Mount Macleod Pinot Noir 2023

Organic. You could say Mount Macleod is Gippsland’s quiet over-achiever. Vigneron-ecologist Mark Matthews has never sought the spotlight for the superb-value wines he makes, and the wines are rarely, if ever, submitted for review. But the work this thoughtful grower is doing in his sliver of idyllic South Gippsland is worthy of note, and the wines are remarkably good for the money. The Pinot vines face north, near 20 acres of wilderness, something Matthews attributes to this wine's lovely forest floor character (what the French call sous bois). The fruit fermented spontaneously with less than 5% bunches and mainly matured in concrete with a small portion in old wood (at least 10 uses) for 12 months. Matthews favours concrete for a slow, controlled maturation and finds the wine unfurls slowly and with impressive purity. This understated, floral and savoury Pinot is a great example of the value and elegance you can find from Gippsland if you know where to look.