BY FARR: THE GRAND CRU OF COOL-CLIMATE AUSTRALIAN SHIRAZ

These wines will change how the world thinks about Australia. Winemaker Gary Farr's training comes from time spent at Dujac, Cristom, and Calera yet his wine is more than the sum of his resume's parts. Tasting his Farrside Pinot for the first time felt like drinking Sea Smoke's Southing after a stint with the Marines. The Farrside glowed with notes of black cherry, pomegranate liqueur, tea and lilac but best of all, there was tension. Highwire acidity, whiffs of crushed rock and a brooding basenote of mushroom-ey forest floor marked the wine with an old world understanding of how Pinot should be with no sacrifice to its Aussie generosity.

As with all great wineries, By Farr owes its success as much to the land as to its winemakers. Geelong is a brilliant piece of wind-whipped land along coastal Victoria that should be on any Pinot collector's radar. The blend of cool weather, wind, and sun suits the area marvelously to Burgundian varieties and chiseled, cool-climate expressions of Shiraz. As Burgundy prices continue to climb (and Rhone prices for that matter), we sometimes feel like the world of outstanding Pinot Noir gets smaller and smaller. These wines stand in stark contrast to that fear, offering wines from an excitingly up-and-coming region with profound complexity. Gary Farr spent ten harvests in a row with  Jacques Seysses from the legendary Domaine Dujac. The Pinot's show elegant alcohols and cool climate structure. They successfully give homage to the signature spicy, whole cluster style of the Dujac estate.