Curly flat pinot

[Hunter]

Anyone had much experience here .. i enjoy there chardonnay, but have never tried there pinot.
Cheers

[Polymer]

It's an Aussie Pinot..very much so in fact...

The flavors are good..but its very ripe....For an AU Pinot, the texture isn't bad..but its just really ripe...So given where you sit on the Pinot spectrum will probably determine if you like it...

[michel]

It's an Aussie Pinot..very much so in fact...

The flavors are good..but its very ripe....For an AU Pinot, the texture isn't bad..but its just really ripe...So given where you sit on the Pinot spectrum will probably determine if you like it...

Drink young
Good
Not great
Polymer kinda nailed it....

[Bobthebuilder]

I liked the few that I've tried
Always found them 'big' for a Pinot
Big fruit
Ripe? I suppose so but not over sweet or stewed
Great backbone of acid is what I recall
I have an 07 that I think I might open over the next week out of sheer curiosity this thread has stimulated!

[Hunter]

Nice one,
I'll still check it out

[shirazphile]

I really like them. I think they are in the top echelon of Aussie pinot noir.

I know Halliday and Wine Front are big fans of their pinot noir too. I tend to respect Wine Front's scores more than Halliday's though.

[Polymer]

Well if you're from the Barossa and you enjoy the wines from that region, you'll likely enjoy a very ripe Pinot..everything else will seem thin and green.

We all don't like the same thing...and comparing it to other most AU Pinots, I don't think they're overly ripe..but compared to many other areas, yes, they are..

[shirazphile]

Interesting how most of the responses are about this pinot noir tasting ripe. Doing a bit of research and comparing the alcohol levels in the Curly Flay estate pinot noir with other top line Aussie pinot noirs, they are quite moderate over the last couple of vintages - 13.6% for the 2014, 13.6% for the 2013. Looking at 2012 the alcohol was 14.2% and 2010 was 13.9%. They may have deliberately wound back the alcohol levels in the last couple of vintages, possibly picking earlier.

At the end of the day, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don't find this pinot noir over ripe, and I am no longer a fan of big bold Barossa or McLaren Vale reds.

[Polymer]

That means it isn't ripe? Given a number of AU Producers use reverse osmosis, you can't just look at alcohol.

And I'm not saying it is ripe compared to other AU producers I specifically said it is not.

And again, this is coming from MY perspective which is why my original post says, depending on where you sit. From my standpoint, its ripe, from someone else's standpoint, it isn't..which is why I've tried to put some relativity to what I'm saying.

They even call their wine "Medium plus" in body weight..which should tell you something. The acidity is often close to 6.0 with ph in the 3.5+ range...All that should tell you something.

There's no reason to get bent out of shape about it...It is what it is.

[Hunter]

Thanks polymer i get your drift .. good points ..
Only one way too find out.
Im not sure about everything else tasting green though.

[TiggerK]

I can't think of many New World Pinot Noirs that would NOT be considered 'ripe' (plenty I haven't tried of course though). Make your Pinot a bit like Shiraz, sadly it's a wine style that sells and impresses, much to my disappointment. I'm sure there are plenty of Red Burgs that are also a bit more ripe than I (and likely Polymer) would like. Acid plays a big role in balancing out some of the perceived 'ripe fruit' but again, many buyers like velvety smooth wines, not herbal acidic ones. Ah how I long for the lean old days of 12% alc.......

[Polymer]

Hunter: I find that people from different regions grow up with a different viewpoints on what ripe and underripe is. We all don't have the same opinion on that.

In the case of Barossa, I think what people there think of as underripe, would not be considered as such by people from other regions....It doesn't make one person right and the other wrong, it just means that's what they think. Keep in mind I said if you like very ripe Pinots...I'm not saying just because you're from the Barossa you'll feel that way....But if you feel a majority of AU Pinots are thin, then yeah, you'll probably find most other regions to be unbearable.

[Hunter]

Yes i agree. But In my case i tend to seek out those cold climate styles because thats where i find the elegancey after majority of drinking v8's

[Bobthebuilder]

I just cracked open the 2007 and it's reeeealy good
Will post a note later

[dave vino]

Only one way too find out.

To sum the thread up in one line.

[Benchmark]

One of the best in my opinion.

Always stacks up well in offlines against much more fancied competition.

[Hunter]

I just cracked open the 2007 and it's reeeealy good
Will post a note later

How's it looking bob ?

[paulf]

I've enjoyed it when I have tried it. It isn't quite the top of the Macedon region tree (Bindi is head and shoulders above any of the other pinot producers there) but probably falls into that second tier along with Epis and maybe Cobaw ridge. It is fairly well fruited but no more so than much of the competition and it does come from one of the coolest mainland regions, although I don't know how the micro climate in Lancefield plays out. There is a second label - Williams Crossing which is a bit cheaper which is usually pretty decent too

[Diddy]

One of the best in my opinion.

