For thirty years Pepper Tree has been a beacon for quality wine in the heart of Hunter wine country. Founded in 1991 it continues to flourish as one of the stalwart wine companies of the region. Pepper Tree started with a focus on grapes from the Hunter Valley but today the roots run deep with vineyard sites in four premium wine growing regions across Australia situated in the Hunter and Orange in NSW to prized patches of soil in Coonawarra and Wrattonbully in South Australia. 

This Pinot Noir from estate owned vineyards in Orange showcases exceptional fruit qualities and regional nuances. The elegant cool climate Pinot Noir has aromas of dark cherries and forest floor, balanced by a complex palate with subtle hints of raspberries and delicate tannins lingering into the finish.

This Pinot Noir is a bit different from the norm but attractive, it most certainly is. Indeed this is a good wine from all angles; it’s perfumed, it has finesse, it’s chararacterful and it’s impressively persistent. Flavours of black cherries, smoked meats, red roses and aromatic herbs combine to delicious effect, the finish itself both ultra-fine-grained and juicy with flavour. The Orange wine region in NSW has made great strides with pinot noir in recent years and this wine is yet more proof of the excellence now on offer. Alcohol: 14%; Price: $40.00 Rating: 93 Points; Campbell Mattinson