The Auswine Forum

I'm heading to the Yarra Valley in a couple of weeks, with only a day & half to spare (ending up at Kiltynane for their "Pinot Experience"). I would like to concentrate on tasting pinots, as I'm trying to get my head around them at the moment.

Can anyone suggest some good options?

Cheers,

Mark

Lucky bugger. If you make it to the next offline, I might suggest you give us a talk.....

silkwood wrote:I'm heading to the Yarra Valley in a couple of weeks, with only a day & half to spare (ending up at Kiltynane for their "Pinot Experience"). I would like to concentrate on tasting pinots, as I'm trying to get my head around them at the moment.

Can anyone suggest some good options?
Cheers,

Mark

Save yourself much pain and money. Stick to South Aus Shiraz and Cabernet.

Graham

GrahamB wrote:
Save yourself much pain and money. Stick to South Aus Shiraz and Cabernet.

Graham

Troll...

It nice to see some input, but if anyone can suggest the best places for me to visit? What would you consider the most worthwhile producers for Pinot in the region?

Cheers,

Mark

Ignoring the ignorant comment above, it is worth mentioning that many of the better Yarra Valley Pinot Noir are not available for tasting. Nonetheless, most Yarra Valley Pinot Noir lovers would say that Coldstream Hills and De Bortoli are the best places to start in the Yarra for Pinot tasting. I also saw Helen's Hill get a good review on Winorama. FWIW, Winorama also has tasting notes of the De Bortoli wines - it is helpful to compare your opinions of a wine to another person in order to "get your head" around a varietal... even though Gary's opinions of this varietal/style can can differ to others'.

Adair

silkwood wrote:It nice to see some input, but if anyone can suggest the best places for me to visit? What would you consider the most worthwhile producers for Pinot in the region?

Cheers,

Mark

The Yarra Valley Dairy had the Wine Hub when I last visited which showcased wines from smaller producers. Found some real gems there.

Yering Station and Tarrawarra Estate would be worth a visit

Adair wrote:Ignoring the ignorant comment above, Adair

The ignorant comment is based on around 40 years of drinking red wine and searching for good pinot for all but the last five years. Have you kept a record on the number of disappointments you have had from pinots? vs other red wine? I certainly wish I had done so. Then I would know how much money I wasted. Still the appreciation and value of each bottle is something for each of us to 'score'.

I suppose ignorance is bliss.

It's surely a matter of taste that's at question?

GrahamB

I would have totally agreed with your comment on Aust pinot about 4 yrs ago. I am a riesling drinker and therefore crave a bit of acidity in my wines.

But my findings in recent years are that a fair few Australian pinot producers have found out what they have been missing in their wines; ACID.

Some of the 05 pinots from the Yarra and especially Tasmania have really cranked things up a notch. There are now plenty of Aust pinots with varietal definition, great acidity and drinkability.

Get back on that pinot horse and take some of the latest releases for a canter.

06 Brook Eden Pinot
06 Stoney Rise Pinot
06 Stoney Rise Hoyman Pinot
05 De Bertoli Reserve Pinot
05 Hoddles Ck Pinot
05 Coldstream Hills Pinot
05 Dalrymple pinot
05 Providence Miguet Pinot

GrahamB wrote:

Adair wrote:Ignoring the ignorant comment above, Adair

The ignorant comment is based on around 40 years of drinking red wine and searching for good pinot for all but the last five years. Have you kept a record on the number of disappointments you have had from pinots? vs other red wine? I certainly wish I had done so. Then I would know how much money I wasted. Still the appreciation and value of each bottle is something for each of us to 'score'.

I suppose ignorance is bliss.

I can't quite buy this argument. Inconsistent or not, if I feel like a pinot, I feel like a pinot. It's a different drink for a different situation for me, even if I feel a bit let down at times (as I equally do with full bodied shiraz though). I do agree with the Holy one though, pinots seem to have come a fair way in the last year or few... but of course they will never be a shiraz (thank goodness!)

