Tar & Roses Pinot Noir - Mornington Peninsula 2023 - Australia

93/100 Jeni Fort, Halliday Wine Companion (2022 vintage)
90/100 Aaron Brasher, The Real Review (2022 vintage)
95/100 Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot (2021 vintage)
91/100 The Wine Front (2021 vintage)
91/100 Jeni Port, Halliday Wine Companion (2021 vintage)
Bronze - Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review (2021 vintage)

5 Star - James Halliday

Gold - Australian Pinot Noir Challenge (2022 vintage)
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2022 viintage)
Silver - Australian Pinot Noir Challenge (2021 vintage)
Bronze - Melbourne Royal Show (2021 vintage)

Jeni Fort, Halliday Wine Companion "Captures the beauty of cool-climate pinot, uniting spicy dark cherries with plum and woody spice and a delightful earthy rhubarb/beetroot complexity. Sinewy in texture, savoury in fine tannins with tell-tale (whole bunch) stemmy herbals – just a pinch – to close." (2022 vintage)

Aaron Brasher, The Real Review "Lifted, pretty aromas of cherry, spice, bramble, underbrush, sap and a touch of bunchy funk. The palate is fleshy, mouth-filling and has a very appealing juiciness to it. Blueberry, cherry, spice and a lick of oak are all doing their thing nicely. Quite a powerful, mouth-filling and very enjoyable style of pinot noir " (2022 vintage)

Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot "When things come together in Mornington, the results can be mighty good. This is right in the zone and opens with a meaty and slightly gamey nuance over more primary red fruits. There’s a little toasty oak worked in, while the fine chalky tannins add some spine. The mid-palate has a firmish core, but the supple fruit wraps it up completely. A Pinot of some poise." (2021 vintage)

Jeni Port, Halliday Wine Companion "There's an assured hand at the helm, instinctively looking to the grape's red fruits and herbal side with a tangy cool-climate acidity and sinewy tannin structure. Blood red in colour. Morello cherry, red berries, earthy beetroot scents. A clean line of fruit, spice and undergrowth with hint of violet aromatics finishing tight and clean. Some noticeable whole bunch, stem-like herbal freshness. This has to be the start of a great friendship." (2021 vintage)

Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review "A fairly pale pinot, consistent with some current fashion. A peppery thread runs through red fruit on nose and palate, with a dab of hoppy herbals seasoning it along the way. It has silky flow in the mouth and tannins are just firm enough for balance." (2021 vintage)

The original Tar & Roses team of famed Don Lewis and Narelle King began their winemaking journey in Priorat, Spain, immersing themselves within the classic Mediterranean wine regions and varietals. This sparked an interest in how these varietals could be grown and made back home in their native regions of Central Victoria, Australia. Don, now passed was one of Australia's legendary winemakers earning the highest honour of winemaking in Australia, the prestigious Jimmy Watson award.

James Halliday "Tar & Roses produces wines inspired by the classic Mediterranean varietals and was named after the signature characteristics of Nebbiolo. The name also ties back to the winemaking team behind the venture, the legendary Don Lewis and his winemaking partner Narelle King. Narelle is carrying on the Tar & Roses tradition after Don's passing in 2017"

Tar & Roses style of wines reflects the multi-region of Spain, Italy and Australia, as well as traditional winemaking alongside the new. All Tar & Roses wines are made using fruit grown in Heathcote, Strathbogie Ranges, Alpine Valley, King Valley and Priorat, Spain.

Mornington Peninsula is one of Victoria's most important wine regions, located an hour's drive south of Melbourne on the southern coast of Australia. It is one of Australia's coolest winegrowing regions and elegant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines are the main output, a far cry from the full-bodied Shiraz wines the country is famous for.

Pinot Noir is the dominant red wine grape of Burgundy, now produced in wine regions all over the world, including western Germany, northern Italy, Chile, South Africa, Australia and, perhaps most notably, California, Oregon and New Zealand.