Boat O’Craigo Pinot Noir Shines in Young Gun of Wine’s Yarra Valley Deep Dive
There’s something pretty special about seeing wines from our own backyard recognised alongside some of the Yarra Valley’s most celebrated producers.
In August 2026, Young Gun of Wine took a deep dive into one of the Yarra Valley’s signature varieties: Pinot Noir. Bringing together a panel of wine professionals including sommeliers, winemakers and wine merchants, the tasting explored the diversity of Pinot Noir being produced across the region today.
And we were thrilled to see two Boat O’Craigo Pinot Noirs featured among the panellists’ standout selections: our 2024 Black Spur Pinot Noir and 2024 Rob Roy Pinot Noir.
The wines were tasted blind, with each panellist selecting the six wines they found most compelling. As Young Gun of Wine explains, the tasting wasn’t an ordered countdown or ranking, but rather a celebration of the different styles, characters and expressions of Yarra Valley Pinot Noir.
A region made for Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir has a particularly deep history in the Yarra Valley.
The region’s first vines were planted at Yering in 1838, and Pinot Noir was among the wines that helped establish the Yarra Valley’s reputation as a significant wine region in the 19th century.
After a period of decline through the early and mid-20th century, the Yarra Valley experienced a winemaking renaissance from the 1960s onwards. Today, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the region’s leading varieties, with Pinot Noir accounting for around 44% of the Yarra Valley’s grape yield in 2026.
It’s easy to understand why.
The Yarra Valley’s combination of climate, soils, elevation and diverse vineyard sites allows Pinot Noir to take on many different personalities — from bright, fragrant and delicate expressions through to darker, more savoury and structured styles.
As Young Gun of Wine’s panel explored, there isn’t one definition of what Yarra Valley Pinot Noir should be. Instead, its appeal lies in the diversity of expressions coming from vineyards across the region.
2024 Black Spur Pinot Noir
Our 2024 Black Spur Pinot Noir was selected among the standout wines by Eddie Lange of Tonka and Terina Davies of Seddon Wine Store and Union Wine Store.
Lange described the wine as having a savoury, earthy character, with notes of tomato vine, red bramble and forest floor, while highlighting its bright acidity and integrated tannins.
Davies found a slightly wilder, savoury expression, with tart persimmon, blood orange, red cherry and blood plum alongside gamey and earthy characters.
It’s a style of Pinot Noir that reflects what we love about the Yarra Valley — bright fruit, savoury complexity and enough structure to make you want to come back for another glass.
2024 Rob Roy Pinot Noir
Our 2024 Rob Roy Pinot Noir also earned a place among the panellists’ standout selections, with Terina Davies choosing it as one of her six wines from the tasting.
For Davies, the wine was one that went beyond simply being enjoyable — it evoked memories and nostalgia.
She described aromas reminiscent of old mahogany, spice, rose and almond croissant, followed by a palate of roasted quail with blackcurrant sauce and rhubarb tart.
With velvety tannins and a ribbon of acidity carrying the wine, the Rob Roy showed another side of Yarra Valley Pinot Noir: generous, textured and expressive, while retaining the freshness and balance that makes the variety so distinctive in the region.
Pinot Noir with a sense of place
For us, the recognition is particularly meaningful because both wines are expressions of the Yarra Valley — a region we’re proud to call home.
The 2026 Young Gun of Wine tasting highlighted just how much diversity exists within Yarra Valley Pinot Noir. From lighter, ethereal expressions from the Upper Yarra through to more generous and darker-fruited wines from other parts of the region, vineyard site and winemaking choices play an enormous role in shaping what ends up in the glass.
It’s also a great reminder that you don’t have to look far to discover exceptional Pinot Noir. The Yarra Valley continues to evolve, with established names, emerging producers and family-owned wineries all contributing to the region’s growing reputation for premium Pinot.
We’re delighted that Boat O’Craigo’s 2024 Black Spur and 2024 Rob Roy Pinot Noirs were part of that conversation.
You can read more here.
Come and taste the Yarra Valley for yourself
There’s no better way to explore the diversity of Yarra Valley Pinot Noir than to experience it in the place where it’s grown.
At Boat O’Craigo, our Healesville cellar door is the perfect place to settle in, take in the views and taste your way through our range of cool-climate Yarra Valley wines.
And if Pinot Noir is your variety, be sure to ask about the 2024 Black Spur and 2024 Rob Roy next time you visit.
Come and discover what makes the Yarra Valley so special, one glass at a time.
