Tumbarumba Cleanskin Preservative Free Pinot Noir 2025: Tasting Notes

WINE STYLE → Light, Bright & Chillable

A bright, silky cool-climate Pinot Noir from Tumbarumba with red cherry, raspberry and pomegranate at its heart. Dried herbs, glacé cherry and a subtle Italian-bitter edge bring savoury detail, while crisp acidity and fine tannins keep everything light on its feet. Made without added preservative sulphites and vegan friendly, this is a beautifully easy Pinot for roast chicken, mushrooms, duck or simply serving slightly cool.

Highlights

• Preservative free — no added preservative sulphites
• Vegan friendly
• Made by award-winning NSW winemaker Aaron Mercer
• Cool-climate Pinot Noir from Tumbarumba, NSW
• Red cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, dried herbs and subtle amaro
• 13.2% ABV

Tasting Notes

Pale ruby and beautifully aromatic, with red cherry, raspberry and pomegranate leading the way. Dried herbs and an Italian-bitter note give the fruit a savoury counterpoint, followed by glacé cherry and a subtle amaro-like complexity. The palate is light-bodied but flavourful, with crisp acidity, fine silky tannins and a long, juicy finish. Fresh, elegant and very drinkable rather than rich or extracted.

Winemaking

This Pinot Noir is made by Aaron Mercer in a fresh, minimal-intervention style with no added preservative sulphites. The winemaking is geared towards preserving fragrance, juicy red fruit and fine structure rather than extracting heavy colour or tannin. The resulting style is light, vibrant and clean, with Tumbarumba’s natural acidity doing much of the structural work. It is vegan friendly and made for drinking while its fruit and freshness are at their best.

Vineyard & Vintage

The fruit comes from Tumbarumba in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains in southern New South Wales. High elevation and a genuinely cool climate make the region particularly well suited to Pinot Noir, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly while retaining perfume and bright natural acidity. The 2025 release sits at 13% ABV and shows the region’s classic combination of delicate red fruit, freshness and fine tannin rather than heavy ripeness.

Why We Love It

This is exactly what a good-value cool-climate Pinot should be: fragrant, fresh and genuinely interesting without trying too hard. Cherry and raspberry make it instantly inviting, while pomegranate, dried herbs and that little bitter-herbal twist stop it becoming simple. The fine tannins also mean you can pour it with a wide range of food — or give it 20 minutes in the fridge and drink it slightly cool.

Food Pairing

Fine tannins and bright acidity make Pinot Noir one of the easiest reds to bring to the table. This lighter Tumbarumba style works especially well with duck, poultry, mushrooms, pork, salmon and earthy vegetables without overwhelming more delicate flavours.

Try matching this wine with →

• Duck breast with lentils and herbs — Find a Recipe
• Mushroom dumplings with soy and ginger — Find a Recipe
• Roast beetroot and goat’s cheese salad — Find a Recipe

Mood or occasion to match this wine…

The bottle for when you want red wine without the weight. Give it a slight chill for an easy Friday evening, take it to a long lunch, or put it beside roast chicken and let its bright cherry fruit do the work.

Cellaring

Best enjoyed young for its perfume and juicy red-fruit character. Drink now through 2028 under good storage conditions. Because it is made without added preservative sulphites, cool, stable storage is particularly important.

Producer

This Tumbarumba Pinot Noir is made by Aaron Mercer of Mercer Wines, an award-winning NSW winemaker known for organic, vegan, preservative-free and sustainability-focused winemaking. Mercer has worked across Australia as well as France, Germany, Canada and California, bringing that experience back to wines sourced from distinctive NSW regions. Tumbarumba is an especially natural fit for his lighter Pinot styles: its cool, high-altitude vineyards produce fruit with fragrant red berries, fine tannins and strong natural acidity. The philosophy here is straightforward — let good regional fruit speak clearly, keep additions to a minimum and make a wine that is fresh, vibrant and easy to drink.

Related Wines To Try →

If you enjoy light, fragrant preservative-free Pinot Noir, these are worth exploring next:

• Soft raspberry and cherry with gentle spice — The Hero Preservative Free Pinot Noir
• Bright cherry, strawberry and silky tannins — Tamburlaine No Added Preservative Pinot Noir
• Organic Pinot with cherry, herbs, spice and a savoury finish — Temple Bruer Preservative Free Pinot Noir

FAQ

What does Tumbarumba Cleanskin Preservative Free Pinot Noir 2025 taste like?

It is bright and fragrant, with red cherry, raspberry and pomegranate followed by dried herbs, glacé cherry and a subtle Italian-bitter note. The palate is light-bodied and juicy with fine tannins, crisp acidity and a long fresh finish.

Is this Pinot Noir dry, light or full-bodied?

It is a dry, light-bodied Pinot Noir with plenty of flavour but very little heaviness. Tannins are fine and gentle, while the acidity is bright and refreshing — a classic cool-climate balance.

How should I serve this Pinot Noir?

Serve at around 14–16°C in a medium-sized Pinot Noir or Burgundy-style glass. On warmer days, 15–20 minutes in the fridge before opening works beautifully and highlights the cherry, raspberry and pomegranate fruit.

Does Tumbarumba Cleanskin Pinot Noir need decanting?

No lengthy decant is needed. It drinks beautifully straight from the bottle, although 10–15 minutes in the glass can help the herbal and savoury notes open around the fruit.

Does this wine contain preservatives or sulphites?

This is a No Added Preservative Pinot Noir, meaning preservative sulphur dioxide has not been added during winemaking. Small amounts of sulphites can still occur naturally during fermentation.

Is this Tumbarumba Pinot Noir vegan friendly?

Yes. This wine is vegan suitable and made without added preservative sulphites. No animal-derived fining agents are used in the preservative-free style.

What food pairs well with this Pinot Noir?

Duck, roast chicken, pork, salmon and mushroom dishes are excellent matches. For a vegetarian option, try mushroom dumplings, lentil dishes, beetroot with goat’s cheese or roasted root vegetables.

How long can I cellar this wine?

Enjoy it now through 2028 for its brightest fruit and freshness. This is a youthful, elegant Pinot rather than a heavily structured long-cellar style, and preservative-free wines benefit from particularly careful cool storage.

Who will enjoy Tumbarumba Cleanskin Preservative Free Pinot Noir?

It is ideal for drinkers who love lighter reds, fragrant Pinot Noir and wines with bright fruit rather than heavy tannin or oak. If you enjoy Pinot Noir, Gamay or light chillable reds, this sits very comfortably in that territory.

How long will this preservative-free Pinot last after opening?

For best freshness, enjoy it within 1–2 days of opening. Reseal the bottle, keep it refrigerated and allow the wine to warm slightly before pouring again.

(SKU: OW_PFPinot_CS)