Mayfield Vineyard Premier Range'William' Pinot Noir

Richly fruited and seductively fragrant, the bouquet shows sweet berry, bouquet garni, dried mushroom, smoked game and rich floral nuances, followed by a concentrated palate offering seamless flow and refined texture. It's gracefully powerful with layers of complex flavours, wonderfully framed by loads of fine-grained tannins, making it hugely appealing. At its best: now to 2034.

A reserve release from the best 13 rows from Block 10, from a vineyard site that is perched 900 m above sea level. The wine is a vibrant light to medium red in colour. You can feel the high proportion of new oak, but there is power of tannin and fruit to balance it, whilst also taking on an earth and gentle smokey nuance. There is such structure and length that unfurls on the mid palate before a long, fruit driven finish. A seriously impressive wine that is bound to turn heads.

The 2022 William Pinot Noir is lean and spicy on the nose, with sour cherry, cranberry, alpine mint, ozone/petrichor and black tea, perhaps bergamot too. The wine is texturally silky and finessed, with a confidence about it that I admire. The finish is layered with poached strawberry and a hint of sumac. I like it; it's classy. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Part of the new flagship "Premier Range" for Mayfield Vineyard, a portion of this William Pinot Noir went through carbonic maceration. Another component was made with whole bunches and the various parcels were blended after fermentation. A wine that saw French oak puncheons for 11 months (25% new), it rolls out the welcome mat with briar highlights, dried twigs and autumnal leaves. Cinnamon spices frolic about among a range of other exotic spices. Cherry fruit sits in the driver's seat with dried red currants and what seems to be a lithe mintiness. The more air it breathes the more dried sage and the suggestion of tomato paste rise up. There is some depth and concentration of fruit in the mid-palate but the fruit thins out before long and those spices leave an imprint. All up, it's a good wine.

91 POINTS, WINE PILOT, KEN GARGETT

Speaks to a somewhat deeper and darker representation of Pinot: briar, dark cherry, blue fruit and florals. The palate is a mid to full weight, a generous palate presence with a pitch of acidity against a blue/black fruit mix.

This label honours three men called William – the first being William Charles Wentworth who in 1813 was given the land by crown grant as a reward for his part with Gregory Blaxland and William Lawson in making the first crossing of the Blue Mountains by Europeans. The land was bought in the 1850s by William Tom and his family, who added a wine grape vineyard to their cattle, sheep and horse stud operation. William was a part-time Methodist parson and he and his sons are notable for triggering the 19th century gold rush. Schooled by Edward Hargraves in making and using a panning cradle, they found Australia’s first payable gold in in the Orange area at Ophir. The thirdWilliam is owner John Eastham’s father-in-law William Quick. This pinot noir has 13.5% alcohol, ruby hues and dried cranberry aromas. The front palate has spicy cherry flavour, the middle palate blueberry, quince jelly, mint and mocha oak and the finish chalky tannins. Good with paella and cellar four years.

Punchy Christmas cherry and smear of brown spices, peppery stalk, bitter orange peel, fallen leaf matter and some smoky depth. Creamy yet bright palate. Orange citrus strikes the cinnamon spice and spiked with that stalk spice. Bittersweet cherry and plump strawberry. Initial generosity and near soupiness narrows to good focus and regional cut. For the flavour enjoyment, there’s just a slight dourness that, for me, takes a little fun out of the wine….but I’m splitting hairs.