De Bortoli Riorret The Abbey Pinot Noir 2020

96 POINTS

Decanter World Wine Awards - Gold

The nose is savoury and spiced with beetroot and smoked wood, with a magical perfumed feel. The palate features lovely, crunchy red raspberry fruits and a lifted floral note, with ripe and firm, well-integrated tannins. The finish is precise and persistent and leaves a beautiful palate.

94 POINTS

James Suckling

A perfumed nose of red cherries, baked strawberries, wet stones and violets. Medium- to full-bodied with silky tannins. Succulent, with a solid core of red fruit. Mineral undertones. Very good structure. Lingering finish. Drink or hold.

94 POINTS

Andrew Graham - ozwinereview.com

Why doesn’t De Bortoli get the love for Yarra Pinot? The wines are uniformly great; why do they slip below the radar? This De Bortoli Riorret The Abbey Pinot Noir 2020 is a deadly serious release, too, with a structure you’d see in classic Burgundy, not modern Yarra Valley. Hello, tannins! It smells correct too, with a strawberry raspberry juice red fruit nose and a little ferny undergrowth. The palate is a ride between rather gruff tannins and this concentration that is so welcome. It’s a powerhouse red but so comfortable in its Pinosity – all dark fruit and a gentle meaty edge. Not an easy Pinot – not silky and light – but that’s the appeal. I dig it. Actually, the only thing subpar here is my terrible bottle photo. Did I mention that black bottles are hard? Best drinking: it’s going to get better over the next few years, but already great.

92 POINTS

Philip Rich - Halliday's Wine Companion

From a De Bortoli family-owned vineyard at Tarrawarra and made up predominantly of Abel and Pommard clones. Made with a combination of whole berries and whole bunches, matured in new and used 500L French puncheons. Deep ruby red. Aromatically this is in a riper plum and earthy spectrum, with an attractive and forward forest-floor note. Sweet fruited on entry, with good mouthfeel and texture. With its ripe, fine tannins, this is a great drink-now wine, with the potential to develop further in the short term.