During summer, if I'm not drinking rosé, I'm drinking Pinot Noir. I'm a BIG fan of Pinot Noir however; It's a fickle little grape so it doesn't go cheap. I usually find myself browsing the aisles and finding excellent Pinot Noir from Macedon Ranges, Mornington Penninsula and Tasmania but they are usually upwards of $35 per bottle. My 'everyday drinking' level is around $20 a bottle so I've been searching for some of the best value on the market that are great examples of Pinot Noir. 

Now, what are we looking for? We want a delicate quality while also bursting with cherry on the note and smoky oak characters. I am also looking for a little bit of meat or charcuterie at the back of the palate. I am looking for medium to high mouthwatering acid and medium to high tannin (for those playing at home, acid is the mouthwatering sensation, tannin is the drying sensation in your mouth a wine leaves you with)  

I want it to be easy drinking as well.

So, here is my list of the best Pinot Noir available in Australia under $25. 

1) Calappiano Pinot Noir, Veneto, Italy $14.99
One of my all-time favourite go-to wines. This is an excellent pinot to get you introduced to pinot noir if you are not yet a big fan. During the growing season, the north of Veneto gets quite cold and presents the perfect conditions for Pinot Noir. You get a beautiful burst of fresh red fruit on the nose and the front of the palate and it is really soft and easy to drink.

Clear ruby with a dark reddish hue. Juicy and ripe, with cherry flavors laced up with fresh acidity and an edge of tannins. Plummy fruit typical of Italian Pinot Noir with appetizing black-cherry aromas and a hint of cedery oak to fill the palate out. This is an absolutely excellent food wine. 

 

2) 6ft6 Pinot Noir - Geelong, Vic $19.99
Not only is this a fun wine label, 6ft6 are making some excellent value for money wines down in Geelong, a very underrated Australian wine region. This is a classic Pinot Noir with bright cherry and red plum flavours, just a hint of earth, a nuance of vanilla and dark chocolate upon a silky-smooth palate. A fresh and fruit-driven wine that is typical of its variety, exhibiting that beautiful spicy cherry flavour we have come to know and love from this grape.

3) Take it to the Grave Pinot Noir - South Australia $15.99
I guess I'm really attracted to labels... this is quirky and a little cheeky while being an excellent value for money Pinot Noir. A blood red colour with a lifted and varietal nose of wild strawberries, ripe plums and cherries. The palate is rich and expressive with supple cherry and red berried fruit, a beautifully lush mouth-feel matched by fine tannins and soft acidity that provide structure and length.

4) Kono Pinot Noir - South Island, New Zealand $19.99 
I'll be honest, I've never been a massive advocate of NZ Pinot Noir. I find the Central Otago Pinot Noir's quite 'damp'... I don't mind dirty wines but I've never really understood the excitement around Central Otago. Kono is a Malborough producer. This pinot noir has a deep ruby colour and displays lifted aromatic layers of cherry, plum and bright floral notes with subtle hints of wild herbs. The palate has layered flavours of ripe red and dark fruit, spice and integrated French oak underpinned by nuances of dry herbs and savoury characteristics. Mid-weight on the palate, this wine is balanced and mouth-filling with refined silky tannins that seamlessly lead to a long and elegant finish. A must try. 

Aromatic layers of cherry, plum and bright floral notes with subtle hints of wild herbs. The palate has layered flavours of ripe red and dark fruit, spice and integrated French oak underpinned by nuances of dry herbs and savoury characteristics.

 

5) Elysian Springs Pinot Noir - Adelaide Hills, SA $20.00 (When you BBCS)
One of my absolute FAVOURITE everyday drinking Pinot Noirs. Textbook Pinot Noir. Elysian Springs is a beautiful estate in South Australia''s elevated Adelaide Hills district. Their tag line is "a little closer to heaven" - a sentiment which applies both to their hillside property and their gorgeous wines. The Pinot Noir is textured and layered - no fining and only minimal filtration is used - with ruggedly beautiful flavours of cherries, berries, strawberries and spice. Superb.

So give them a go! Do you have other Pinot Noir's under $25 that you would recommend? Let me know in the comments. 

Aromas and flavours of cranberry tart, menthol mint, eucalyptus honey, and tea with a supple, vibrant, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and an engaging, pickled beets, roasted cherries, and nuts finish with silky tannins and light oak.