2025 Tillie J Pinot Noir

Natillie Johnston, known simply as Tillie J, is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting young names in the Yarra Valley. A former Young Gun of Wine winner, her project is focused entirely on expressive, small-batch releases with zero systemic gloss. This Pinot Noir comes from an eight-year-old vineyard plot in Gruyere on the valley floor, where Tillie oversees the sustainable, farm-first viticulture herself.  

The 2025 release relies on early picking to protect the natural acidity of the vintage, preventing the fruit from ever tasting heavy or baked. In the cellar, she used around a third whole-bunch fruit to inject spice, fermenting with wild yeasts before a quiet maturation in French oak barriques.

The bouquet is highly seductive, showing ripe plum and fresh raspberry alongside sophisticated undertones of charcuterie, black tea and white pepper. On the palate, it balances a plush, juicy core of wild strawberry with exceptionally fine, granular tannins and a refreshing crunch. It is a bright, energetic and deeply human style of Pinot Noir that drinks like a dream right now.

96 points
"Nicely done, as always."
- Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)