17/20 pts, Jancis Robinson 2025 “Not the first Mornington Peninsula Pinot to smell of rosebuds. But the fruit has richness, intense strawberry and there is a warm blackberry coil in the middle. Soft breath of autumn leaf. Tannins are cashmere and there is liquid minerality that shines through the wine like mercury.”

100% Pinot Noir. Planted in 1999, the Pinot Noir paddock features 16 acres of vines made up of the clones 114, 115 & MV6. The combination of these clones, the vineyard site & horticultural practises (e.g. yield restrictions & soils protection), produce Pinot Noir that is elegant, flavoursome, aromatic & delicate.

ABOUT OCEAN EIGHT

Ocean Eight is owned by the Aylward family. The winery is located at 271 Tucks Road in Shoreham on the Mornington Peninsula. All grapes picked for this small production come from the Aylward’s 17 Hectares of vines. The Mornington Peninsula has become one of the most sought-after regions in Australia for the production of high quality Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. These are the varieties planted at Ocean Eight’s vineyards. The winery is managed by Michael & Hollie Aylward whose passion originated over a decade ago with a part-time job at the family’s previous winery Kooyong. Ocean Eight has evolved into the couple’s full-time obsession. This passion-driven endeavour to bring the highest quality wine to the Mornington Peninsula saw Michael win the sought-after Australian “Young Gun of Wine” award in 2011. Ocean Eight wines are lean, bright & tight with acid at the finish. These characters help the wines pair with food and age incredibly well. It is no coincidence that these characters are also intrinsic to the cool, maritime conditions of Mornington Peninsula vineyards, where the Aylward’s chose to grow grapes and make wines over 20 years ago.