2025 Halliday Top Rated

Best pinot noir in Australia 2025

By The Tasting Team

The Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023 has been named the best pinot noir in Australia.

The Halliday Wine Companion Awards celebrate the best wines in Australia. Below you'll find Australia's top pinot noir wines, along with the wine ratings awarded by the Tasting Team.

Giant Steps’ Applejack Pinot Noir goes back-to-back in this category, having won here last year. That’s a feat. This year’s release is outstanding for its polish, poise and persistence. When you look at the list of top-performing wines this year, there’s an impression that this is a mature category of mature vineyards and producers; there’s depth to the Australian pinot noir offering; history.

2025 Best Pinot Noir of the Year in Australia

Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023, Yarra Valley

98 points | Price when tasted $100


Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023, Yarra Valley

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Named after the Applejack eucalypts that surround the vineyard, which was planted at Gladysdale in 1997 by Ray Guerin. Seven clones comprising 114, 115, MV6, D2V5, D5V15, Pommard and Abel. Whole bunches (40 per cent) and 20–25 per cent new French barriques. 2022 was a hard act to follow, but this superb wine gives it a shake. Exotic, aromatic and pure with its bouquet of wild strawberries, dark cherries, quince, spices and flowers. Densley packed, this saturates the palate, but, as always, it's light on its feet at the same time. Seamless tannins round out another benchmark for what's already a benchmark wine. – Philip Rich

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The 2025 Halliday Wine Companion is available now. Secure your copy of Australia's most comprehensive wine guide at all good bookstores.

This is an edited extract from the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion, with reviews by James Halliday, Campbell Mattinson, Dave Brookes, Jane Faulkner, Jeni Port, Marcus Ellis, Mike Bennie, Philip Rich, Shanteh Wale and Toni Paterson MW. Cover art by Vera Babida.


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