Lightfoot & Sons Pinot Noir 2022

The Wine

[Finding an affordable Pinot Noir that also embodies typicity can be challenging. However, Lightfoot's exceptional limestone/Terra Rossa single vineyard in Gippsland is achieving this feat. They offer a handpicked, partially whole bunch fermented Pinot Noir that benefits from a hint of new French oak. Primarily, it matures on gross lees throughout the aging process in seasoned barriques crafted by some of the finest French coopers. Considering its price point, prepare to be impressed.

94 Points – James Halliday “Estate-grown MV6 planted ’97, eight picking days 4-25 Mar, the majority destemmed, open-fermented with cultured yeast, 15% fermented with 30% whole bunches to allow some carbonic maceration, matured in new and used French oak, bottled unfiltered. This complex vinification has resulted in a very complex pinot, with red and purple fruits, abundant spices and savoury/earthy fine-grained tannins. This in turn leads to good length and texture.” 

The Details

In 1995, the Lightfoot family established a small vineyard in the unspoiled region of Gippsland Lakes, producing limited wine batches for family, friends, and local connoisseurs. Over time, the business expanded, and now the second generation, Rob and Tom Lightfoot, oversee operations.

Chosen for its unique Terra Rosa over Limestone soil—rare in Gippsland—the vineyard lies between the Great Dividing Range foothills and Bass Strait. The Lightfoots planted the 29-hectare 'Myrtle Point' farm with vineyards from 1995 to 1997, dedicating nearly half to Pinot Noir and the rest to Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Cabernet varieties.