2025 Mondillo Central Otago Pinot Noir RRP $58
Bendigo may be situated 80 kilometres from Queenstown but its latest 2025 Pinot Noir reflects all the majestic beauty of the deep south. The new 2025 vintage (officially released in July this year) shows the estate’s silkiest side with this wine's velvety smooth mouthfeel layered over purity of dark fruit in a wine with a savoury mid palate. Its vibrancy reveals an accessible and approachable wine to enjoy now, in its youth, and its firm structure bodes well for favourable evolution over the long haul - seven to eight years.
This wine is made from vines planted in 2001 and its winemaking follows Mondillo’s 'usual recipe' (Dominic Mondillo's words) of destemming 100% of the grapes, which are given an extended cold maceration to allow access to both colour and skin tannin. Slow fermentation and gentle pressing to 25% new French oak barriques are followed by filtering and bottling, unlined. The final blending is a barrel‑by‑barrel choice of the best barrels by both wine brand founder, Dominic Mondillo, and winemaker Matt Connell.
The 2025 season was cool and unsettled at first followed by a warm, dry summer, which brings a clarity of fruit flavour and beautiful earthy vinosity; the savoury deliciousness that defines great Pinot Noir
Release date: July 2026
