2022 Cascades Bay Pinot Noir $75

11/04/2025

Hobart couple Clinton Mead and Tanya Dalton waited more than a decade before they were able to purchase a greenfield vineyard site that met their exacting requirements for growing small-batch Pinot Noir. Their search ended at Koonya, not far from Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula. Not far either from Bream Creek Vineyard, one of the State's longest and most celebrated producers of Tasmanian Pinot Noir.

Clearly, these industry newbies really did their homework. This is the inaugural release of Pinot Noir from their young vineyard and it received one of just two gold medals awarded in the 2022 Vintage Class at the 2023 Tasmanian Wine Show. In the following year, it was judged the Top Gold in its class at the National Cool Climate Wine Show. Then lo and behold, it earned another Top Gold at the 2025 Tasmanian Wine Show, in addition to the event's much-coveted Trophy for Best 3 Year Old Pinot Noir.

The wine was made by Cambridge-based winemaker James Broinowski, at Dr Island Winemaking.

There's no substitute for being your own judge, however. This is a very finely crafted wine, showing plenty of rich cherry/plummy fruit framed by gentle ripe tannins and carefully modulated French oak notes. The wine has very good depth and intensity, something that frequently characterises Pinot Noirs sourced from young, low-yielding vines. Its vibrancy is especially engaging, so it's sure to be a big hit if you take it along to your favourite BYO Chinese eatery and share it with friends and some skilfully prepared Peking duck.

There's no need to hide the wine away in a cool dark place. That noted, there's enough stuffing here to see it drink very well over the next 5-6 years if you have a hankering for cellar-aged reds.

Source: Media sample