2022 Varietal Winners

Top Rated: Pinot Noir

By The Tasting Team
It could be argued that discretion pays more dividends in the selection of pinot noir than any other category, which would make this list the most important in this year's awards. Victoria leads the way, first in Macedon (thanks almost exclusively to Bindi, Curly Flat and Best New Winery of the Year, Place of Changing Winds), very closely followed by the who’s who of the Yarra, Mornington and Tasmania. The work of Michael Dhillon in the vineyard and winery sets the standard, making Bindi an almost unanimous favourite of every member of the tasting team in the final judgement.

Find out more about pinot noir in our essential guide.

2019 Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir pinotnoir

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Named after the Applejack eucalypts that surround the vineyard, which was planted at Gladysdale in 1997 by Ray Guerin. Seven clones comprising 114, 115, MV6, D2V5, D5V15, Pommard and Abel. Whole bunches (40 per cent) and 20–25 per cent new French barriques. 2022 was a hard act to follow, but this superb wine gives it a shake. Exotic, aromatic and pure with its bouquet of wild strawberries, dark cherries, quince, spices and flowers. Densley packed, this saturates the palate, but, as always, it's light on its feet at the same time. Seamless tannins round out another benchmark for what's already a benchmark wine. – Philip Rich

*This is an edited extract from the 2022 Halliday Wine Companion, with reviews by Jane Faulkner, James Halliday, Erin Larkin, Tony Love, Ned Goodwin MW, Jeni Port and chief editor Tyson Stelzer.


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