Home Hill Estate Pinot Noir 2021
Style: Red Wine
Closure: Screwcap
Home Hill Estate Pinot Noir 2021
Pick up
Burke Road
Camberwell VIC 3124
Australia
Producer: Home Hill
Country: Australia
Region: Tasmania
Vintage: 2021
Critic Score: 93
Alcohol: 14.0%
Size: 750 ml
Drink by: 2033
Trophy for Best Wine of Show - 2023 Australian & New Zealand Boutique Wine Show
Trophy for Best Red Wine - 2023 Australian & New Zealand Boutique Wine Show
Trophy for Best Pinot Noir - 2023 Australian & New Zealand Boutique Wine Show
Home Hill, located in the picturesque Huon Valley just 30 minutes from Hobart, is Tasmania's most awarded winery. Home Hill's exemplary pinot noirs are consistent multi-trophy winners at the ultra-competitive Tasmanian Wine Show and their Reserve Pinot Noir took out the coveted Jimmy Watson Trophy at the 2015 Royal Melbourne Wine Show. Home Hill produce three tiers of pinot; the Landslide Pinot Noir, Estate Pinot Noir and Kelly's Reserve Pinot Noir.
"There's a lot to like here. The light, gamey undertones that flit beneath the pure, wild strawberry and red and dark cherry fruits. The abundant spice and hints of leaf litter adding complexity, fine ripe tannins and a bright line of natural acidity providing cadence and verve." Dave Brookes
"This wine exhibits all the hall marks of its cool climate origin. Deep dark ruby in colour, with aromas of sweet red cherry, blackberries, boysenberries and perfumes of forest floor. The wine is very concentrated with good structure, the middle palate displays chocolate, almond, touch of vanilla and uplifting sweet fruit. This wine was 3% whole bunch, 20% new French oak and was oaked for 10 months. A well-balanced wine with fine texture and chalky tannins. Soft and silky on the back palate with a long elegant after taste. Cellar 15 years." Home Hill
Expert reviews
"Bright, youthful and vibrant in the glass. Lifted and pretty aromas of dark cherry, spice, sap, bramble and cola. This is a full flavoured pinot noir, cherry, brambly blue fruits, nutmeg oak, sappy spice and punchy acidity. Plenty of lush, plush and fleshy fruit, long, layered and mouthfilling. Drink 2023-2030." Aaron Brasher, The Real Review - 93 points
"Pinot noir sourced from the Huon Valley; a small proportion of whole bunches (3%), 10 months in French oak (20% new). There's a lot to like here. The light, gamey undertones that flit beneath the pure, wild strawberry and red and dark cherry fruits. The abundant spice and hints of leaf litter adding complexity, fine ripe tannins and a bright line of natural acidity providing cadence and verve." Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion - 93 points
Awards
Trophy for Best Wine of Show - 2023 Australian & New Zealand Boutique Wine Show
Trophy for Best Red Wine - 2023 Australian & New Zealand Boutique Wine Show
Trophy for Best Pinot Noir - 2023 Australian & New Zealand Boutique Wine Show
About the Bennetts
Rosemary and Terry Bennett, the proprietors of Home Hill, look down on the vineyard from their home, pinch themselves, and wonder how their relaxing hobby farm of six rows of vines has turned into an award-winning vineyard that produces some of Australia’s highest quality Pinot Noir.
Q & A with Terry Bennett
Terry, can you tell us what inspired you to turn your dream of starting a vineyard into reality?
As a farmer by trade, I grew apples for many years before turning my attention to wine. Initially I was looking for a weekend hobby, planting 6 rows of vines. This quickly turned into more than a hobby and all of my free time was taken up in the vineyard. At this point, I decided to make it a full time business and the vineyard and winery restaurant grew from there.
Where does the name 'Home Hill' come from?
