Bellvale’s $25 Pinot bargain: Bellvale Pinot Noir 2017

Bellvale Pinot Noir 2017

As the old saying goes, you can either have good Pinot or cheap Pinot. But never both. Except for this Bellvale wine.

John Ellis’ dry-grown Gippsland vineyard can deliver some excellent, concentrated wines, even if there is some vintage variation, with Pinot the star.

And this red is far too good for $25, it’s initially quite fragrant, despite the obvious ripenss, with meat and almost plum fruit – there’s a density that I always see in the Bellvale wines. Savoury, vaguely spritzy and with a great composure it’s a substantial wine – if just a little dry reddish – at an excellent price. Best drinking: Now to five years. 17.7/20, 92/100. 14%, $25. Would I buy it? Yes.