2023 Dry River Pinot Noir Australia

95 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2023 Pinot Noir is light in the glass but still sort of bloody, with garden roses and iodine, crushed shells, dried herbs, some woodsy spice and fennel seeds. In the mouth, the wine is sweetly fruited, with a gorgeous display of pomegranate and scraped vanilla pod, cranberry and cherry. It's an utter delight to drink; it is light in weight but full throttle in flavor. Highly recommended. 13% alcohol, sealed under Diam.

93 POINTS

James Suckling

A fresh and lightly fruity pinot with sliced-strawberry, cherry and citrus character with some tar. Light to medium body, fine tannins and a crisp finish. Has some weight for this challenging vintage.

93 POINTS

Emma Jenkins MW - Decanter

The 2023 season was a challenging one for the region but Dry River has navigated it deftly, producing a finely structured, detailed wine with pretty aromatics of blue and red fruits, cocoa powder, blood orange, bay leaf and graphite. The palate is supple and savoury with silty tannins, and a touch more lightness than usual; elegant and nicely judged. Dry River has seen considerable change in recent years with new ownership and a refreshed winery and vineyard team. Yet the same fastidious attention to detail remains, with winemaker Ben McNab laser-focused on crafting precise, confident wines that honour this pioneering estate’s traditions.

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

A bit of a difficult vintage was 2023, though there’s always good wines made by some producers, even when the cards are stacked against them. 6,000 bottles produced. This is kind of mulchy and spicy, rhubarb, coffee and toffee, something of a wet herbal character too, and the fruit is sort of poached plum and strawberry conserve in flavour. It’s quite diffuse and squishy, a bit sappy and smoky, and it feels kind of flaccid, with a bark and potato peelings character. Finish is a bit varnished and not so long. And for all that, it does have some character and interest, like wet vintage Burgundy in a way, though it’s clearly a wine from a very tricky vintage. Light and shade. You’d have to be keen though, at the price.