Pinot Masterclass.
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 12:56 pm
The fourth of six Masterclasses at RockSalt cafe in Mt Martha on the Mornington Peninsula.
A perhaps much eagerly awaited night as the late inclusion of the '95 Bass Phillip Premium (thanks Neville K) lifted the game somewhat. Once again, food well matched with a main course of a roulade of stuffed quail, pidgeon, duck, pheasant & goose!
'01 Domaine A.
Rhubarb red, nice dense middle. Spritely red berries, a fair amount of mint on a high toned nose. The palate of beetroot, mint chocolate & spice was alittle hot from the 15% alc, and the fruit tasted overripe & cooked. A heavy wine, more shiraz like that didin't show well. 16/20
Bruno Claire Chambolle Musigny "Les Veroillies" '02.
(Double decanted two hours prior). Light red, strawberry colour, lifted floral perfumed nose of elegance, showing good pinosity. Quite juicy lovely red berried palate with a silky mouthfeel, ample length with grippy tannins that softened as the night wore on. A good femanine pinot that needs some time, but is nonetheless a good wine for it's class. 17
Ata Rangi '02.
Dense red colour (how typical NZ) with a very strong beetroot, charry/smokey oak nose of some power. Powerfull fruit backed up by grippy tannins & good acid. A big wine with considerable length that has changed in the 6 months since I opened the last one (both under stelvin). Has still many years to go to soften out, but it's flavours and profile were still attractive in context to the previous two wines. Gets a knocking on the forum from time to time, but stood up well tonight. I like the style, shoot me down. 18
Mount Mary '00.
Yep, ready to debunk another MM, as I did with the Chardonnay. It will be like all the other MM Pinots I've drunk, overrated and unexciting.......
Rhubarb colour with slight browning as expected, yeah going over the hill already! Elegant feminine pinosity of red berries on the nose that seriously suprised me, lovely to smell, got better with time. Good fruit weight, good length, good acid, beautifully made wine that drifts & rolls around the palate reminding me of a good Quintet. Sit up, take notice...this is very good. Seamless. 18.25
Paringa Estate '00
On first opening the bottle an hour before to check for taint, I thought yep, typical. Stunk of Shiraz. Pfffft, ready for another arse kicking!
I've got to stop prejudging wines this way, coz the only arse that was getting kicked was mine! Another suprise!
Dense prune, a little browning on edges. Someone must have poured the shiraz out and replaced it with pinot whilst I wasn't looking! Good pinosity on the nose, rich, spicey and high toned. A full palate, ripe with good acid, tannins softening out with hints of undergrowth and mushrooms, yes a litle jubey, but standing up very well. Very good length. Well done! 18
Bindi "Original Vineyard" '98 Magnum.
Youthfull dark red, showing no signs of browning on edges. High perfumed nose of strawberries much like the Bruno Claire, still a little closed in relation to the palate. Smooth, lovely texture on the palate, silky. This wine also stood out for it's suprising minerality, perhaps showing it's terrior well, which is supposed to be what Pinot is all about! Fresh strawberries, good acid & tannin balance, very different, very good! 18
Bannockburn Serre '00
Dense red, very little browning. Very intense beetroot/rhubarb highly perfumed nose, amazing, stunning, second best Oz Pinot I've smelt, Channel No. 5, it's got the lot! Wow, very complex, intense palate, excellent length, balance, structure and poise. Years ahead of it, kept going back to this all night, great Australian pinot! 19
Bass Phillip Premium '95
Showing some ageing around the edges, but not as much as you'd expect for a 10 year old OZ pinot. Ah yes, typical funky honeyed nose just full of expression, out there, grouse! Love it! Stopped the table in it's tracks completely, the first time i'd heard all 15 people go dead quite for a ew seconds, then it was hard to contain the babble! This is the best Oz pinot I've smelt!
For many in the group it was the first time look at a Bass Phillip and some were obviously having a hard time getting thier head around it, and they hadn't even tasted it yet! Pass your glass to me then!!!
The palate was no less exciting, lovely honeyed richness with undergrowth, mushrooms, excellent silky viscosity and excellent length. Arguably Australias best producer, a cracker! 19.25
Faively Mazis Chambertin '97.
A grand Cru from this high profile Negoicant, I had to double decant it two hours previous as it was all closed up, and it hadn't moved much by the time we tasted it.
Even ruby red in colour, the nose was still not revealing much other than some rhubarb notes. The palate showed classic strawberries, earth and more rhubarb with great structure and acid with grippy tannins and very good length. Needs much time in the bottle, but there was some discussion as to how good it would get. My feelings were that it has all the hallmarks of becoming as good as an almost $200 bottle of Burgundy should get after another 10 years. It shows class. And that was the lesson it was in the line-up to teach! 18.5 now, probably 19 in time
Overall, a very solid line up! The Domaine A the only let down.
