From a cooler year in the Tamar Valley, this is a well balanced Pinot Noir, awash with lovely aromatics, bright fruit and fine tannin structure. It leads with a beautiful dark cherry character on the nose, backed up by fine strawberry and raspberry notes. There's some damp earth and cinnamon hiding in there, but the real star is the deep red fruit and silky texture. Delicious.

Holm Oak is one of the cornerstone wineries of the Tamar Valley, but it didn't start that way. In the 1930s, Alexander Patent Racquet Co. selected the site for its Holm Oak trees, which intended for the production of tennis racquets. Sure tennis is fun, but we all know wine is more fun, and besides that, the wood from the Holm Oak trees didn’t end up meeting the standards required by the company. Which made space for a pivot; a fortuitous turn for the Tasmanian wine industry. Grapevines were planted in 1983, making Holm Oak one of the older and legendary vineyards in Tasmania. Not only is this site a legendary one of Tasmania, but the winemaking power couple behind these barrels, Rebecca and Tim Duffy are top-notch and industry-respected chaps too. Rebecca handles the winemaking, and Tim the viticulture. Match-made in wine heaven? We sure think so. Rebecca and Tim have dedicated their vinous pursuits to world-class wines packed with flavour and wonderful natural acidity. This is precisely why they feel so fortunate to be growing grapes and making wine in Tasmania; the naturally cool climate and slow-growing conditions help create wines of freshness and elegance. Their philosophy is to produce the cleanest wines with the softest management practices available. This means the two have been taking an increasingly minimalist approach to their winemaking, by maximising the grape's expression through minimal irrigation, natural fermentations and a reduction in additives and finings.