Plantagenet Normand Pinot Noir 2021 - Mt. Barker, Western Australia

98/100 WineState
94/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
94/100 Ray Jordan
93/100 James Suckling
90/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
90/100 Stuart Knox, The Real Review
92/100 Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion (2020 vintage)
91/100 James Suckling (2020 vintage)
90/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2020 vintage)

5 Stars Winery - James Halliday

WineState "A big wine with dark plum-like fruit fragrances with dusty oak. The long, well-structured palate is intense with delicious red fruit flavours, sweet spices and racy acid."

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "Coffee oak frames the 2021 Normand Pinot Noir, giving it density and gravitas up front. The fruit is bright red, with redcurrants, cherry and allspice littered throughout. While the oak is prominent, it certainly matches the fruit profile and plays out nicely through the fresh finish. One of the better Normands."

Ray Jordan "Chalky tannins and neatly introduced oak combine perfectly....Fragrant and highly perfumed pinot noir which stacks up rather well. Has a violet and red confectionary character on the nose with a palate that is light bodied but structured. "

James Suckling "Aromas of sliced strawberries, red cherries, chicory root and violets. Medium-bodied with silky tannins. Juicy and pleasantly driven. Oolong and moss come through. Layered and nicely structured."

Stuart Knox, The Real Review "Bright ruby red in the glass. Nose lifts with sweet black cherries, mountain herb and broken slate aromas. Forward fruit sits sweet and voluptuous as it glides across the palate, layers of anise and cinnamon fill in the gaps. A fuller style but it is controlled with grace by a fine tannin line that carries it long and dries the finish."

Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion "Raspberry, strawberry and a sprinkling of fresh coffee grounds. The tannins are very fine and leave a trace of metal/aniseed/licorice. The aftertaste fires back up with the cherry and strawberry. Pure and pretty, the colour is moving towards hot pink." (2020 vintage)

James Suckling "This is a light, bright and elegant pinot with fresh red cherries, raspberries and sappy notes. Plenty of fresh raspberry and blood-orange fruit on the palate. Finishes lithe and fresh." (2020 vintage)

Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Deepish red/purple, excellent colour, with a bouquet that is a little quiet at this stage but has very good underlying aromas, suggesting ripe cherry, autumn leaves and forest-floor. The wine is medium-bodied, with good intensity and quite firm tannins, leaving a cleansing finish. A touch of raspberry bonbons. An appetising wine that promises to unfold more after a little more time in the bottle. Very good—and serious value for money." (vintage 2020)

Western Australian winery, Plantagenent is acclaimed internationally for its consistently highly-awarded, quality wines produced from its five vineyards located in the cool climate region of the Great Southern. It is known for its highly aromatic riesling, tangy citrus-tinged chardonnay, exceptional Rhône-style shiraz and suberb cabernet sauvignon. The five estate vineyards are overseen by Chief Viticulturist Jordan Ellis whose philosophy is sustainability and remaining true to the terroir of the region.

The Real Review "Plantegent is a pioneer of the Great Southern region of Western Australia with vineyards first planted in 1986 and the first commercial winery established in the region. Celebrated for its rich heritage, the winery is owned the Lionel Samson family, the oldest family owned business in Western Australia established in Fremantle in 1829. Plantaganet has five vineyards in the Mount Barker sub region each with the unique characteristics, ancient soils and a cool maritime climate cretaing expressive wines of provenance, quality & prestige. "

James Halliday, Halliday Australian Wine Companion "Plantagenet has honed its flagship varieties into a distinct Great Southern wine style; a depth of lively flavour, seamless elegance and natural purity"

The Great Southern is emerging as a wine region of international significance and reputation. It is the largest wine growing region in Australia and is the second largest producer of grapes in Western Australia. It is a landscape of forested cliffs and resplendent mountain ranges, grazing pastures and towns steeped in history. The regional climate ranges from the coastal, maritime subregions of Albany and Denmark to the inland, continental subregions of Mount Barker, Porongurup and Frankland River. The predominant soils are similar to those of the Margaret River region - either lateritic gravelly sandy loams (marri country) or sandy loams deriving directly from granite and gneissic bedrocks. Near perfect conditions for grape growing has lured some of the most creative and talented winemakers to call this land their home and become part of its ancient story.

The region is known for commitment to be sustainable, and organic, and is attracting some of Australia’s best winemakers. In 2023 the region dominated the Halliday Wine Companion Awards with its Top Rated 2023 Rieslings winning 10 of the top 40 awards. Other varietals from the region also received exceptional ratings of 97, 96 & 95 points.

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.

The essence of Pinot Noir wine is its aroma of strawberry and cherry (fresh red cherries in lighter wines and stewed black cherries in weightier examples), underpinned in the most complex examples by hints of forest floor. Well-built Pinot Noirs, particularly from warmer harvests, also exhibit notes of leather and violets, sometimes approaching the flavor spectrum of Syrah.