The 2024 Elanto Vineyard Ironstone Pinot Noir is a single-plot bottling from Balnarring on the Mornington Peninsula, and one of the first two lieux-dits Elanto has released on its own. Ironstone sits near the centre of the property, where the topsoil thins to a shallow, dark-red layer that holds little moisture. Those conditions give the vineyard its lowest yields of the season and its most concentrated fruit.
Elanto was established in 2018 by Elizabeth and Tony Todaro with winemaker Sandro Mosele, whose earlier work at Kooyong and Port Phillip Estate shaped much of the modern Mornington Peninsula. The 10.6-hectare site is planted at 11,111 vines per hectare, roughly four times the Australian norm and a density more familiar in Burgundy. Vines stand seventy-five centimetres apart, which forces the roots to compete and drive down into the basalt and ironstone beneath. Each vine carries only three to five hundred grams of fruit. Farming is organic, the aspect is south-easterly, and cool air off Western Port Bay holds the acidity in place. Halliday named Elanto its Best New Winery after the debut releases.
The wine opens on dark cherry, pomegranate and blackberry, layered with iron, freshly turned earth, wormwood, wintergreen and savoury spice. The palate is fuller and more structured than the Basalt bottling, with supple but firm tannins, bright acidity and a ferrous mineral line running the length of it. The finish is long, layered and savoury. Jane Faulkner awarded it 97 points for the Halliday Wine Companion, singling out the aromatics.
Ben’s Recommendation:
At Wine More Cellars, Ironstone is the choice for collectors after serious, site-driven Australian Pinot Noir. It has the concentration and structure to develop in the cellar for a decade or more, though a generous decant makes it approachable now. Serve at 16–18°C with roast duck, venison, quail, mushroom dishes, truffle risotto or herb-crusted lamb.
