By Farr RP Cote vineyard Pinot Noir Geelong, Victoria – 2022

In the last 20 years, By Farr, based in Geelong outside Melbourne in Victoria, have become one of the top producers of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and cool climate Shiraz in Australia. In 2025 they won The Real Review’s “Best Winery of Australia”, which is an immense achievement given the huge competition.

Their “RP” (the winemaker’s mother’s initials) Cote Vineyard is Farr’s highest quality single vineyard. It’s a close-planted / high density planting of Pinot Noir on an exposed north-facing hillside with a mix of soils ranging from clay to limestone to volcanic black rock.

The fruit is hand-picked and sorted in the vineyard, then fermented in an open-top fermenter. Between 40 to 50 per cent of the fruit is destemmed and then cold soaked for four days. They use only natural yeasts for the fermentation process, which takes roughly 19 days. Grape-stomping (known as pigeage) takes place two to three times a day depending on the amount of extraction required, and the wine is then placed in 50 to 60 per cent new French oak barrels for 18 months before bottling.

“Impressively deep, bright red-purple colour, in great shape for an Australian pinot of its age, then the bouquet arrives with a great complexity of smoked charcuterie, root vegetables, dark cherry and blackberry delivered with great intensity and volume. The concentration and depth are outstanding and it’s all delivered with great elegance and refinement. The lightness of touch doesn’t contradict the power or persistence. A spectacular pinot noir.” 99/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review