Dawson James Pinot Noir 2020 from the Meadowbank vineyard in Tasmania’s Derwent Valley is a beautifully composed, single‑vineyard pinot – savoury, silky and quietly powerful at just 12.6% alcohol. It’s already picking up serious silverware, including a Trophy for Pinot Noir Wine of Provenance at the 2022 Royal Hobart Wine Show, 93 points at Decanter World Wine Awards and 90 points at the IWC London.

Aromatically it evokes wild strawberries, cranberries and red cherries, with rose petal, autumnal undergrowth, enoki mushroom, tobacco leaf and dusty red earth, plus subtle stalk and savoury oak notes. The palate is quite luscious yet poised – a creamy, silky texture and core of sweet red berry fruit (strawberries and cream, cherry, plum) supported by fine, chalky tannins, umami inflections of bone broth and quince paste, and a lingering soft acid finish. It’s “very good, serious, grown‑up Pinot Noir,” with Erin Larkin scoring it 95+ (Wine Advocate), Decanter at 96 points and Halliday at 94 points.

This Dawson James Pinot Noir 2020 shines with duck breast, roast chicken, pork with crackling, mushroom dishes or charcuterie, where its red fruit, savoury complexity and fine structure really sing. It’s equally at home with hard cheeses and refined vegetable plates, and with its suite of high‑90s‑ish scores and Provenance Trophy, it’s a must‑list for serious cool‑climate pinot lovers and a strong candidate for both cellaring and premium by‑the‑glass pours.