The Shiraz Masterclass is up next!
Rory
A perhaps much eagerly awaited night as the late inclusion of the '95 Bass Phillip Premium (thanks Neville K) lifted the game somewhat. Once again, food well matched with a main course of a roulade of stuffed quail, pidgeon, duck, pheasant & goose!
'01 Domaine A.
Rhubarb red, nice dense middle. Spritely red berries, a fair amount of mint on a high toned nose. The palate of beetroot, mint chocolate & spice was alittle hot from the 15% alc, and the fruit tasted overripe & cooked. A heavy wine, more shiraz like that didin't show well. 16/20
Bruno Claire Chambolle Musigny "Les Veroillies" '02.
(Double decanted two hours prior). Light red, strawberry colour, lifted floral perfumed nose of elegance, showing good pinosity. Quite juicy lovely red berried palate with a silky mouthfeel, ample length with grippy tannins that softened as the night wore on. A good femanine pinot that needs some time, but is nonetheless a good wine for it's class. 17
Ata Rangi '02.
Dense red colour (how typical NZ) with a very strong beetroot, charry/smokey oak nose of some power. Powerfull fruit backed up by grippy tannins & good acid. A big wine with considerable length that has changed in the 6 months since I opened the last one (both under stelvin). Has still many years to go to soften out, but it's flavours and profile were still attractive in context to the previous two wines. Gets a knocking on the forum from time to time, but stood up well tonight. I like the style, shoot me down. 18
Mount Mary '00.
Yep, ready to debunk another MM, as I did with the Chardonnay. It will be like all the other MM Pinots I've drunk, overrated and unexciting.......
Rhubarb colour with slight browning as expected, yeah going over the hill already! Elegant feminine pinosity of red berries on the nose that seriously suprised me, lovely to smell, got better with time. Good fruit weight, good length, good acid, beautifully made wine that drifts & rolls around the palate reminding me of a good Quintet. Sit up, take notice...this is very good. Seamless. 18.25
Paringa Estate '00
On first opening the bottle an hour before to check for taint, I thought yep, typical. Stunk of Shiraz. Pfffft, ready for another arse kicking!
I've got to stop prejudging wines this way, coz the only arse that was getting kicked was mine! Another suprise!
Dense prune, a little browning on edges. Someone must have poured the shiraz out and replaced it with pinot whilst I wasn't looking! Good pinosity on the nose, rich, spicey and high toned. A full palate, ripe with good acid, tannins softening out with hints of undergrowth and mushrooms, yes a litle jubey, but standing up very well. Very good length. Well done! 18
Bindi "Original Vineyard" '98 Magnum.
Youthfull dark red, showing no signs of browning on edges. High perfumed nose of strawberries much like the Bruno Claire, still a little closed in relation to the palate. Smooth, lovely texture on the palate, silky. This wine also stood out for it's suprising minerality, perhaps showing it's terrior well, which is supposed to be what Pinot is all about! Fresh strawberries, good acid & tannin balance, very different, very good! 18
Bannockburn Serre '00
Dense red, very little browning. Very intense beetroot/rhubarb highly perfumed nose, amazing, stunning, second best Oz Pinot I've smelt, Channel No. 5, it's got the lot! Wow, very complex, intense palate, excellent length, balance, structure and poise. Years ahead of it, kept going back to this all night, great Australian pinot! 19
Bass Phillip Premium '95
Showing some ageing around the edges, but not as much as you'd expect for a 10 year old OZ pinot. Ah yes, typical funky honeyed nose just full of expression, out there, grouse! Love it! Stopped the table in it's tracks completely, the first time i'd heard all 15 people go dead quite for a ew seconds, then it was hard to contain the babble! This is the best Oz pinot I've smelt!
For many in the group it was the first time look at a Bass Phillip and some were obviously having a hard time getting thier head around it, and they hadn't even tasted it yet! Pass your glass to me then!!!
The palate was no less exciting, lovely honeyed richness with undergrowth, mushrooms, excellent silky viscosity and excellent length. Arguably Australias best producer, a cracker! 19.25
Faively Mazis Chambertin '97.
A grand Cru from this high profile Negoicant, I had to double decant it two hours previous as it was all closed up, and it hadn't moved much by the time we tasted it.
Even ruby red in colour, the nose was still not revealing much other than some rhubarb notes. The palate showed classic strawberries, earth and more rhubarb with great structure and acid with grippy tannins and very good length. Needs much time in the bottle, but there was some discussion as to how good it would get. My feelings were that it has all the hallmarks of becoming as good as an almost $200 bottle of Burgundy should get after another 10 years. It shows class. And that was the lesson it was in the line-up to teach! 18.5 now, probably 19 in time
Overall, a very solid line up! The Domaine A the only let down.
The Shiraz Masterclass is up next!
Rory