A February tasting of premium Mornington Peninsula wines

[cuttlefish]

I've been meaning to write these up for some weeks now:

All Mornington Peninsula wines, and all generously sourced and supplied by one member of the tasting group.

Two brackets of Chardonnay, then three brackets of Pinot Noir...As usual my notes get a little bit shorter towards the end...

Bracket 1
Ten Minutes By Tractor Wallis Vineyard Chardonnay 2007
12.8% alc. Light yellow straw colour. Cut grass and earthy aromas. Quite a creamy 'worked' palate is quite long and faintly into grapefruit flavours. 14/20

Willow Creek Cistercia Reserve Chardonnay 2007
14% alc. Light yellow straw in colour, this wine has an excellent sweet biscuity aroma with peppermint, and lemon custard/meringue elements. A sweet fine palate entry with mouthcoating nectarine flavours. Good wine. 17/20

Stonier KBS Vineyard Chardonnay 2007
14% alc. Faintly darker yellow straw colour. A quite tropical aroma of banana, cheese, and butter. A sweet palate entry with lovely weight across the palate; long nectarine flavours, but softer here than the Willow Creek. 16/20

Bracket 2
Tucks Ridge Turramurra Vineyard Chardonnay 2008
13.7% alc. Light straw colour. A faintly earthy aroma, with biscuit, and green melon. The palate is solid and well-balanced. Nectarine-like flavours. Good length. 14/20

Main Ridge Estate Chardonnay 2008
13.5% alc. Light yellow straw in colour. AN interesting aroma of deli ham, and faintly cheesy. A sweet luxurious palate entry with subliminal oak, and good acid balancing the wine out. Awesome mouthfeel. Tangy and refreshing. 16/20

Paringa Estate The Paringa Chardonnay 2008
14.5% alc. Faintly more golden straw colour here. Faint creamy melon aromas, and a suggestion of asian spice. Some malo characters showing here, and it's a riper style than all others before it today. The palate is full, and relatively well balanced; long and warm. Alcohol does show just a smidge. 16/20

Kooyong Estate Farrago Chardonnay 2008
12.5% alc. Light straw in colour. Riverstone, sulphur, butter, and some less ripe minty aromas here. The palate is towards the apple-like acidity. Good length, but a little simple. 13/20

Bracket 3
Ten Minutes By Tractor Wallis Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007
Light clear burgundy colour. Sweet aroma with very faint earth and forest floor, stem, and some sweet oak with air-time. Also a touch of alcoholic lift. The palate has a sweet entry and is fine and lively. Lovely flavour, and good length. 16/20

Ocean Eight Aylward Pinot Noir 2007
13% alc. Light clear burgundy colour. Oak, mint, and very faint brett (which doesn't detract) aromas here. Tastes good, but is short. 14/20

Willow Creek Benedictus Pinot Noir 2007
Light clear burgundy colour. There appears to be more oxidative wine making practices at work here. Faintly sweet leaf/stem aromas with berries, and a touch of alcoholic lift. The palate is very fine with more forest floor characters. Long and tasty. 16/20

Bracket 4

Stonier KBS Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007
14% alc. Light burgundy colour. Very faint mint, cedar, and toasty oak. A sweet palate entry with faint chocolatey characters around cheery-like fruit. Very long palate. 15/20

Stonier Windmill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007
13.5% alc. Light burgundy colour. Looks a little brown. Stemmy aromas, earthy, mushroomy and some rather toasty oak, but not overbearing. A soft, sweet palate entry. It's light bodied, with nice light acid. Fairly long, with a faintly bitter finish to the tannins. 15/20

Paringa Estate Barrel Select Reserve Pinot Noir 2007
14.5% alc. A faintly darker burgundy colour here. Rich, sweet baking pan aromas, and soy. The palate sweet and rich. Again a riper style, like the Paringa Chardonnay tasted earlier. 16/20

Kooyong Estate Ferrous Pinot Noir 2008
13.5% alc. Light burgundy colour. Interesting nose with very subdued sweet earth and leaf characters. A sweet palate entry with quite firm tannins Quite savoury. 13/20

Bracket 5

The Cups Estate Raimando Pinot Noir 2004
13.5% alc. Light brown/burgundy colour. Five-spice aromas. Sweet cherry fruit entry. Bright front and mid palate then slightly bitter tannins. 13/20

The Cups Estate Raimando Pinot Noir 2005
13.5% alc. Light brown/burgundy colour. Stemmy, savoury, earthy aromas. Rich palate shows a little bit short. 13/20

The Cups Estate Raimando Pinot Noir 2006
13.5% alc. Light burgundy colour. Sweeter nervy leaf and stem aromatics here, and a long palate. 15/20

[Sean]

deleted

[Cloudy]

Paringa Pinot Noir is always fantastic. Lindsay McCall regularly cleans up the medals for it and deservedly so. Lovin it.