Discover the allure of Australia’s cool maritime Pinot Noir

Pinot noir is only happy when it’s on the very brink of survival. It thrives on a long, limestone hillside in eastern France, nestled between mountains in New Zealand and in the valleys of the United States’ Pacific Northwest. In these places, where warm sunshine is tempered by cooling influences, some truly ethereal wines are created – subtle, complex and age-worthy.

The rugged coastline where Victoria meets the Southern Ocean is one of these spots. Antarctic winds from across the Bass Strait temper the bright sun and make for an incredible alchemy of terroir. The Pinot Coast, running from the end of the Great Ocean Road to the southeastern corner of Australia, is truly a leader in cool, maritime pinot noir.

The terroir here is diverse, covering windy hillsides and sheltered valleys. The wines produced along the trail share this diversity, ranging from bright, fruit-driven pinot noir to more earthy, savoury examples. One thing the wines do have in common is a fresh, layered complexity – the spirit of the Southern Ocean in vinous form.

The cool climate along the trail comes from the Southern Ocean, as it flows through Bass Strait. The moderate temperatures along the coast are perfect for ripening grapes and lead to pristine, layered wines. The cool air allows the grapes to maintain acidity while developing complexity and varietal character.

“It’s that sort of Indian summer that runs from February through to April. It’s usually very dry, with moderate days, which all results in great natural acidity in the grapes and also the wines,” says Martin Spedding of Mornington Peninsula’s Ten Minutes by Tractor. “That natural acidity and the balance of the wines that are produced makes it very special.”

The three regions (Geelong, the Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland) that make up the Pinot Coast wine trail each produce a distinct style of cool-climate pinot noir. Geelong pinot noirs are seductive wines with an inherent generosity and tannin structure. In the Mornington Peninsula, the wines find a balance between fresh, fruit-forward approachability and earthy complexity – they’re lifted aromatically and have a savoury structure. In Gippsland, the region’s sheer size makes defining a distinctive style almost impossible. However, typically Gippsland pinot noirs have wonderful fruit depth, from brighter red fruits to a darker, more brooding fruit spectrum – always with balanced and fine tannins.

The Mornington Peninsula, on the eastern side of Port Phillip Bay, is surrounded on three sides by water – Port Phillip Bay to the north, Western Port Bay to the east, and Bass Strait on its southern edge. “We are a small, narrow peninsula so we are just about all coast,” says Kate McIntyre, marketing manager at the peninsula’s Moorooduc Estate.

The vineyards that pepper the Mornington Peninsula are nestled in sheltered valleys, never more than 7km from the coast. The topography and soil types across the region are diverse, but this ensures an exciting array of different expressions.

At Moorooduc Estate, there are three vineyards, each contributing a slightly different expression of pinot noir, showing off just how much variation there is.

“The different combinations of soil type, aspect, elevation and exposure to the cooling winds and rains that travel in narrow bands across the region, create unique conditions in different vineyards that allow the quality of pinot noir to shine through, while the individuality of each site can also have a strong voice,” says McIntyre. “The wines from around Moorooduc often have firmer structure, and more tannins than their southern neighbours, but they always share the perfume, vibrancy and crunchy, refreshing acidity of all the pinots of the Mornington Peninsula.”

On the other side of the bay, Geelong has a long history of making good wines. The Bellarine Peninsula juts eastward from the city, nearly touching the end of the Mornington Peninsula. The ocean is inescapable on the thin stretch of land, where Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait are only about 15km apart.

Leura Park Estate is at the heart of the Bellarine Peninsula, and enjoys the cool climate that is ideal for winegrowing. Vines are planted on north-facing slopes, where all-day sun and free-draining soils make beautifully balanced wines.

David and Lyndsay Sharp established the winery in 1995. “Geelong and the Bellarine is a truly magical region. We were drawn to it as a location to live and work,” says Lyndsay. “Pinot noirs from our region are medium-bodied, elegant, complex, pretty and poised.” 

Geelong’s vineyards stretch inland, and in particular into the Moorabool Valley, about 20km northwest of the city. The climate is a little more sheltered here, although the maritime influence is still strong. Bannockburn Vineyards has been in the valley since the 1970s, when Stuart Hooper went looking for a site where he could make Australian wines in the style of his favourite Burgundy.

Winemaker Matt Holmes cites the limestone soils in the valley as key in Bannockburn’s wines. “We have a unique expression of pinot noir, mostly derived from the limestone soils. Our wines are not tannic, but they always have density and are typically very age-worthy,” he says.

Meanwhile, in Gippsland the influence of the coast unites wine producers across a huge area of land. Tom Lightfoot’s East Gippsland pinot noirs are quite different to those made in other parts of the region. The Lightfoot & Sons vineyard, which sits on a spectacular cliffside overlooking the Mitchell River, was chosen for its unique terra rossa soils over limestone, as well as its proximity to the ocean.

“The combination of the soil with the moderating effect of the ocean that keeps the site cool with cool nights, makes for a slow ripening period, which then produces really full-flavoured wines,” says Lightfoot. “The main difference that pinots from here (and most East Gippsland wineries) have is a much more savoury, earthy characteristic to the wine.”

The soils are also important in South Gippsland – so much so that Marcus Satchell named his wine after them. Dirty Three Wines is based in the coastal town of Inverloch, and makes wines from specific sites in the surrounding countryside. The difference in soils across the three sites – from rich, fertile volcanic soils to a more free-draining sandy loam – makes for distinctive characteristics in the wines.

But there is no denying the influence of the Southern Ocean in Gippsland wines. “First and foremost, it is the climate,” says Satchell, when asked what makes Gippsland so well-suited to making pinot noir. “The high rainfall coupled with the cold winds driving off Bass Strait help to keep the temperatures cool during the growing season, which is really important for pinot noir – an early-ripening variety,” he continues.

“The wines from here are elegant and perfumed, with a core of powerful fruit around the mid-palate. They are long flavoured and show layers of fruit, with a complex undergrowth or earthy character,” Satchell says.

Wines from along the Pinot Coast wine trail have been widely celebrated, winning numerous accolades and awards, and drawing the attention of wine lovers across the world. The trail’s diverse and exhilarating terroir with its cool, maritime climate and rolling hills and valleys – and the creative, wilful people who make these wines – can take all the credit.