Introducing the Watkins 2026 Kinship Pinot Noir 

The Watkins 2026 Kinship Pinot Noir is our first estate-grown Pinot Noir from Langhorne Creek, South Australia. Produced from vines planted at our family vineyard in 2022, this inaugural release offers a distinctly regional expression of the variety: light-bodied, fresh and vibrant, with juicy red fruit, subtle spice and soft, earthy detail.

Our first Langhorne Creek Pinot Noir

Some wines begin with a plan. Others begin with curiosity.

Pinot Noir is rarely seen in Langhorne Creek, a region best known for its generous, full-flavoured red wines. That was precisely what made planting it so interesting. We wanted to explore how this famously expressive variety would respond to our vineyard and what a distinctly Langhorne Creek interpretation of Pinot Noir might look like.

Four years after planting the vines, their first crop has given us the answer and a wine we are enormously excited to share.

Can Pinot Noir grow in Langhorne Creek?

Langhorne Creek may be better known for varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, but its cooling maritime influence creates opportunities beyond the traditional regional styles.

Our intention was never to replicate Pinot Noir from another region. Instead, we wanted to capture what the variety could express in our own vineyard: bright fruit, freshness and delicacy, balanced by the depth and savoury character associated with Langhorne Creek.

The result is a vibrant and immediately inviting Pinot Noir that presents a familiar variety from an entirely new perspective, and the wine is a testament to the fact that clearly yes, Langhorne Creek can grow great Pinot Noir. 

What does the 2026 Kinship Pinot Noir taste like?

The 2026 Kinship Pinot Noir is bursting with flavours of juicy cherry, wild strawberry and raspberry. Subtle spice and soft, earthy notes provide balance and depth, while its light-bodied palate retains freshness through to an elegant finish.

It is expressive and approachable, with generous fruit at its centre and enough savoury detail to keep each glass interesting.

A natural addition to the Kinship Series

Our Kinship Series is built around expressive, approachable wines made to bring people together. They are wines for the table: to be opened, shared and enjoyed without waiting for a special occasion.

This first Pinot Noir feels completely at home within that philosophy. It has the brightness and energy to be enjoyed on its own, but enough depth and character to sit beautifully alongside food.

What should you serve with Pinot Noir?

The bright red fruit, freshness and subtle savoury character of our Kinship Pinot Noir make it a wonderfully versatile food wine.

Enjoy it with charcuterie, roast chicken, grilled salmon, mushroom dishes, duck or a long lunch that gradually becomes dinner. It can be served at a cool room temperature or lightly chilled to bring out its freshness and vibrant fruit.

The beginning of a new story

Every first release captures a particular moment in time, but this one feels especially significant. It represents four years of anticipation, the first expression of a new variety from our Langhorne Creek vineyard and the beginning of a story we are only just starting to understand.

The Watkins 2026 Kinship Pinot Noir is youthful, vibrant and unmistakably itself.