My wife Rosemary and I were driving from Cairns to Noosa and we drove through a town called Home Hill – it was here that the name was first thought of. Our family home of many years also sits on the hill above the vineyard where we take in the views of the surrounding vines. This also seemed fitting for the name Home Hill.
When was the first vintage produced and can you tell us about the growth of the vineyard since then?
The first rows of vines were planted in 1992 and the first vintage produced in 1998. We’ve gradually planted an extra hectare of vines every few years, meaning that we now have over 6 hectares of vineyard. We started winning gold medals and trophies in 2000, and still continually win many awards around the country at wine shows, including international success at the Tri Nations Wine Show in 2006, taking out the Best Pinot Noir with our 2005 vintage.
What has been your proudest moment as the founder of Home Hill?
By far, my proudest moment has been winning the Jimmy Watson trophy for the Best 1st and 2nd Year Old Red Wine at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show in 2015. This is undoubtedly the most coveted and sought after award in Australia and to take it out for the 2014 Kelly’s Reserve Pinot Noir was one of the most memorable moments of my life. We also won the James Halliday trophy for the same wine, at the same show, which further topped off our great success.
What has been your biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge has been our climate and the severe frosts in the Huon Valley in Spring which burns the shoots off the vines. We get a lot of these frosts, therefore have implemented an irrigation system which has minimised the impact considerably. Another challenge, is that our wine production is not large enough to meet the increasing demand for our wines. After winning the Jimmy Watson, we had to pull our wholesale sales nationally and focus on our local suppliers and our cellar door sales as to not run out of wine before the following years vintage was released. This is still an ongoing issue, but also a positive for Home Hill as our wines are always in high demand.
Where do you see the vineyard going in the next ten years?
We’ve recently bought another property with 35 acres which is in very close proximity to the Mountain River and existing vineyard. This will ensure that we have plenty of room for expansion, and access to a larger water source, making growth possible if we choose to plant more vines.
About the winery
Home Hill, located in the picturesque Huon Valley just 30 minutes from Hobart, is Tasmania's most awarded winery. Home Hill's exemplary pinot noirs are consistent multi-trophy winners at the ultra-competitive Tasmanian Wine Show and their Reserve Pinot Noir took out the coveted Jimmy Watson Trophy at the 2015 Royal Melbourne Wine Show. Home Hill produces three tiers of pinot; the Landslide Pinot Noir, Estate Pinot Noir and Kelly's Reserve Pinot Noir.
Home Hill is surrounded by beautifully manicured vines which once was an apple orchard. Owners Rosemary and Terry Bennett planted their first vines in 1992 on the gentle slopes of the property with 0.5ha of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sylvaner. The adventure started as a hobby. Little did they know that in years to come they would have a 12 hectare vineyard. a winery and cellar door and an architecturally designed rammed earth restaurant.
Home Hill is a family business. Terry and Rosemary's son Sean is the Vineyard Manager, and daughter Kelly manages the Wine Club, among a long list of duties and demands. Rosemary's sister Gail is the Office & Function Manager and her niece Prue is the PR & Marketing Manager.
Tasmania
Tasmania is a small island located below mainland Australia. It produces less than 1% of Australia’s wine but enjoys a global reputation as a leading producer of premium cool climate wines. It is prized for its top-class sparkling wine, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling.
Tasmania is home to more than 230 wineries across 7 wine regions*. The reigions Coal River Valley, East Coast, Pipers River and Tamar Valley produce around 90% of Tasmania's wine, while the other three regions Derwent Valley, Huon Valley and North West produce the remaining 10%. * Please note these 7 wine areas are considered here to be subregions of Tasmania to aid site navigation.
Tasmania is the coldest wine State in Australia. Its climate is temperate, with a distinct maritime influence from the Tasman Sea to the east, Bass Strait to the north and the Indian Ocean to the west. Summer days are temperate while winter sees some of the coldest temperatures in Australia. It's unique climate and soils combine to create ideal growing conditions for cool-climate grape varieties.