Stonier Reserve Pinot Noir 2024

Take the adoration you have for Stonier, the brand, but open your heart to the articulate eye of its new caretaker. This is a brand new day in Stonier’s tale, with one eye on the past and both feet striding forward. Fruit is sourced from the 1982 Stonier Family vineyard block, KBS and Windmill blocks. All MV6, wild yeast with 20% whole bunch and aged in French barriques of which 11% was new. A landslide of Quandong fruit is met with sour cherries and red plum. Cut rhubarb, jasmine tea leaf and poppy seed. The svelte weight of tannins is uplifted by fine acidity, with a middle palate of  moreish woodsy herb and twiggy stem. This is jam packed with detail and wrapped in a silk bow. Tannins tannins tannins, they give and give and make you weak at the knees. An utterly mesmerising wine that will live a long and fruitful life, say another 8-12 years. A lovely drink on its own but would also be heavenly with a Moroccan inspired B’silla or pigeon pie. That’s a death row kinda meal. Points: 97/100

Wine Pilot ∙ 30th Aug 2025

Medium-full colour with a subtle tint of purple; dusty/fusty stalky aromas dominate, with a sprinkle of white pepper. The wine is lean and sinewy, lacking fruit-sweetness and succulence, tense and tapered on the palate with slightly obvious acidity complicit in a touch of astringency. This is very good, but it's one for the whole-bunch lovers. Food needed. Points: 93/100

The Real Review ∙ 3rd Jun 2025

Estate fruit off three blocks; the original, KBS and Windmill. 20% whole bunches in the fermentation and aged in French barriques, 11% new. What is pleasing with this Reserve is that it's all about elegance. Nothing is forced, it's not extracted; instead, it's perfumed, enticing and detailed. Earthy and red fruited, with cardamon and chinotto, blood orange and zest, the mid-weighted palate alive with juicy acidity and tempered by filagree tannins. This is Julian Ground's first full vintage since taking over. His arrival bodes well for Stonier (he's a co-owner); exciting to have this producer back on track. Points: 96/100

Halliday Wine Companion ∙ 4th Mar 2025

You see the whole bunches (25% of the Windmill block portion), you see the fruit, you see the seduction. It's such a neat wine but it's so layered and giving, in a balanced/structured way. Bitter chocolate, red berries, some herbs, plenty of spices and earth. Love how emphatic the finish is, so structural and yet so perfectly powered with flavour. This is great. It's bitter and it's luscious in the best of ways. Stonier never went away, it's been excellently served by fantastic winemakers throughout its history, and yet this wine makes me think that Stonier is back. Points: 96/100

The Wine Front ∙ 5th Feb 2025