2025 Mystery Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir Deal No. 6118

96 POINTS

Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

The wine boasts a beautifully complex and enticing bouquet, featuring notes of dark plum, olive, warm mushroom, cured meat, and hazelnut, along with rich floral scents. On the palate, it is concentrated and succulent, enhanced by a fleshy texture and layers of polished tannins. The finish is impressively long and satisfying. This wine strikes a balance between grace and robustness, offering a sense of opulence.

94 POINTS

Tony Love - Winepilot

One of four Pinot Noir variations in the Riposte portfolio, this is a pure crimson berried delight with a dash of flint and floral to the nose, unmistakably varietal, juicy, with a light pepper to the spice feels and a soft touch of almost sticky tannins in the finish. A wine with uninterrupted and focused Pinot clarity, nose to tail.

94 POINTS

Ray Jordan - Winepilot

En Garde translates from French as “on guard”. Despite its delicately coloured and perfumed onset, it is indeed ready to defend itself from a thirsty attack, with attractive preserved strawberry and raspberry notes, then descending into the realm of poppy seed, red liquorice, and a lovely spiciness of star anise and pink peppercorn. It sits comfortably between a tonic, herbal character and red fruit compote, with spice intermingling throughout, resulting in a finely poised Pinot with a silky tannic structure and more than decent presence, finishing fruity, juicy and focused. A lovely Pinot from the Hills indeed.

93 POINTS

Tom Kline - Winepilot

Autumn leaves, rhubarb, damp earth and a weave of raspberry lift gently from the glass, with brown spice — clove and subtle cardamom — adding complexity. Red currant and dark cherry deepen the fruit drive, while an emergent red rose florality brings prettiness and lift. Cool and quiet in its presence, yet beguiling. That quiet poise carries through to the palate, where a soft, silky texture wraps around a core of dark cherry, cranberry, plum, clove and forest floor. The tannins are tight, fine and firm — a lovely corset around the fruit — funnelling to solid length with acid surging through the back palate. A wine that starts quietly and finds its voice with air.

93 POINTS

Shanteh Wale - Winepilot

Raspberries clinging to the bush, thorny rose stems and cranberries. Some sumac spice leads to a wild thrill of crunchy acidity and powdery tannins. There is a silken-like texture that weaves the forged berries across the palate. Some iron and bloody meat savouriness too. This will leave you with the underbrush of autumn leaves and a waterfall cascade of thirst quenching sips. This has the structure to cellar for another 5 years but drink it now and pair with blush lamb loin and Abequina olives and capers.

92 POINTS

Ken Gargett - Winepilot

Rusted/garnet in hue, this has a pleasing and rather typical Pinot Noir nose, with notes of leaf litter, dried herbs, red fruits, leather, animal skins and warm earth. There is good energy here with punchy acidity through a lingering finish. On that finish, there is just a whiff of mint evident. An intriguing style which will provide pleasure over the next four to six years.