcasing red fruits at this stage: raspberries, strawberry compote and signature sour cherries. Stylistically more old world than new. Wedged between two bolder years, this year’s Estate Pinot has an innately refined, feminine beauty to it. As such, while never intended to catch your eye as the boldest piece of art in the gallery, its complexity and refinement will hold your gaze the longest.
Browse this wine on our online store here.