2025 Island Belle Pinot Noir $38
Belle Ile is a small island off the coast of Brittany that once held allure for French artists including Monet and Matisse. Island Belle, meanwhile, holds allure for Tasmanian wine lovers and combines the artistry of winemaker Peter Dawson with the vineyard palette offered by Meadowbank's extensive Pinot Noir plantings in the upper Derwent Valley.
OK, that's drawing a long bow, but it's easy to get distracted by the Art Nouveau-inspired packaging Dawson James have adopted for their early-drinking Pinot Noir. The winemaking artistry is real, however. Peter Dawson first made wine in 1976 and is not only one of this country's most experienced winemakers, he's among our most accomplished.
The 2024 vintage of Island Belle Pinot Noir won gold at the prestigious 2025 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards. In January 2026, the wine was awarded the Trophy for Best Pinot Noir and was named Champion Wine of Show.
A wine sibling – the 2021 Dawson James Pinot Noir – won the Trophy for Best Tasmanian Pinot Noir at the 2024 International Wine Challenge in London.
(That 2021 Dawson James Pinot Noir figured among my top handful of wines tasted at the 13th Tasmanian Pinot Showcase, held at The Pinot Shop, Launceston, on 25 July 2026. It's a very striking and indeed statuesque wine that has evolved nicely over the years. Time is still on its side.)
This latest Island Belle is a fabulous young wine. I can't recall tasting the 2024 at the same stage of the wine's development but this one seems every bit as good. It's delicious. Plush. Supple. Sumptuous.
Dawson's personal and working relationships with the Ellis family at Meadowbank date back to 1995. Dawson James Pinot Noirs come from the Horse Paddock, which was first planted in 1989. The block's most recent additions – including clones MV6 and 115 – find their way into Island Belle wines.
Vintage 2025 was a cracker in these parts. And Meadowbank is renowned for producing some of the State's best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
The deep rich crimson hues immediately telegraph the season's low yields and intense flavours. Bright red fruits on the nose – maraschino cherry, red berries and a hint of cherry plum – are readily expressed on the palate, which thankfully avoids being over-ripe and plummy.
The wine simply glides across the palate, its fine tannins and well-judged natural acidity already ensuring it's very attractive and food-friendly.
The price listed here is just a guide for the moment. The wine will make its way onto the Dawson James website very shortly. Be sure to have your credit card ready.
Source: 13th Tasmanian Pinot Showcase, held at The Pinot Shop, Launceston, on 25 July 2026
Last page update: 25 July 2026