2024 Heroes Vineyard Anti Hero Yeowarra Hill Pinot Noir

An Absolute Bargain Pinot

This might be the value sweet spot of the entire Heroes range.

95+ Points – Halliday Wine Companion

Otway Hinterland, Victoria

RRP $43 a bottle

95+ Halliday Points for $43 – This Could Be the Bargain Pinot of the Heroes Range

If the extraordinary 97-point Heroes Vineyard Pinot Noir has put James Thomas firmly on the radar, this might be the wine that gives you the smartest way into the story.

The 2024 Heroes Anti-Hero Yeowarra Hill Pinot Noir comes from a tiny 1.6-hectare vineyard planted in 1999 in Victoria's cool Otway Hinterland. The vineyard is now managed by Heroes, and the wine received a brilliant:

95+ Points – Halliday Wine Companion

The fruit was picked from the four-acre Yeowarra Hill Vineyard, fermented with wild yeasts and 10% whole bunch, matured for 10 months in French oak hogsheads with just 20% new oak, and bottled without fining. Only 200 cases were made.

And the RRP?

$43.

That's seriously compelling Pinot Noir buying.

95+ Points – Halliday Wine Companion

95+ Points – Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion

This is a huge result at $43.

And there's an important phrase in his assessment:

“Extremely well-priced.”

That's worth paying attention to.

Because when a Halliday reviewer gives a Pinot Noir 95+ points and then specifically calls out the value, you know you've found something interesting.

Tasting Notes

The 2024 Yeowarra Hill is a beautifully savoury, medium-bodied expression of Pinot Noir, showing layers of:

• Red cherry
• Black cherry
• Raspberry
• Wild berries
• Bramble
• Dried herbs
• Thyme
• Nutmeg
• Wood spice
• Forest floor
• Earth
• Subtle smoke
• Fine French oak
• Firm, refined tannins
• Fresh acidity

There's plenty of fruit, but this isn't simple cherry-and-strawberry Pinot.

The attraction is everything surrounding that fruit.

Bramble. Thyme. Nutmeg. Earth. Spice.

Halliday's description of the tannins as both firm and svelte gets to the heart of the wine: there's genuine structure, but it never becomes cumbersome.

It's serious Pinot Noir with enough generosity to drink young.

Yeowarra Hill Vineyard – Planted in 1999

Here's where the story becomes particularly interesting.

The wine comes entirely from the:

Yeowarra Hill Vineyard

in the:

Otway Hinterland, Victoria.

The vineyard was planted in 1999 and comprises only around 1.6 hectares – approximately four acres.

That's tiny.

And it's now managed by the Heroes team.

This isn't generic Victorian Pinot Noir assembled from fruit purchased across a broad region.

It's a wine with a very specific origin.

Sandstone, Siltstone & Sandy Clay

The vineyard grows on a fascinating mix of:

Tertiary sandstone and siltstone

with:

Sandy clay loams

over:

Highly penetrable clay and weathered sandstone.

Combine that with the cool Otway Hinterland climate and you've got an intriguing environment for Pinot Noir.

And importantly, James Thomas doesn't try to make Yeowarra Hill taste exactly like his flagship Heroes Pinot Noir.

It's allowed to be its own wine.

Wild Fermented

The 2024 was harvested on:

6 March 2024

before undergoing fermentation with:

Wild yeasts.

That's entirely consistent with James Thomas' approach.

The winemaking isn't designed to manufacture a particular flavour profile.

Instead, the emphasis is on retaining the personality of the vineyard.

Great fruit.

Careful handling.

Minimal unnecessary intervention.

10% Whole Bunch

The 2024 incorporates:

10% whole bunch.

That's a relatively restrained amount.

And it makes sense when you taste the wine's aromatic profile.

The stems aren't dominating.

Instead, they contribute another layer of:

Herbs • Spice • Structure • Savouriness

alongside the red and black Pinot fruit.

That thyme and nutmeg character noted by Halliday fits beautifully into the style.

10 Months in French Oak – Only 20% New

After fermentation, the wine spends:

10 months in French oak hogsheads

with just:

20% new oak.

That's beautifully judged.

There's enough new oak to contribute structure and complexity, but not enough to turn the wine into an oak-driven Pinot.

The focus stays on:

Red Fruit • Black Fruit • Bramble • Herbs • Spice • Tannin

rather than vanilla and toast.

At this price point, the winemaking detail is impressive.

Bottled Without Fining

The wine is also:

Bottled without fining.

Again, it tells you something about the philosophy.

Don't polish away the personality.

Don't manipulate the wine unnecessarily.

Give the vineyard a chance to speak.

The finished wine sits at 13.5% alcohol, maintaining plenty of freshness and medium-bodied elegance.

Only 200 Cases Made

Production of the 2024 was just:

200 cases.

That's genuinely small.

We're talking about a tiny vineyard, a single vintage and a couple of hundred cases of wine.

It's exactly the kind of Pinot Noir that can disappear quickly once people discover it.

James Thomas & The Anti-Hero Project

The Anti-Hero range is an important part of the Heroes story.

The flagship Heroes wines come exclusively from the original 10-acre Heroes Vineyard.

