Description
Finding good-value Pinot Noir made by artisan producers is a difficult thing.
Pinot's delicate nature means it needs to be nursed to bottle. That extra care takes time and money, hence the soaring price of the best examples in the country. We've done the hunting for you to get you six of the best value examples that we could find at a very good price. A no-brainer pack for the Pinotphiles out there.
- 2023 Swinging Bridge M.A.W. Pinot Noir
- 2023 Mac Forbes Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
- 2023 Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
- 2023 Two Tonne Tasmania TMV Pinot Noir
- 2023 Commune of Buttons Eurilla Pinot Noir
- 2024 William Downie Cathedral Pinot Noir
2023 Swinging Bridge M.A.W. Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is Tom Ward's pet variety.
He believes that there is huge potential for Orange to become one of the country's premier Pinot Noir growing regions and he's doing great work to build that reputation for the region.
The M.A.W, named after his father Mark Andrew Ward, is about lightness, freshness and drinkability. It's the kind of Pinot you can open any night of the week and be totally satisfied with what's in the glass.
A youthful expression that's ready to rip, and it's absolutely delicious.
92 Points
"Crunchy cranberry, slaty/chalky texture, a hint of white pepper and forest strawberry, mint and ever so gentle lick of caramel, some briar rose and hibiscus tea lending a tannic grip while remaining very fresh and light as a whole. There’s brightness in this wine, good crunch and perfume."
- Kasia Sobiesiak (The Wine Front)
2023 Mac Forbes Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
Mac Forbes is passionate about Pinot Noir, and his 'Yarra Valley' release is the perfect way to get to know his unique style.
It comes from declassified portions of Mac's six single vineyard Pinots, taking on characters of each to present a beautifully balanced wine that reflects what quality Yarra Pinot is all about.
This gives the drinker an immediate insight into Mac Forbes' ethos. He stands for quality, and this characterful Pinot is sensational value.
94 points
"What a delight. This wine really delivers the goods. It’s pure Pinot Noir."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
2023 Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
The Yarra Valley Pinot Noir is the perpetually excellent entry point to Mel Chester's highly acclaimed Giant Steps range.
This is a superb entry point into the world of premium Yarra Pinot Noir, with fruit sourced from the Sexton, Applejack, Tarraford and Primavera vineyards. It's made with around 40% whole bunches and meticulous attention to detail, for which Chester has become renowned. Unfined and unfiltered, too.
Aromatic red fruits, good refreshing mid-palate and a light, earthy grip on the finish.
If you want to get familiar with this stellar Yarra Valley producer, this is the best place to start.
96 points
"A bright crimson red. After a few good few swirls, aromas of ripe raspberries, black cherries, wild herbs and some crushed violets soon emerge. The palate, though, doesn't need much coaxing, and this silken, sappy wine has excellent depth and persistence."
- Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)
2023 Two Tonne Tasmania TMV Pinot Noir
The TMV Pinot Noir is a composite blend of all the Tamar Valley Pinot Noir sites that are farmed by Ricky Evans.
It's a glimpse at the vintage for the Tamar Valley sub-region. This is not your average 'entry level' Pinot Noir, this is a beautifully crafted, elegant representation of Pinot Noir from the north of the island.
It's a cracking wine with immaculate fruit and a savoury backbone - a great representation of the quality being produced by a new wave of Tasmanian winemaking rock stars.
Stocks are limited on this release, so don't hesitate.
2023 Commune of Buttons Eurilla Pinot Noir
Commune of Buttons is all about embracing nature, with the Button family farming biodynamically and crafting wines that are pure reflections of their unique vineyards. Jasper’s meticulous approach, honed over the years on his family’s Basket Range property, ensures that each bottle tells a story of place and time.
This Pinot Noir comes from the small Cemetery Vineyard in Piccadilly Valley, a half-hectare plot with deep, alluvial black sand soils. The fruit is all handpicked and sorted with care, embodying the Commune’s commitment to gentle, minimal intervention winemaking. The wine spent 10 months in three-year-old French barriques, allowing it to develop without overshadowing the vibrant fruit.
Bright and lively, this Pinot Noir offers up a beautiful medley of cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries. There’s a lovely freshness to the wine, with mouth-watering acidity and fine, structured tannins. Beneath the fruit, you’ll find subtle notes of bay leaf and cardamom, adding complexity and depth to this already captivating wine.
Commune of Buttons is all about celebrating the land and the seasons, with every wine Jasper makes reflecting the history, care, and passion poured into the vineyards. The 2023 Eurilla Pinot Noir captures this ethos perfectly—bright, elegant, and a true snapshot of the Piccadilly Valley.
93 points
"Very pale garnet colour in the glass. There’s a distinct savouriness to this wine, crushed, Autumn leaves, button mushrooms, sour cherry, light cranberry, some rose hip tea going on. It’s washy and pale in flavour but delivers a brightness of bloody and orangey acidity with sage leaf and bay leaf around that. Sweetness follows each sip, a touch of shrubbery, some pepper. It’s a delicious drink, fine in its way, quietly complex."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
2024 William Downie Cathedral Pinot Noir
William Downie is a bonafide star of the Gippsland wine movement, having garnered his expertise from Burgundy and Australian icons like Bass Phillips and De Bortoli.
The Cathedral is his best value offering, which marries fruit from Upper Goulburn, King Valley, Alpine Valleys, and Mornington Peninsula. The 2024 vintage was shaped by a challenging growing season, with cool, wet conditions early on, followed by a warm, dry finish, resulting in a wine that bursts with bright notes of raspberry, pomegranate, and red currant, underscored by hints of cherry pit and fragrant rose petals.
Bottled unfiltered and unfined, this is Pinot Noir at its most authentic—juicy, earthy, and irresistibly engaging, reflective of Downie’s commitment to hands-off winemaking.
An absolute bargain, this sits somewhere between glou-glou and serious sipper.
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Shipping
Delivery is free on orders of $150 or more!
For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.
We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.
Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.
Sydney (Our Vans): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions our driver will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so if not, they will return the item to us and hold your order until further instruction from you.
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Ordering
We want Different Drop customers to always be getting the best price. If you see a lower price elsewhere, just get in touch and we will sort it out for you. We handle all our price-matching on a case by case basis.
Some things to keep in mind:
- Retrospective price-matching is available for 30 days after you have purchased from us.
- The price match cannot be used in conjunction with a coupon or one-off deal we are offering. The idea is for you to get the best price in the market so if that is already achieved through a coupon then we won't price match on top of that.
- We don't price match clearance or fire sales.
- We’ll match the listed price as long as it is a legitimate offer and the competing store is actually able to fulfil the order (they have stock or more stock is en route). Essentially we won't price match cheeky vendors listing wines they have no hope of actually getting for you...
- It must be a publicly listed price. We won't match a price that has been achieved through a coupon/cash-back arrangement, or through a non-advertised offer over the phone or otherwise.
- It is limited to a reasonable retail quantity.
We'll treat each price match request on its merit and reserve the right to refuse where we deem fit. For example, particularly rare wines, from non-trust-worthy vendors, in circumstances we deem illegitimate or if we feel our policy is being unfairly taken advantage of.
At the end of the day, we'll look after you and use common sense to ensure you're getting the best price, please just don't take the p%$$!
No, feel free to mix it up! There is no minimum requirement. You can order wines in any quantity or combination, 1 or 50+ bottles.
We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.
To add a gift box to your order, simply add at checkout. The special requests box is your friend, please give us as many details of what you are looking for and we will try our best, or get in contact to discuss it with you.
If you want to bulk order gifts or if you have any trouble please email hello@differentdrop.com or call and we can try and help.
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