TNs: 1986-1995 Mount Mary Pinots
Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2004 10:08 am
All well cellared with no ullage and no leaking. For so long I have heard that one must keep the Mount Mary Pinots for at least a decade – well I certainly won’t be based on these notes and my prior experience with this wine. At best, I think they are peaking around 5-6 years of age (I have never really liked them upon release either in their youthful state). The reputation has run far ahead of the quality of these wines IMO and I really cannot see what all the fuss is about (like my previous TNs on the chardonnays). But to be fair, I have never been enamoured of nearly every Aussie Pinot (save for the obvious standouts occasionally) I have had (on a <I>consistent</I> basis).
<b>1986 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Mild red with brown tinges. Bouquet of green vegetable garden, slightly herbaceous, some violets and floral aromas. Quite meaty and gamey when 1st opened, but evaporated after 15 minutes. Quite lovely. The palate is not very distinctive or developed – even after triple decanting. Medium-bodied with good length. No real primary fruit left and almost one-dimensional. Has aged well (but without much distinction) and no signs of fading after three hours. Past its best but not much worse than a previous bottle I had a few years earlier. Some hint of 13% alcohol. <b>Good 16.0 / 20</b>
<b>1990 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Mid red, more youthful than the 1993. Nose is closed, but there are hints of sweet violets and cherries. Shutdown after one hour. Palate is not very yielding. After time, it put on a bit more weight although the cherry fruit vaporised. Tannin came to the fore. Not very drinker friendly and quite hard. <b>Good 16.5.0 / 20</b>
<b>1991 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Light brown with some orange specks. Nice sweet perfumed plums and slight volatility and alcohol “hotness†on the nose (13.5%). After one hour, still unbalanced and tannic in the mouth. Tannins fine and chalky. Good mouth feel and length. Fruit dissipating for what was supposedly a great vintage in the Yarra for Pinot. Not enough fruit for the abundant tannins. 2nd day – no change. <b>Average 15.5 / 20</b>
<b>1992 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Light brown and the lightest of the 1990-93 vintages. Dead nose – no perfume, no fruit, and a whiff of the 14% alcohol. Disappointing palate. Short. Lacking fruit. Clearly a poor vintage reflecting the anaemic structure. Past its best. Mostly residual alcohol. Over the hill – that’s clear. Just oak remaining. 2nd bottle was exactly the same. <b>Poor 14.5 / 20</b>
<b>1993 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Mid red and showing its age more than the 90. Again, the bouquet is floral, bitter chocolate and plum aromas but not as sweet as the 90. Medium weight with some healthy tannins but not as strident as the 90. Lovely length and quite balanced. 13.5% not a problem. Much better drinking than the esteemed 90 upon 1st opening, but quickly fell apart. Not for keeping. Finishes too dry. Often noted as the worst vintage for all MM wines in the 90s. <b>Good 16.0 / 20</b>
<b>1994 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Light brown – surprisingly more advanced than anticipated. Nose is sweet cherries and perfumed strawberries. Palate is very drinkable with goog length and balanced. Seamless. Very elegant. Nice dusty, dry tannins. At its peak. Lovely. More savoury in profile – not easy to discern any primary fruits. So far the best of the 1986-1995s. <b>Very Good 17.5 / 20</b>
<b>1995 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Mid red. Nose is weird, not much fruit but “savouryÂâ€Â. Palate is similar – wine has no weight, little fruit concentration and heaps of tannin. Fruit seems underripe and palate short. DidnÂ’t like this at all. Just tastes like wine, with no quality or style. <b>Average 15.5 / 20</b>
I would really love to hear other peopleÂ’s comments on the ageing capability of MM Pinots. IÂ’m sure there are one-offs that hit the spot but consistently?
<b>1986 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Mild red with brown tinges. Bouquet of green vegetable garden, slightly herbaceous, some violets and floral aromas. Quite meaty and gamey when 1st opened, but evaporated after 15 minutes. Quite lovely. The palate is not very distinctive or developed – even after triple decanting. Medium-bodied with good length. No real primary fruit left and almost one-dimensional. Has aged well (but without much distinction) and no signs of fading after three hours. Past its best but not much worse than a previous bottle I had a few years earlier. Some hint of 13% alcohol. <b>Good 16.0 / 20</b>
<b>1990 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Mid red, more youthful than the 1993. Nose is closed, but there are hints of sweet violets and cherries. Shutdown after one hour. Palate is not very yielding. After time, it put on a bit more weight although the cherry fruit vaporised. Tannin came to the fore. Not very drinker friendly and quite hard. <b>Good 16.5.0 / 20</b>
<b>1991 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Light brown with some orange specks. Nice sweet perfumed plums and slight volatility and alcohol “hotness†on the nose (13.5%). After one hour, still unbalanced and tannic in the mouth. Tannins fine and chalky. Good mouth feel and length. Fruit dissipating for what was supposedly a great vintage in the Yarra for Pinot. Not enough fruit for the abundant tannins. 2nd day – no change. <b>Average 15.5 / 20</b>
<b>1992 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Light brown and the lightest of the 1990-93 vintages. Dead nose – no perfume, no fruit, and a whiff of the 14% alcohol. Disappointing palate. Short. Lacking fruit. Clearly a poor vintage reflecting the anaemic structure. Past its best. Mostly residual alcohol. Over the hill – that’s clear. Just oak remaining. 2nd bottle was exactly the same. <b>Poor 14.5 / 20</b>
<b>1993 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Mid red and showing its age more than the 90. Again, the bouquet is floral, bitter chocolate and plum aromas but not as sweet as the 90. Medium weight with some healthy tannins but not as strident as the 90. Lovely length and quite balanced. 13.5% not a problem. Much better drinking than the esteemed 90 upon 1st opening, but quickly fell apart. Not for keeping. Finishes too dry. Often noted as the worst vintage for all MM wines in the 90s. <b>Good 16.0 / 20</b>
<b>1994 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Light brown – surprisingly more advanced than anticipated. Nose is sweet cherries and perfumed strawberries. Palate is very drinkable with goog length and balanced. Seamless. Very elegant. Nice dusty, dry tannins. At its peak. Lovely. More savoury in profile – not easy to discern any primary fruits. So far the best of the 1986-1995s. <b>Very Good 17.5 / 20</b>
<b>1995 Mount Mary Yarra Valley Pinot Noir</b>
Mid red. Nose is weird, not much fruit but “savouryÂâ€Â. Palate is similar – wine has no weight, little fruit concentration and heaps of tannin. Fruit seems underripe and palate short. DidnÂ’t like this at all. Just tastes like wine, with no quality or style. <b>Average 15.5 / 20</b>
I would really love to hear other peopleÂ’s comments on the ageing capability of MM Pinots. IÂ’m sure there are one-offs that hit the spot but consistently?