The Anti-Hero wines allow James Thomas to work with other outstanding cool-climate sites across the Otway Hinterland, Mount Gambier and Henty.

But here's the important bit.

Halliday's Philip Rich specifically notes that Thomas gives the Anti-Hero wines the same level of detail and care as the flagship range.

That's what makes them so interesting.

They're not throwaway second-label wines.

They're individual vineyard expressions made with serious intent.

Halliday Was Blown Away by the 2024 Heroes Range

The 2024 vintage has been extraordinary for Heroes.

Halliday's Philip Rich recently profiled James Thomas as an “Unsung Hero” and said he was blown away by the entire 2024 range.

Look at the Halliday scores:

2024 Heroes Pinot Noir – 97 Points

2024 Heroes Chardonnay – 96 Points

2024 Heroes Dry Riesling – 95+ Points

2024 Heroes Sauvignon Blanc – 95 Points

2024 Anti-Hero Yeowarra Hill Pinot Noir – 95+ Points

2024 Anti-Hero Yeowarra Hill Chardonnay – 94 Points

2024 Anti-Hero Coola Road Chardonnay – 93+ Points

That's an extraordinary strike rate.

This isn't one lucky wine.

James Thomas is producing quality right across the range.

Heroes Pinot Noir vs Anti-Hero Yeowarra Hill Pinot Noir

This is the tasting I'd love to do.

Two Pinot Noirs.

Same vintage.

Same winemaker.

Two different vineyards.

2024 Heroes Vineyard Pinot Noir – RRP $75

97 Points – Halliday Wine Companion

Original Heroes Vineyard

30% whole bunch
25% new French oak
Only 180 cases

More perfume • Greater depth • Silky tannin • Mineral length

2024 Anti-Hero Yeowarra Hill Pinot Noir – RRP $43

95+ Points – Halliday Wine Companion

Yeowarra Hill Vineyard – planted 1999

10% whole bunch
20% new French oak
200 cases

Red & Black Fruit • Bramble • Thyme • Nutmeg • Firm Fine Tannin

One is the flagship.

The other costs $32 less.

And Halliday has scored them only 1.5 points apart.

That's why the Yeowarra Hill becomes so compelling.

$43 – This Is Where Things Get Silly

Look at what you're getting:

95+ Halliday points.

Single vineyard.

Four-acre site.

Planted 1999.

Wild fermentation.

10% whole bunch.

French oak hogsheads.

Only 20% new oak.

10 months maturation.

Unfined.

200 cases produced.

And your RRP is:

$43.

This is exactly the kind of Pinot Noir we love finding at Liquid Vibe.

A producer that's only now getting serious attention.

A vineyard most people have never heard of.

Tiny production.

And a score that puts it in very serious company.

Food Pairings

This is incredibly versatile Pinot Noir.

Try it with:

• Roast duck
• Duck breast
• Roast chicken
• Pork belly
• Quail
• Mushroom risotto
• Wild mushroom pasta
• Beef tartare
• Salmon
• Charcuterie
• Gruyère
• Soft washed-rind cheeses

I'd particularly love this with duck and mushrooms.

The combination of red and black fruit, bramble, thyme, nutmeg and earthy savouriness would work beautifully.

Serve slightly cool at around 14–16°C in a large Burgundy glass.

Drinking & Cellaring

Halliday believes the wine will provide plenty of enjoyment over at least the next six to eight years.

The Wine Front's published listing gives the 2024 a drinking window of 2026–2030+.

I'd suggest:

Drink now–2033+.

Young, expect more:

Red Cherry • Black Cherry • Bramble • Spice

With age, I'd expect the savoury side to become increasingly interesting:

Forest Floor • Dried Herbs • Earth • Mushroom • Spice

If opening it young, give it 30 minutes in a decanter and use a decent Burgundy glass.

Why We Love It

This might be the value sweet spot of the entire Heroes range.

The flagship Heroes Pinot Noir is exceptional.

But look at this:

🔥 95+ Points – Halliday Wine Companion
Yeowarra Hill Vineyard
Planted 1999
Only 1.6 Hectares / Four Acres
Otway Hinterland
Sandstone & Siltstone Soils
Wild Fermentation
10% Whole Bunch
10 Months French Oak Hogsheads
Only 20% New Oak
Bottled Without Fining
13.5% Alcohol
Only 200 Cases Made

And then:

RRP $43.

That's the killer.

Halliday describes a wine bursting with red and black fruit, bramble, thyme and nutmeg, with firm but beautifully refined tannins—and specifically calls it extremely well-priced.

If you love Pinot Noir from Bannockburn, By Farr, Bicknell FC, Gembrook Hill, Giant Steps or other leading cool-climate Victorian producers, Heroes is a name you need to know.

The 97-point Heroes Vineyard Pinot Noir might be the flagship.

But at 95+ points and $43, this could be the bottle I'd buy by the half-dozen.

95+ Halliday. Single vineyard. Wild fermented. Tiny production. $43 RRP.

The 2024 Heroes Anti-Hero Yeowarra Hill Pinot Noir is outstanding value and one of the smartest Pinot Noir buys in the Heroes range.