Overview
Holyman Project X Pinot Noir is an exceptional, small-production wine from Tasmania's Tamar Valley, crafted by Joe and Lou Holyman at Stoney Rise Wine Company. Sourced from a single vineyard block known as "Boris", this distinctive Pinot Noir is produced using 100% whole-bunch fermentation and matured in 100% new French oak. With its bright red fruit, savoury complexity and assertive stalk-derived tannins, Project X represents an adventurous expression of Tasmanian Pinot Noir, built for extended cellaring.
Vintage
The 2022 season was notably warm, with warm days extending into warm nights that encouraged continuous fruit ripening. This resulted in the winery's earliest harvest start on record, producing fruit with excellent ripeness and intensity.
Vineyard & Winemaking
Project X is sourced exclusively from the estate's Boris block in the Tamar Valley. All fruit is hand-harvested, with experienced pickers selecting only pristine bunches with well-lignified stalks. This rigorous vineyard selection allows the wine to undergo 100% whole-bunch fermentation, developing distinctive aromatics, savoury depth and firm structural tannins.
The wine is matured in a new French oak puncheon, representing 100% new oak maturation. It is bottled without fining or filtration, preserving its natural character and complexity.
Producer Tasting Notes
One of the things I love about our whole bunch wines is that they always have less colour than our other wines and the fruit characters are always in the brighter fruits.
Fresh Raspberry and Strawberry on the nose. The palate is clean and structured with the usual hints of Campari, with the underlying intensity of the stalk tannin. One to be cellared for many years.
Critic Reviews
95/100 — Robert Parker The Wine Advocate
Tasted January 2025
Drinking Window: 2024–2037.
Producer
Stoney Rise Wine Company is a family-owned winery established by Joe and Lou Holyman in Tasmania's Tamar Valley in 2004. The couple acquired a vineyard originally planted in 1986, recognising the potential of its mature vines and cool-climate location near the Tamar River. A purpose-built winery followed in 2008.
With a focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Stoney Rise produces wines that express the distinctive character of northern Tasmania. The vineyards are managed with an emphasis on sustainability, soil health and minimal chemical intervention. The premium Holyman range showcases carefully selected estate vineyard parcels, while Project X represents the winery's experimental approach to whole-bunch fermentation and new oak maturation.
Specifications
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Vintage: 2022
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Producer: Stoney Rise Wine Company
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Range: Holyman Project X
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Country: Australia
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Region: Tasmania, Tamar Valley
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Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
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Vineyard: Boris Block
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Wine Style: Still Red Wine
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Sweetness: Dry
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Alcohol: 11.5%
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Harvest: Hand Harvested, Selected Whole Bunches
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Fermentation: 100% Whole Bunch
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Oak Maturation: 100% New French Oak Puncheon
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Fining & Filtration: Unfined and Unfiltered
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Drinking Window: 2024–2037
