Lark Hill Pinot Noir 2012 (Canberra)
12.5%, Screwcap, $35

I’ve never been the biggest fan of Lark Hill’s Pinots, preferring the aromatics and the (Murrumbateman sourced) Shiraz over this wine. In 2012, however, the stars aligned to provide a fleshier wine without the dry red overtones – a wine of delicacy even. It still has the meaty, smoking chips and dark berry density, but there is a nice cherry push through the middle. Particularly dry, sappy tannins and sharply focused acidity will see this still not everyone’s ideal Pinot Noir, but the structure and lines are impressive. 17.5/20, 91/100+
Buy online: Lark Hill website

Eden Road Long Road Pinot Noir 2012 (Tumbarumba, NSW)
12.5%, Screwcap, $30

In time, Tumbarumba may well be considered to be among our finest Pinot Noir regions (particularly with a little climate change in the mix), For now, however, it remains a marginal place for red table wine production, as wines like this show. Produced by the boys at Eden Road (who are really on a roll of late, particularly with Chardonnay), there’s all the hallmarks of clever winemaking here, just desperately looking for a little more ripe fruit. You can see that in the colour alone, with more than a little orange, leading to fragrant, lightly stemmy nose stamped with the ferrous notes of very cool clime Pinot Noir (think Coteaux de Champenoise).The challenges come on the palate, which has stern acidity and slightly bitter tannins, finishing with a fine boned delicacy. In some ways this is a rather beautiful and fragrant wine, but still, you just can’t shake that want for more grape ripeness. 16/20, 87/100
Buy online: Eden Road website

Hither & Yon Nero d’Avola 2013 (McLaren Vale, SA)
12.5%, Screwcap, $25