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Review: Domaine Thomson Explorer Pinot Noir is a 'wonderfully bright' wine

Author
Cameron Douglas ,
Publish Date
Sat, 26 Sep 2026, 11:43am
The Podcast on iHeartRadio
(Photo / 123rf)

The Wine: Domaine Thomson 'Explorer' Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2025, Central Otago. RRP from $35.00  

It has a bright and vibrant ruby core with purple and pink highlights. A very youthful wine, with aromas and flavours of raspberry and fresh red and black cherry flesh; roses and violet with a clay stone soil suggestion. Central Otago signatures of dried herbs and savoury seam. An abundance of coarse-silk tannins and plenty of acidity will ensure this wine will age develop for a few years to come. A wine to drink from today or cellar and enjoy through 2035+.  

 

The Food:  

Good Pinot Noir needs food that has some available protein to shake hands with the tannins. This means a medium-rare steak is good, but be careful about too much pepper or mustard seasoning. An easy match to this wine is some salmon fillet with a light kalamata olive tapenade, or eggplant parmigiano.  

 

The Season:  

2025 delivered a VG vintage in Bendigo and Central Otago in general. A bumper crop for more than a few producers, overall ripeness and core fruit flavours and importantly for Pinot Noir ripe tannins than can form long chains delivering wines with poise and length across the palate.  

 

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