Mount Mary Pinot Noir 2024

Mount Mary is one of the founding estates of the Yarra Valley's modern wine industry, remaining under family ownership with third-generation winemaker Sam Middleton. Its original Pinot Noir vines were sourced from western Victoria in 1971, before individual clonal selections were widely established in Australia, resulting in an unusually diverse collection of Pinot Noir material. The 2024 growing season brought warm, dry conditions through February and March, accelerating ripening and requiring careful harvest decisions. Harvested between 16 and 28 February, the grapes were completely destemmed, retaining whole berries for fermentation in small open-top vessels, with approximately 10–14 days on skins. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel and matured for approximately sixteen months in French oak barriques, 25% new, before bottling in July 2025. The 2024 is relatively delicate in colour and weight, with aromas of strawberry, rhubarb, red cherry and quince paste, accompanied by darker fruit and savoury complexity on the palate. Fine, persistent tannins and fresh acidity provide structure, with subtle earthy and umami characteristics contributing to a long, detailed finish.