Handpicked Wines: Some of the Best Pinot Noir Australia has to Offer

Last Updated on February 10, 2020

If you have been living in a bunker for the past quarter, you might have missed the news about Australia. The Land Down Under is experiencing a bushfire epidemic of proportions never before seen. Growing increasingly fierce since September, these fires have spread throughout each of the nation’s six states, with the worst concentrations in Victoria and New South Wales, major wine growing regions of Australia. While Australia is predominantly known for its outstanding Shiraz, that varietal is truly only about 25% of wine that is produced in the country. Chardonnay and Cabernet are increasingly produced, as are many varietals familiar to the average wine buyer. What may be a surprise however, is that some of the best Pinot Noir Australia has to offer is newly available in the U.S. Market.

Who Are Handpicked Wines?

Handpicked Wines is an Australian wine label that may surprise you. Their portfolio does not encompass a single growing region, i.e. a California winemaker whose wines are from strictly various vineyards in Napa Valley. Instead, the small winemaking team crafts wines from the prolific wine regions of Australia and New Zealand. Making wine in the style characteristic of each regions terroir, the intimate team is led by Peter Dillon, Director of Winemaking and Jonathon Mattick, Assistant Winemaker.

Handpicked Wines’ Portfolio Highlights the Many Exquisite Growing Regions of Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania.

As of today, Handpicked Wines offers wines from 20 of the top wine regions in Australia and New Zealand. That is why it is so easy to find some of the best Pinot Noir Australia has to offer through Handpicked Wines.

Where in the U.S. can I find some of the Best Pinot Noir Australia has to Offer ?

Currently, the only place to find Handpicked Wines is on Wine.com. Well, that’s the only place in the United States to find Handpicked Wines. I highly recommend purchasing a few bottles of the different Pinot Noirs, especially if you are considering hosting a blind wine tasting party at home. Should you find yourself in Sydney, Australia, you need not traipse around the continent to try all the different wines of the Handpicked Portfolio. Visit their tasting room at Urban Cellar Door as a one off visit, or as part of a multi-site urban wine tour.

Best Pinot Noir Australia Handpicked Wine Selection

How Do Handpicked Wines Pinot Noirs Compare to One Another?

I like to share what my personal tasting notes are for the wines I taste and compare, even if they are just those at a sporting event. These are by no means the only flavors or characteristics that are within the bottle, but are meant to highlight the general flavor and structure of the wine.

#1 Handpicked Wines Collection 2014 Pinot Noir: Yarra Valley	#2 Handpicked Wines Collection 2015 Pinot Noir: Tasmania	#3 Handpicked Wines Regional Selections 2017 Pinot Noir: Yarra Valley	#4 Handpicked Wines Collection 2016 Pinot Noir: Mornington Peninsula
Garnet with an orangish rim	Garnet in color with an oranging rim	Ruby in color	Garnet in Color
On the Nose: Sour cherry, tomato, mesquite wood chips, baking spices	A nose of Cranberry, underripe raspberry, peet moss, cut flowers, forest floor, wet leather, saddle, barnyard	On the nose: Cherry, cranberry, a bit of a barnyard characteristic	A nose of leather, mushroom, cranberry, tart cherry, and some eucalyptus and menthol
Dry on the palate, high acid, mid-weight body, balanced tannins	Bone dry, high acid, smooth as silk tannins	Dry on the palate, somewhat weighty with chewy tannins	Bone dry, austere and a bit weighty on the palate-needs more time to decant than the other three tried
On the tongue: Strawberry, milk chocolate, tobacco, rubber	Tastes of red fruit, sweet tobacco, smokey cedar, mushroom/savory note	On the tongue: red fruit, a sulfur note	A leather and herbacious character really comes to play on the palate
My Suggested Food Pairing: Peking Style Duck	Suggested Food Pairing: Michigan Morel Mushroom Risotto	Great Food Pairing: Charcuterie Board	Suggested Food Pairing: Duck and Pork Sausage
Aged in 40% new French Oak for 11 months	Aged in 30% new French Oak for 10 months	Varied Aging: 10 months in a mixture of new/old French barrels and French oak staves	Aging notes not currently available
MSRP: $59.99 per 750 mL bottle	MSRP: $59.99 per 750 mL bottle	MSRP: $28.99 per 750 mL bottle	MSRP: $65.99 per 750mL bottle