Hoddles Creek Pinot Noir 2010

[Waiters Friend]

Deep garnet and translucent. Sour red cherry and meaty, smoky and spicy characters are quite prominent on the nose. The palate has a bit more balance and subtlety - plenty of acid and moderate tannins supporting fresh lush raspberry fruit.

A good balance, and going well with the roast chook.

Cheers
Allan

[Waiters Friend]

This has shifted and softened a little in the last 18 months. Strawberry, sour cherry, but a little less charcuterie than 18 months ago, and a little more earthiness and mushroom.

The palate is where this has really changed, however. The fruit is less lush and fresh, and some welcome savoury characters and tannins. The mushroom characters are also showing through, which will match my gnocchi with wild mushroom and cream sauce very well indeed.

Like most of the wines I've revisited this week, there's no hurry to drink this.

Cheers
Allan

[Waiters Friend]

Final bottle of this vintage.

Garnet in colour. The primary fruit has largely dissipated, and it is now largely confectioned and a little jammy. The savoury and mushroom characters have also integrated into a mix of secondary characters that are difficult to separate.

The palate is showing good supporting acid, and the flavours across the tongue are a little sharp and angular. Reasonable length. This is probably a year or two past it, and it's a shame I waited this long. Time to look at the 2012s

Cheers
Allan

[Rory]

Hi Allen.

Looked at the '12 a month ago, the '13 last week.
Both were ok, both reflecting their respective vintages. wouldn't hold any longer tho.

[Mahmoud Ali]

I have to say that despite not ever having had the Hoddles Creek PN nor having seen it on this side of the Pacific pond, it is entertaining to read about the development of the wine over the last five years. Thanks Allan, keep up the good work.

[felixp21]

The 2012 came out with rave reviews from many Aussie critics. Given it was at a time before I lost total faith in their ability or integrity, or perhaps both, I believed them and purchased a case. It has never been much good, I think I have about 4-5 bottles left, so thanks for the tip-off, I will drink them when next down in Oz.
I also have a case of the 2015, not opened yet, anyone have any ideas how that is travelling?

[Ozzie W]

Felix, perhaps expecting too much from what is only an entry level $20 Pinot?

[felixp21]

my bad Ozzie, I was talking about the 1er Cru bottling.

[Ozzie W]

I like the 1er. For me, it's a well made Pinot in the context of Aussie Pinot. Sure, it's not at Premier Cru level Burgundy as the name might suggest. But it's only a $40-$50 wine depending on the vintage. QPR is excellent. They need a few years in the cellar to show their best.

Felix, you obviously don't like the wine or the producer, which is fine, but I'm curious as to why? Which Aussie Pinot do you like?

[felixp21]

it's not that I don't like it, I just think all their wines are very much over-rated by the critics. Would give the 2012 1er Cru somewhere around 85pts, which is the equivalent to an average Bourgogne. Fair enough too, the price for such is similar to the French products. I did, however, see a review or two where it was rated 95 points, which I find, might i best say, amusing. That it is within 5% of a 1999 DRC Romanee Conti shows how absurd wine critic scoring has become.

Aussie pinots I like? The latest few vintages of Mount Mary have been good, not that I would pay anywhere near the $150 asking price. The top Joseph Chromy seemed decent enough, I don't remember it's name but we had it at lunch at the winery, and it was in my book as good as a decent Burgundy Villages level wine. I'm not a huge Aussie pinot fan, although Chardonnay.... now that is an entirely different matter!!!