The 2019 Holyman Project X Pinot Noir is a distinctive, structured Tasmanian Pinot Noir from Joe and Lou Holyman’s Stoney Rise estate in the Tamar Valley. Project X comes from a specially selected section of the estate vineyard known as "Boris", with carefully chosen bunches providing the foundation for its concentrated character. The 2019 was made with 100% whole bunches and matured in new French oak, an approach that contributes aromatic complexity and a substantial tannic framework. This is an ambitious expression of the site, combining perfume and restrained fruit with the structure and persistence to reward patient bottle ageing.
The 2019 offers blackcurrant and boysenberry alongside pronounced bunch-derived spice, floral perfume and subtle char and toast. Gary Walsh awarded it 96 Points for The Wine Front, highlighting its firm, graphite-like tannins, understated power and exceptionally persistent finish. His September 2022 assessment described a tightly wound wine that needed bottle age, recommending drinking from 2025 through 2033 and beyond. At around seven years since harvest, well-stored examples may now be beginning to integrate their fruit, oak and whole-bunch character. Expect a savoury, textural Pinot Noir with plenty of grip, whose detail should emerge gradually with air.
