Sidewood Estate Pinot Noir 2023

92 POINTS

Mike Bennie - Halliday Wine Companion

Big whiffs of satisfying red cherry, faint mocha, vanilla, dried cranberry and bay leaf. Great start. Slurpy texture with a pleasing mesh of tart cherry, sweet raspberry, cola characters and more herbal elements to taste. There's a freshness and lift to this wine that dials in immediate appeal. Quietly complex while delivering strong pinosity and charm.

92 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

There’s four Pinot Noir here from Sidewood, the other three are made from distinct clones, though this is a blend from Mappinga and Charleston vineyards. Strawberry and raspberry, a little cocoa and vanilla, dried herbs, red capsicum and spice. It’s light to medium-bodied, has plenty of energy, a cranberry crunch to acidity, and that cool and fine-boned feel is kind of nervous, but pleasing in its restraint. tannin is light and offers gentle grip, there’s some green herbal character too, but all up it’s lively and talks Pinot. The finish is sappy and fairly long. It’s a nice wine. Good drinking, and I like the energy here too.

91 POINTS

2025 - Decanter World Wine Awards

Aromatic nose, displaying scents of cranberry, red cherry, orange peel, violets and subtle new oak undertones. Ripe, powedery tannins, lively. Award: Silver - DWWA 2025

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2023 Pinot Noir leads with smoked cherry, kirsch and black peppercorns, star anise and blood plum. In the mouth, the wine follows suit, with poached strawberries and animal hide to close. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Jeremy Oliver

Dusty, minty and herbaceous aromas of red cherries, musky spice and snap pea precede a juicy, soft and sappy palate whose forward presence of cherry/berry fruit lacks length and structure. It finishes green-edged, with overt stalk-derived influences. I'd love to find out from those who gave it 94+ points what they saw in it. Truthfully, I don't think scores like that really help anybody.