AUSTRALIAN
Showcasing the depth and breadth of Australian Pinot Noir regions.
The Australian Pinot Noir Challenge celebrates
Pinot Noir in all its forms.
Australia is home to pinot noir growers and makers persistently seeking a more pure expression of their sites and the variety.
The advancement the Australian wine community has made in understanding all the variables which make pinot noir in Australia something truly remarkable, is outstanding.
Over three decades, the pinot noir community across regions has been brought together by a shared passion to improve, innovate and learn how to achieve pinot noir wines of superior quality. They have become a cohesive, intimate community determined to bring Australian pinot noir to a level which is world class.
The Australian Pinot Noir Challenge celebrates this achievement and all the elements which makes Australian pinot noir such a captivating, ethereal and elegant wine.
The challenge will bring the best of Australia’s pinot noirs to the attention of industry and consumers and help inform wine lovers about what makes Australian pinot noir distinctive and remarkable.
Tassie does it again!
Tasmanian winery Bremley Vineyard has claimed top honours at Australia’s premier Pinot Noir competition, the 2024 Pinot Noir Challenge, marking the fifth consecutive year a Tasmanian winery has taken the top spot. The award was announced at a gala dinner held at Cutler & Co in Melbourne last night.
Led by renowned winemaker and Pinot Noir enthusiast Tom Carson, an elite judging panel—comprising some of the finest Pinot Noir minds in the country—deliberated over more than 300 entries. After selecting a regional winner, choosing the ultimate prize was a difficult decision.
“The 2023 Bremley Coal River Pinot Noir is a beautifully crafted wine, combining power and elegance with the silkiest of tannins and a refined finish that lingers endlessly,” Carson continued. “In fact, the Coal River region dominated the state of Tasmania and the awards in general. The region is flexing its Pinot Noir muscle in wine shows, and as the vines age and viticulturists and winemakers continue to hone their craft, there’s no sign of this momentum slowing anytime soon.”
See the full release here.
Full results here.
The Top 50 Pinot Noir Tasting - 5 October
Top 50 Pinot Noir is an exclusive showcase of highest scoring wines judged at the Challenge, including the regional trophy winners and ultimately the winner of the best pinot noir in Australia for 2024.
The event will be held at Canvas House in South Melbourne on Saturday 5 October, and with pinot noir being the fastest growing varietal in Australia, tickets will be snapped up.
Taste the winning wine – Bremley Vineyard along with the regional winners. The list continues with Bellbrae | Bream Creek | Dirty Three | Kyberd | Kooyong Estate | Southern Light Vineyards | In Dreams | Bromley Estate | Ocean Eight | Lillydale Estate | Dexter | Blue Gables | Montalto | Paringa Estate | Purple Hen | Devil’s Baie | Lonely Shore | Giant Steps | Oakridge | Marchand & Burch | Handpicked Wines | Frogmore Creek | Gala Estate | Pipers Brook | Eddystone Point | Lost Farm Wines
Guests enjoyed unlimited tastings of the top pinot noir wines in Australia, a generous grazing table and a RIEDEL glass to take home
Tom Carson
Chair of Judges
Tom Carson is one of Australia’s most highly praised winemakers and viticulturists, Tom’s fastidious attention to detail and leadership of the wine show system sets the scene for an exciting Challenge in 2024.
“The diversity of Pinot Noir in Australia is a dynamic and ever moving target, viticulture and winemaking is constantly redefining the boundaries of quality and we are seeing the best ever Pinot Noirs made in Australia right now.
Since the inaugural Pinot Noir Challenge in 2017 the challenge has grown in stature, entries and esteem. It is this singular focus on one variety that it provides a unique moment in time for producers to have their Pinot Noir benchmarked against the most exciting wines being made today.”
Tom led the judging panels with some of the best Pinot Noir minds in the country including Samantha Connew, Gabrielle Poy, Loic le Calvez, Ben Portet, Anna Pooley and Tim Perrin with Associates Brendan Hawker and Imogen Dillon.