It is an ignorant comment. A bit like saying
'I did not eat out much in Sydney in the 1970's because there were no good Thai restraurants, and I like good Thai, so I stopped looking and eating out...prefering to eat at home and stick to steak and chips every day. I'm just a steak and chips kind of guy at heart..'

Nothing is in stasis and an educated Australian drinker knows that nothing moves so quickly as change in the local wine industry. You just need to drink Chardonnay to know this.
GW

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Some good information there, thanks for the tips. I had considered spending a day in the Mornington Peninsula, but I would have to make my way back to the Yarra anyway for the evening (I've booked accommodation).

Graham, I can appreciate your comments as, even now I'm realising it is beyond my budget to really get a feel for many of the highly regarded Pinots. I am happy to discover, however, that I'm finding some I really appreciate and I want to look further into the potential of the variety.

Again, thanks for all the responses.

Cheers,

Mark

If you are heading over to Mornington Peninsula please check out Paringa Estate - their special barrel reserve is excellent

redwino wrote:...check out Paringa Estate - their special barrel reserve is excellent

Their standard estate pinot is pretty smart too

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As it is the Yarra Grape Grazing Festival the place will likely be busy, but I have the Tuesday to look around as well. Are there any smaller producers anyone would suggest? I could contact them this week to ask if I could call in.

Cheers,

Mark

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silkwood wrote:Graham, I can appreciate your comments as, even now I'm realising it is beyond my budget to really get a feel for many of the highly regarded Pinots. I am happy to discover, however, that I'm finding some I really appreciate and I want to look further into the potential of the variety.

Again, thanks for all the responses.

Cheers,

Mark

Hi Mark
There are many of us on the forums who have to put up our hard earned for every bottle we try. There are a few who get wine supplied to them to taste at no cost. Maybe the latter group get to try wines which are very quickly sold out and so not available to us. It was interesting to look at Hallidays top 100 to see how many wines were no longer available when the paper was released to the general buying public!

As was mentioned by another forumite, many of the better pinots are not available at cellar door. Sold out or gone to mailing lists?

I will probably have put some of the sensitive members off side again but you can't help bad luck. Today I tried six pinots at work and would not purchase one of them. There were also four cabernet merlot blends that were all cheaper than the pinots and I would have cheerfully paid for three of them.

I believe there is a store tasting happening in Brisbane tomorrow with the theme Australian Pinot Noir. I would love to be there but don't think I can make it before going to work. Wizz will no doubt be there. Maybe he will post some notes.

Good luck on your search. Please let us know when or if you find some that are good and also available. I for one will be waiting.

Graham

GrahamB wrote: Today I tried six pinots at work and would not purchase one of them. There were also four cabernet merlot blends that were all cheaper than the pinots and I would have cheerfully paid for three of them.

What were they out of interest?
GW

I would have totally agreed with your comment on Aust pinot about 4 yrs ago. I am a riesling drinker and therefore crave a bit of acidity in my wines.

But my findings in recent years are that a fair few Australian pinot producers have found out what they have been missing in their wines; ACID.

I agree holy grail but better acid levels (natural) has come from a variety of reason. Firstly, we are planting Pinot Noir in the right spots. In the past any site in the Yarra would have been planted to pinot. Now we are choosing cooler more marginal sites that are more suited. So now we are picking at 12 baume with ripe flavours, rather than 13 with still some greenness. Hence natural acid levels are higher and result in no or less tartaric acid being added at the crusher.

Also, we have a better understanding of how to grow pinot. Changes in canopy management, crop level, sunlight exposure and pruning regimes all result in a balanced vine. If the vine is balanced, then usually the wine will reflect this.

Save yourself much pain and money. Stick to South Aus Shiraz and Cabernet.

Graham

Wine should be a learning experience. The best way to learn is to drink different wines and varietials. Why limit yourself?

Cheers

Franco

Gary W wrote:What were they out of interest?
GW

Gary

I have sent the list to you as I am not sure if I would offend the winemakers if they are forumites.

Graham