Onannon is three people with one goal. The people are Sam Middleton, Kaspar Hermann and Will Byron, each of whom contributed the last letters of their surname to make Onannon. A friendship forged in winemaking studies and cemented in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with each of them serving stints at Coldstream Hills in the Yarra Valley in the noughties. Sam and Kaspar are still based in the Yarra, Sam at the helm of his iconic family estate Mount Mary, whilst Will is now based full time on the Mornington Peninsula solely focussing on the Onannon wines. 

This wine is a blend of seven vineyards on the Mornington Peninsula and comprises of seven clones. Red fruits dominate the vibrant nose with some Turkish delight and twiggy spices. The palate is rich with red and blue fruit that moves through the fine-grained tannins, finishing with some spice.

Fruit comes off seven sites across the peninsula, some of which make up the single-vineyard wines, and this very much the sum of its parts. It’s excellent. Aromatic, enticing, savoury and spicy, full of cherries and pips, Middle Eastern spices, a hint of mint and just a skerrick of oak. Medium bodied, laced with supple tannins and mouth-watering acidity. It fits the bill perfectly for a drink-now pinot. Date: Oct 2023; Alcohol: 13.5%; Price: $40.00; Drink by: 2033; Rating: 95 Points; James Halliday Wine Companion