Always stacks up well in offlines against much more fancied competition.

That 2011 you brought to one of our offlines was an absolute beast! Beautiful wine!

[rooman]

Nice one,
I'll still check it out

David

If you ever get to Melb and have a spare day, a side trip up to Curly Flat is a hell of a lot of fun. About an hour north west of Melb the vineyard is off the beaten track so the owner is less jaded by endless visitors wanting a free drink.

We turned up late one afternoon and found we were the only people there. Got talking to the owner/winemaker about his wines, Pinot in general and a fantastic time. All his wines were sitting on a large old wooden dining room table in the main area and we ended up spending nearly two hours with him as he ran downstairs to dig out old bottles to open and try with us. In short an incredibly generous host. Getting home to Kyneton was a little awkward as we snuck down back lanes and dirt roads. As to the wines i will let you decide but they are worth getting onto the tasting bench.

Mark

[Benchmark]

I've enjoyed it when I have tried it. It isn't quite the top of the Macedon region tree (Bindi is head and shoulders above any of the other pinot producers there) but probably falls into that second tier along with Epis and maybe Cobaw ridge. It is fairly well fruited but no more so than much of the competition and it does come from one of the coolest mainland regions, although I don't know how the micro climate in Lancefield plays out. There is a second label - Williams Crossing which is a bit cheaper which is usually pretty decent too

Personal preference aside I have witnessed all of these wines (and more from Yarra and Mornington) tasted blind on a few occasions. Curly Flat has always came out ahead of Bindi.

To be honest, it is usually a two horse race between Hillcrest and Curly Flat. Moorooduc was also consistently present.

When not tasted blind, Bindi usually gets the nod over Curly Flat.

Both great representations of Aus pinot in my opinion.

Worth noting that a particular Gippsland producer was not present at any of these tastings.

[Benchmark]

One of the best in my opinion.

Always stacks up well in offlines against much more fancied competition.

That 2011 you brought to one of our offlines was an absolute beast! Beautiful wine!

From a terrible vintage as well!

I preferred it to the highly regarded 2010.

The last 2010 I opened (4 months ago) was only just starting to show some potential.

I think the structure of these Macedon wines lends itself to some mid term cellaring potential.

[Polymer]

The 2011 was more Pinot like to me...which goes back to the vintage variability thread..sometimes the lesser vintage is preferred by some people.

I think the problem with "good" vintages in AU, is they think that means make it as ripe as they can...AU tries to make a GC Burgundy with all of the power but none of the elegance.

A bit of a generalization...but I put Curly into that bucket as well...

[Benchmark]

Agree completely with the 2011 comment Polymer.

Curly Flat pick on acid level as opposed to sugar.

I think in good vintages chasing the acid for structure can result in some pretty fruit driven wine.

I guess the flip side is the structure allows for some time in the bottle and the chance for the fruit to soften and integrate.

[Polymer]

I assume that means they'll let it get as ripe as they can while maintaining what they think is the right level of acid...which is why they have some really ripe pinots in some years.

The big problem I see with many AU Pinots is the acidity is not high enough...too much new oak...they often build the wine in a way they think will allow it to cellar for 20+ years but they've done so in the same way as a shiraz..which is why I think we often see Pinots made like a Shiraz in AU. Vanilla, full body, dark dark fruit..none of that belongs with Pinot..not unless you can some how get that and still maintain this lightness and elegance that you'll sometimes find from a GC Burg (Nuits..not Beaune).

Sorry for a bit of a threadjack..

Curly does make one of the better AU Pinots IMO...They're definitely not as shiraz like as other AU Pinots and they avoid some of the rubber flavors I see in a lot of AU Pinots (Which I think comes from the skins because of too much extraction although I'm probably wrong on that). I think their texture is better than most AU Pinots as well...but they're also very sweet fruited...

[Bobthebuilder]

I just cracked open the 2007 and it's reeeealy good
Will post a note later

How's it looking bob ?

Well day 2 made very little difference
It showed beautifully on both nights
Ripe it was, but not over sweet
Great acidity, decent complexity of flavours
Definitely on the high side of medium bodied and more like a cool climate Shiraz in some ways
Built to last, at 10 years had no sign of fading in the slightest, and possibly needs more time to settle
But very drinkable now

[Redback]

I have been drinking Curly Flat since the 2004 vintages and have always enjoyed their wine. I am currently on the 2012 vintage and that is drinking well. I generally try to hold off drinking them as long as possible as I find that they do improve with age.