Why Padthaway is South Australia's Best Kept Secret for Pinot Noir
When wine lovers think South Australia, they tend to think Barossa Shiraz or Coonawarra Cabernet. Padthaway rarely gets the same recognition, and that's exactly why what just happened at the Cairns Wine Show 2026 matters. The Stonehaven Limited Vineyard Release Padthaway Pinot Noir 2025 was awarded Best Pinot Noir in Show — a result that speaks as much to the region as it does to the wine itself.
So where is Padthaway?
Padthaway sits within the Limestone Coast, South Australia's cool-climate wine corridor that stretches south from Coonawarra toward thea Southern Ocean. It's a flat, quiet landscape, but beneath the surface lies loam over limestone — the same geological foundation that gives the Limestone Coast its reputation for producing wines of genuine elegance and intensity. The cooler temperatures here are what make Padthaway quietly exceptional for Pinot Noir, preserving the natural acidity and delicate red fruit characters that define the variety at its best, where warmer regions might push it toward something heavier.
The 2025 Vintage
Vintage 2025 was unlike any before it, with a dry and mild winter accelerating budburst earlier than usual and harvest commencing well ahead of schedule. Rather than a setback, the early ripening worked in the wine's favour, preserving a crisp natural acidity and intensifying the varietal characters that define the region. Winemaker Ben Wurst harvested during cool morning hours to protect those flavours, then cold soaked the fruit for 24 hours using a Burgundian yeast strain to enhance the red fruit expression. Seven days of fermentation were followed by maturation in French barriques and hogsheads, producing a wine that is silky, structured, and built to last — drinkable now and cellarable through to 2030.
In the glass
This Pinot Noir opens with a vibrant bouquet of red cherries, wild strawberries, and subtle floral notes. On the palate, it reveals a silky texture with hints of earthy undertones, balanced acidity, and a long, elegant finish that showcases delicate nuances of spice and oak — the kind of Pinot Noir that rewards attention and improves with every sip.
The proof
At the Cairns Wine Show 2026, the Stonehaven Limited Vineyard Release was awarded Best Pinot Noir in Show, a fitting recognition for a region that has long deserved a wider audience and a wine that makes a compelling case for putting Padthaway firmly on the map.
[Shop the Stonehaven Limited Vineyard Release Padthaway Pinot Noir 2025 →]