Santolin a new name, but a rising star

Santolin 2013 Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, $45

The Santolin name is new to me but their star is on the rise. At New Year I tried both their chardonnay and pinot, both wines were superb and well worth checking out. Now there's an overabundance of fine chardonnay on the market but quality pinot noir is a more tricky beast to source so I'll leave the chardonnay for you to try while I focus on the pinot.

It's superb, soft and plush. It has that elusive fine velvety mouthfeel that all quality pinot seems to capture. The aromas are a gorgeous mix of forest floor savour with bright ripe red and blue berry fruits. Think cranberry and wild strawberries and you'll have the picture. There's enough bright acid and fine tannin to hold the abundance of delicious pinot fruit in check. It should be a lovely wine with some age but once again I'd be too impatient to wait.

The production is tiny so these wines will not be readily available but they will be well worth the search if you are interested. Start with the website and go from there.

Fergus McGhie is sales and marketing manager at Mount Majura Vineyard in Canberra.