The Auswine Forum

Just wondering about peoples thoughts on budget pinot noir. Do good budget pinots exist? In that I mean real varietal character. I personally think the situation is getting better. For instance Stoniers Pinot Noir 2003 is fantastic for ($17) - bursting with pinot fruit on nose and palate and Hochkirch Steinbruch 2001 ($19) an amazing burgundian style with forest, musk and manure notes. Both of these are better than many twice (or more) the price (i.e. Ashton Hills, Nepenthe). Does anyone have other budget pinots worth hunting down?

The two best of my tastings recently are,

Hoddles Creek Pinot Noir 2002 $17 - 90 points- Quite spicy and masculine but with excellent intense flavours &

Picardy 2002- $25 (Cellar Door) 93 points- elegant, intense, great power but with balance, terrific value at the price.


Cheers

De Bortoli Gulf Station pinot noir 2003, about $16, maybe a bit less at times. Incredible value.

Campbell.

De Bortoli Gulf Station pinot noir 2003, about $16, maybe a bit less at times. Incredible value.

Hoddles Creek 2002 as well.

Campbell.

The Long Flat Wine Company Yarra Valley Pinot Noir seems to be well regarded although I personally do not like the 2004. I had one bottle of the 2003 and I recall that being quite pleasant. Cost around $12.

I like the De Bortoli Gulf Station Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, cost around $13.50.

Grant wrote: Hoddles Creek Pinot Noir 2002 $17 - 90 points- Quite spicy and masculine but with excellent intense flavours &


Cheers

It is the 2003. Good wine.

De Bortoli Windy Peak
Trentham (surprisingly good pinot from Murray-Darling)
The Long Flat Wine Company Yarra Valley
"Alias" from Woolworths outlets last year was OK too.

Yarra Ridge
Coldstream Hills

Kieran

Hi

Tarrawarra Tin Cows Pinot approx $20 - lovely cherry and plum fruit, ripeness and good length.

Long Flat Wine Co Pinot $11-14 - Havent tasted but been getting rave reviews

Not an easy category for bargains.

NN

Soon to be released 04 Seppelt Drumborg Pinot - About 12.95

Weren't previous Seppelt Drumborg Pinots around $30-40?

Kieran

Try Diamond Valley Blue Label or Stephano Lubiana. Bothe in the mid $20s.

Kieran wrote:Weren't previous Seppelt Drumborg Pinots around $30-40?

Kieran

Drumborg fruit. Victorian range.

Yes,

but I will have to kill you if I tell you.

I am currently drinking through a case of Rosevears 2000 Pinot, which I bought for about $22/bt (case price) a few years ago.

It's also possible to buy french Bourgogne under $30/bt. These wines can keep in good years if they are from reputable domaines/negotiants. I recently had my last bottle of 1990 Rene Leclerc Bourgogne which had aged very well.

Frank.

Try Baraks Ridge (?) from the Yering Station range.

Lighter body but with some definate character for under $15

Thanks for the replies everyone.
That should keep me going for a while.
It seems that DeBortoli and Long Flat are the real popular choices, I'll have to give tham a go.

My recent experiences with budget Aussie Pinot is that it's difficult to nail down a consistently good wine because it seems to be subject so much to vintage variation and/or the steep learning curve in making it.

While you could (and probably should) apply this to all wines in general, every wine and vintage has to be treated on its own merits. Particularly in the Adelaide Hills region the wines can perform entirely against the SA red vintage reputation in general, and fluctuate wildly each year making them difficult to suss-out.

Sorry but this probably isn't much help.

Cheers
Ian