Pinot Noir in Australia: A Complete Guide to the Country's Finest Expressions
No variety tests a winemaker's skill more severely than Pinot Noir. Thin-skinned, temperamental, and fiercely sensitive to its growing environment, Pinot Noir is notoriously difficult to grow well - but when it succeeds, it produces wines of unmatched elegance, complexity, and food-friendliness. Australia's cool-climate regions have proven to be remarkable homes for the variety, and at Steves Winestore in Nedlands, our cellar holds an exceptional selection from across the country's finest Pinot terroirs.
Why Cool Climate Matters for Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir's heartland is Burgundy, in northeast France, where cool summers, limestone soils, and a thousand years of winemaking tradition have shaped the definitive expression of the variety. What Australian winemakers have discovered over the past three decades is that several of our own regions share key characteristics with Burgundy - and, in some cases, produce wines of comparable quality.
The key is temperature. Pinot Noir needs a long, cool growing season to ripen slowly and retain its delicate aromatics and natural acidity. Too warm, and the wine becomes jammy, heavy, and loses its defining ethereal quality. This is why regions like Tasmania, the Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, and the cooler elevated parts of Margaret River have become the focus of serious Pinot Noir production in Australia.
By Farr 'Tout Près' Pinot Noir 2020 - Geelong at Its Finest
Gary Farr is something of a legend in the Australian wine world. Trained in Burgundy under the great Jacques Seysses at Domaine Dujac, he brought that Burgundian sensibility home to his Geelong estate, By Farr, where his son Nick now makes wines of striking restraint and finesse. 'Tout Près' - meaning "very close" - is the estate's signature Pinot Noir, a wine that sits firmly in the top tier of Australian Pinot production.
The 2020 vintage from Geelong was a standout year, producing wines of real concentration and freshness. The Tout Près shows exactly that: a brooding, complex nose of dark cherry, dried rose petals, undergrowth, and a subtle smokiness that is characteristic of the style. On the palate, it is silky and structured, with fine-grained tannins and a long, savoury finish. This is a wine for patient drinkers - cellaring for another five or more years will be rewarded richly. Available at Steves for $168.
Tolpuddle Pinot Noir 2024 - The Taste of Tasmania
Tasmania has emerged as perhaps the most exciting wine region in Australia for Pinot Noir lovers. The island's cool, maritime climate, combined with its ancient, well-drained soils, produces Pinot with a purity and lifted aromatics that echo the very best of the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy.
Tolpuddle Vineyard in the Coal River Valley is one of the island's most revered properties, managed with meticulous care by the team behind Shaw + Smith. The 2024 vintage continues a remarkable run of form. Expect fragrant red fruits, dried herbs, and a bright, almost electric freshness on the palate - medium-bodied, with a fine mineral thread running through to the finish. At $135, this is exceptional value for a wine of this quality and regional provenance.
Moss Wood Pinot Noir 2021 - Margaret River's Best-Kept Secret
While Margaret River is better known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, a handful of producers have shown that the region can produce exceptional Pinot Noir from its cooler sites. Moss Wood, one of the original estates in the region (established 1969), has long made a Pinot Noir of quiet distinction.
The 2021 vintage is a lovely example: medium-bodied, with aromas of fresh strawberry, a hint of spice, and a characteristic Margaret River earthiness. The palate is supple and generous, making this an ideal wine for sharing over a dinner table. At $85, it is one of the better-value premium Pinot Noirs in our current range.
Pinot Noir and Food: Perfect Pairings
One of Pinot Noir's greatest virtues is its extraordinary versatility at the table. Its natural acidity and relatively low tannin levels make it a flexible partner for a wide variety of dishes. Roast duck, salmon, mushroom risotto, grilled quail, lamb cutlets - all sing with a well-chosen Pinot. It is also one of the few red wines that works genuinely well with umami-rich dishes, such as soy-glazed meats or aged cheeses.
Explore Our Pinot Noir Collection at Steves
Our cellar holds Pinot Noir from across Australia's greatest cool-climate regions, as well as international selections from Burgundy, Central Otago in New Zealand, and Oregon's Willamette Valley. Whether you are a Pinot devotee or just beginning your exploration of this magnificent variety, our team is here to guide you to the perfect bottle.
