2024 42°S Tasmania Pinot Noir $32

02/06/2025

This wine new release from Frogmore Creek takes its name from the 42nd parallel South, the circle of latitude that passes midway through the island of Tasmania. Pretty appropriate really. The 42°S portfolio is packed with affordable mid-range sparkling and still table wines, intended to showcase the fruit-driven virtues of the company's cool climate vineyard sites in Tasmania. Unlike many companies of equivalent size, these wines are made entirely from estate-grown fruit rather than from purchased sources. They're created specifically for the brand, ensuring continuity of supply and total control over wine quality.

Consumers get a great deal out of the arrangement and this smart young Pinot Noir from the excellent 2024 vintage in the Coal River Valley provides a case in point. The cool-to-mild growing season was characterised by general smaller than average berries and bunches, reducing yields slightly but increasing fruit concentration in the resulting wines. This wine's colour reflects that - it's rich and vibrant; a bright and engaging ruby red/red cherry hue, of medium depth.

Those same red cherry elements seemingly pop up in the range of clear varietal aromas on display. Red berries, red cherries and even a hint of wild strawberry - they're all there, telegraphing in an instant that this is an attractive young Pinot that will drink well from an early age. French oak appears in the winemaking regime but plays a very minor role in the aromatics.

Much the same can be said for the palate. Oak offers support by shaping the palate and drawing out the length of the wine. Nothing more. The tannins are fine, ripe and surprisingly polished for a red wine at this price point. The wine's acidity is spot-on, adding vibrancy and freshness to the bowl of red fruits on offer, and ensuring the sustained finished is dry and slightly savoury. The balance of this wine is impeccable. Yes, it's intended for current drinking, but consumers are not going to be disappointed if a bottle or two become lost in the cupboard or in the cellar under the house for a couple of years before being retrieved.

Source: Cellar door tasting