We make our wine on a hillside on Mount William in Lancefield, in small batches and mostly by hand, so it means a great deal when someone outside the winery notices. This month, two respected palates did.
In a Deep Dive published on 12 October 2026, Young Gun of Wine gathered as many Macedon Ranges pinot noirs as it could find and put them in front of a seven-person expert panel, all tasted blind. Each panellist named their six favourites. Our 2025 Pinot Noir made the list for two of them: Gemma Neil and Chia-Wei Shen.
Key takeaways
- Our Northern Hope Pinot Noir 2025 ($60 RRP) was picked by two of seven panellists in Young Gun of Wine’s blind Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir tasting.
- The Deep Dive isn’t a ranking. Each judge chose their own top six, so a double selection is a real compliment.
- Both judges praised the balance of fruit, savoury character and structure, and the long finish.
- It’s our second estate-grown Pinot Noir, grown at around 750 metres on ancient red Cambrian soil. Only 61 dozen were made. You can taste it with us at Budburst at Wilimee on 14-15 November.
What the Young Gun of Wine Deep Dive was
The panel was made up of winemakers, sommeliers and wine buyers, including Shadowfax chief winemaker Alister Timms and Attwoods vigneron Troy Walsh. The brief was simple: find the wines that compelled them most. There were no scores and no countdown, just six picks each from a field spanning the region’s vintages, sites and styles.
The panel’s discussion made a point we agree with. Macedon Ranges pinot noir is wonderfully varied, yet the wines still speak of where they come from. You can read the full Young Gun of Wine Deep Dive here.
What Gemma Neil and Chia-Wei Shen said
Gemma Neil, wine buyer and head sommelier at Geralds Bar in Carlton North, was drawn in by a chocolatey character on both nose and palate. As the wine opened, ripe cherry came through with a cordial-like sweetness, yet it never felt sweet. She found an orange-peel, amaro-like note in many wines on the day, but here it grounded the richness rather than dominating it. Chalky, grippy tannins and a clean finish led her to call it an “exceptionally balanced pinot noir”.
Chia-Wei Shen, of Balgownie Estate, noticed a pale ruby colour and aromas of strawberry, rose and plum. On the palate she found a savoury, seafood-like note, a long finish and a cherry-syrup texture, with balanced acidity in a light-bodied frame. She even pictured it alongside a bowl of wagyu sukiyaki.
Two very different descriptions of the same wine, which is exactly what we love about pinot noir.
How we made our Northern Hope Pinot Noir 2025
The vines were planted in 2018 on the north-east-facing slopes of Mount William, at about 750 metres. Vineyards across the region sit between roughly 300 and 800 metres, so ours is at the cool, high end. The clones are MV6 and 115, growing in ancient red Cambrian soil, and every bunch is hand picked.
2025 was a warm, dry season, and the fruit ripened with ease. We fermented with wild yeast in open vats with 30% whole bunch, basket pressed, then matured the wine for 18 months in French oak. It’s unfined, unfiltered, made with minimal sulphites and vegan friendly.
Every bottle is filled, corked, waxed and labelled by hand, and each one is numbered. You can see how that looked in our 2025 Pinot Noir bottling day story, and read why we wax our bottles.
Curious about the people behind it? Read our story, or go straight to the wine: Northern Hope Pinot Noir 2025.
Meet us at Budburst 2026
If you’d like to try it yourself, we’re taking part in Budburst, the Macedon Ranges Wine Festival, at Wilimee Vineyard on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November, 10am to 5pm. We’re hosted by Wilimee alongside Lane’s End, in a beautiful valley east of Mount William. Wilimee is run by Ben Ranken, the 2021 Young Gun of Wine Vigneron winner, and his wife Sally. Summerleigh Farm will be serving Korean pulled beef brioche buns and Eton mess for dessert.
We’ll be pouring our Pinot Noir and Pyrenees Syrah and sharing our journey from Manchester to Lancefield. Weekend Passes are $55 and give you access to 80+ wines across the festival. Get your tickets here and see our Budburst winery page. Wilimee is at 72 Powells Track, via Mount William Road, Lancefield.
New to the festival? Our Budburst guide covers what to expect, and our guide to Lancefield wineries will help you plan the rest of your weekend.
FAQs
- Who chose Northern Hope Pinot Noir 2025? Gemma Neil and Chia-Wei Shen, two of the seven panellists in Young Gun of Wine’s blind tasting of Macedon Ranges pinot noirs.
- Did it win? The Deep Dive isn’t a competition or a ranking. Each panellist named their own top six, and ours made two of those lists.
- Where can I buy it? Directly from our website, for $60 a bottle.
- Should I drink it now or cellar it? Both work. Enjoy it now while the fruit is bright, or cellar it for a few years.
- Is it vegan friendly? Yes. It’s unfined and unfiltered, with minimal sulphites.
- Where can I taste it at Budburst? At Wilimee Vineyard, 72 Powells Track, Lancefield, on 14th and 15th November from 10am-5pm. Have a question, or want to plan a visit? Get in touch with us or give Sam a call on 0437984313.
