Pooley Butcher's Hill Pinot Noir 2024

Dominant characters of Cocoa, ripe dark cherry, herbaceous notes of sage, oregano and lavender with underlying lifted earthy notes prickling with green peppercorn. A joyful and vibrant palate, lifted notes of cherry, citrus peel & all spice. Velvety tannins and firm acid line drive the finish, with hints of liquorice, cardamom, 90% dark chocolate, so much promise to be rewarded for those who can keep it in the cellar.

Fruit was handpicked. 25% Whole bunch was included in the ferment with the balance being destemmed. Fermentation was approximately 10 days on skins with a further 8 day post ferment maceration. The wine was matured for 10 months in French oak barriques of which 35% was new. Sirugue and Vicard barrels were used, medium toast and tight grain.

Pooley Wines was first established in 1985 when Denis and Margaret Pooley planted vines on the banks of the Coal River in southern Tasmania. With seven rows of Pinot Noir and ten rows of Riesling planted on their 16-hectare farm at Cooinda Vale as a retirement plan, Denis and Margaret found a renewed vigour for life. A vineyard that started as nothing more than a distraction for Denis and Margaret soon flourished into a renowned premium cool-climate site.

With the help of their son and grandchildren, three generations of the Pooley family have continued to bring meticulous care to their Cooinda Vale vineyard. In 1989, Cooinda Vale’s unique microclimate and terroir yielded its first vintage with the quality and consistency of fruit, speaking to Margaret and Denis’s love and dedication shown to their property. Denis continued working in the vineyard until his passing in 1994.

In 2003, John Pooley and his wife Libby bought Belmont, a heritage-listed Georgian home on the outskirts of Richmond. Pooley Wines expanded their estate and established a second vineyard, Butcher’s Hill, with its first vintage produced in 2007.

Until the passing of Margaret Pooley in 2010, three generations of the Pooley family were working in the vineyards with John’s son, Matthew Pooley, taking on the responsibility as Viticulturist. With Margaret’s granddaughter, Anna Pooley returning to the family business in 2013, Pooley was made entirely by family hands from this point onward.

Now, more than 35 years after Pooley Wines was first established, the family’s philosophy of making wines that reflect their unique environment while pushing the quality of the grapes and the wines even further has continued.

2023 Winery of the Year Halliday Wine Companion

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front
95 / 100
Gee Pooley make some good wines. A love the combination of earthiness and perfume here, it’s just so appealing and distinct. There’s black and red cherry, spice and creaminess to oak that frames up the wine so well. It has a subtle ferrous character, a fine graphite feel to tannin, balanced acidity, and a slight dried herb character. The finish is long with a quiet ‘mineral’ edge. It feels like it will come together very well with a little more bottle age. So lovely. My kind of Pinot Noir, in short.
April 2025