Payten & Jones Valley Vignerons Pinot Noir 2019

From Healesville in the Yarra Valley just north east of Melbourne father and son Peter and Behn Payten along with Troy Jones ,with whom Behn grew up, form the business. Viticulturalist Peter Payten is a pioneer of organics in Australia having managed the country's first certified organic vineyard way back in 1971. One of their aims is to push the winemaking boundaries a bit while making some interesting wines along the way and this short extract from their website neatly encapsulates their ethos. 'We're Yarra Valley winemakers, and our wines are a little different to the big guys. Minimal intervention, a bit of raw processes, nothing too filtered or cleaned up in any way. Our wines aren't squeaky clean. They're a bit edgy. Always interesting, delicious, completely smashable, with a little soul left in. So if that's what you're looking for, well, sweet!'

In true Aussie style they certainly don't take themselves too seriously, but that doesn't mean they're casual in their approach to making wine and while they'e completely committed to sustainability, minimal intervention and natural winemaking the care and attention they take is second to none.