Wild Folk Preservative Free Pinot Noir: Tasting Notes

WINE STYLE → Earthy & Forest-Floor (Pinot-Style)

A fresh, drink-now Pinot Noir that leans into purity rather than weight. Varietal cherry sits at the centre, with cranberry-like brightness and a gentle savoury note giving the wine shape. The palate is smooth and easy from the first sip, but there is enough acidity through the finish to keep it lively and properly Pinot in character. It is light-to-medium bodied, dry and very approachable, built more around freshness and elegance than depth or oak.

Highlights

• Vegan suitable and No Added Preservative
• Crafted by Wild Folk — a minimal-intervention natural wine range built around wild-fermented, unfined and unfiltered wines
• Cherry fruit, cranberry brightness and a gentle savoury edge
• Yarra Valley Pinot Noir made in a fresh, drink-now natural style
• Handpicked, open-fermented, bottled young in stainless steel with little added and no fining or filtration
• 13.5% ABV

Tasting Notes

This Pinot Noir is all about freshness and ease, but it still carries proper varietal shape. Cherry fruit leads, with a cranberry-like edge that keeps the palate bright, while savoury notes bring just enough contrast to stop it from reading as simple. The texture is smooth and light on its feet, and the gentle acidity gives the finish a clean, lifted line. It is a polished drink-now style rather than a deeply structured one, and that is exactly where its charm sits.

Winemaking

Wild Folk keeps the handling very simple here. The fruit was handpicked and sorted, then fermented in open fermenters with plunging before being moved to stainless steel. It was bottled shortly after fermentation with little added and without fining or filtration. That approach preserves the fruit purity, avoids oak influence and suits the natural, no-added-preservative style of the range.

Vineyard & Vintage

This wine comes from the Yarra Valley, a region that suits Pinot Noir for its cooler profile and ability to hold brightness and detail. In a natural style like this, that regional freshness matters. It helps keep the wine lifted and varietal, with enough acidity to support the soft fruit and savoury notes without pushing the wine into anything too lean.

Why We Love It

This is a very handy bottle when you want a lighter red that still tastes like proper Pinot Noir. It is smooth, bright and very easy to drink, but it is not anonymous. The cherry fruit, savoury edge and drink-now shape make it a strong choice for anyone who prefers finesse over weight.

Food Pairing

The softer body and clean acidity make this a natural fit for mushroom dishes, roast chicken and lighter savoury meals. It also works well with dishes that would overwhelm a richer red but need more shape than a white can offer. Try matching this wine with →

• Truffled risotto — Find a Recipe
• Roast chicken with herbs — Find a Recipe
• Mushroom pasta — Find a Recipe

Mood or occasion to match this wine…

A good bottle for quiet dinners, roast chicken lunches and those evenings when you want a red that is gentle, savoury and easy to settle into.

Cellaring

This is best enjoyed young while the fruit is fresh and the texture still has that easy softness. Drink now and over the next couple of years for the most appealing expression.

Producer

Wild Folk is a minimal-intervention natural wine range built around fruit handled without artifice. The wines are wild yeast fermented, preservative free, unfined and unfiltered, with a clear focus on drink-now purity rather than heavy winemaking signatures. That approach works particularly well with Pinot Noir. In this Yarra Valley release, the gentle handling keeps the fruit clear, the texture supple and the wine true to its lighter, more delicate style. It is a straightforward expression of natural Pinot Noir with enough varietal character to stay grounded.

Related Wines To Try →

If you enjoy this fresh, light red Pinot style, these are worth comparing:

• From the same producer, juicier savoury red with a little more grip — Wild Folk Preservative Free Nero D’Avola
• Another preservative-free Pinot Noir from a different producer — Temple Bruer Preservative Free Pinot Noir
• Another soft easy-drinking Pinot option — The Hero Preservative Free Pinot Noir

FAQ

What does Wild Folk Preservative Free Pinot Noir taste like?

It shows varietal cherry fruit with a gentle savoury note and soft acidity through the finish. The wine is light-to-medium bodied, smooth and very approachable, with freshness rather than weight driving the style.

Is this wine dry?

Yes, it is a dry red wine. The specs list 0.4 g/L residual sugar, which sits firmly in the dry range and fits the clean finish on the palate.

How full-bodied is it?

This sits between light and medium-bodied. It has enough fruit to feel satisfying, but the style is built more around elegance and ease than concentration.

Does it need decanting?

It does not need a decanter. A quick pour into the glass is enough, and a little air will help the savoury notes open if you want a touch more detail.

What temperature and glassware work best?

Serve it at around 14–16°C in a medium red wine glass. Slightly cooler service helps keep the fruit bright and the palate shape lively.

Can this wine be cellared?

This is more of a drink-now Pinot Noir than a long-term cellar wine. Enjoy it over the next couple of years while the fruit remains fresh and the texture supple.

Does this wine contain preservatives or sulphites?

This is a No Added Preservative wine. Wild Folk describes the range as having no sulphur added, so the wine should only contain naturally occurring sulphites from fermentation.

Is this wine vegan friendly?

Yes, it is listed as vegan suitable. It is also bottled unfined and unfiltered, which fits the broader Wild Folk natural wine approach.

What food works best with this wine?

It works very well with truffled risotto, roast chicken, mushroom pasta and other lighter savoury dishes. The softer body and gentle acidity make it especially versatile with food.

Who is this wine likely to suit?

It will suit drinkers who enjoy Pinot Noir with freshness, softness and a savoury edge rather than deep oak or heavier structure. If you like lighter reds that are smooth and easy to drink, this is a strong fit.

(SKU: FO_PN_CV)