2023 Eastern Peake Intrinsic Pinot Noir

Owen Latta doesn’t make Pinot like anyone else in Australia. Where many lean on plush fruit and polish, his wines move in a different rhythm – savoury, autumnal, and deeply rooted in the volcanic soils of Ballarat.

The Intrinsic is the estate’s heartbeat, drawn from mature MV6 vines planted by the Latta family decades ago. The cool 2023 season brought smaller yields and slow-ripening fruit, perfect for Owen’s style. The result is Pinot layered with red cherry, spice, dried herbs and that earthy, forest-floor undertone that makes his wines so distinctive.

It’s firm and structural, with powdery tannins and an acid line that promises years in the cellar, yet there’s already a harmony to the fruit and spice that makes it compelling to drink now. Think more Burgundy than bright Aussie Pinot, but with its own unmistakable sense of place.

This is Owen at his best: uncompromising, thoughtful and producing one of the most original Pinot Noirs in the country.

97 points
"The mind boggles with where this wine will go and what it will see. A stunner."
- Shanteh Wale (Wine Pilot)