The Auswine Forum

Spent some time down at the peninsula last week,got in quite a few producers.

Impressed with the overall quality of the wines. I couldn't say that I tried a "Bad" wine,despite the fact that vintage variation certainly makes it difficult to maintain consistency. Some were better than others of course,and the great ones stood out like a beacon.

Price is an issue. Most producers have small holdings of land and when trying to make high quality pinot and chardonnay,it becomes necessary by virtue of issues of scale that the price goes up into the top brackets. I was particularly interested in tasting pinot and kept trying to assess each wine against the price point it was placed in.

The bottom line is that the market is too competitive to turn out sub standard fare and remain in business,and everyone down there are having a "red hot go" at making good wine.


ELDRIDGE ESTATE

David Lloyd is tthe wine maker/owner here,and is really committed to making good pinot. He does the vineyard work as well,is experimenting with different clones and trellissing and makes a true,varietally correct pinot. The latest, the 2001,is a really nice wine,if starting to get a little expensive at $45. Cherry/Raspberry fruit, some nice savoury complexity with more than adequate length. I must say that it was so cold this day that I found it hard to coax much out of the nose,but the wine is worthy of attention and well made. The Chardonnay is also a good wine with some nutty/citrus elements.
A big heads up though for the 2002 Euroa Creeks Shiraz. David bought a batch of fruit from a grower who got screwed by one of the big companies and has made a beautiful wine from it. Very small quantities but a wine that has a lot going on,will age wonderfully and is seriously worth the $42 asking price.


WILLOW CREEK

New winemaker in residence for the 2001 vintage,I was told. Some repackaging/labelling of the wine too.The reserve will now be called "Tulum",both the chardonnay and pinot.

2001 Tulum Pinot Noir $35

Good fruit weight/density,with the tannins being still a little grippy and obvious at this point in time. Needs some time in the cellar before drinking. A good wine though,in the more masculine spectrum of pinot without being too extracted or over the top.



STONIERS

Tried the whole range. Very consistent across the board. My picks were,

Chardonnay/Pinot Noir 1999 (Sparkling) $45

3 years on lees have given this a lovely fullness of flavour,rounded biscuit/yeast with still a strong driving acidity carrying the wine forward.Small quantities,not commercially available and a fine example of Oz sparkling.

Reserve Chardonnay 2001 $39

Nutty/mealy,citrus. Extended leescontact and battonage give it a creamy mouthfeel,nice classy follow through with good length

Reserve Pinot 2001 $45

Dark cherry,touch of spice/savoury,very fine tannin structure,excellent intensity. Ageworthy. Touch of class.


MAIN RIDGE

Impressive wines with a pedigree,being one of the first wineries to plant on the peninsula.
Chardonnay is the flagship,with pinot and a little merlot making up the balance. High quality across the board.

2001 Chardonnay.

New oak evident on nose,but not distracting. Very fine,a wine of restraint in the fruit dept,nuts and citrus,excellent length. Destined for a long life.

2001 Half Acre Pinot Noir $48

Classy;cherry/strawberry fruit,savoury and foresty with intensity and good length. Has a certain elegance about it.


MERRICKS CREEK

I've had a bit of a rave about this producer in a previous post. Another tasting just confirms what I was thinking before. The Nick Farr 2001 Pinot is hands down the best pinot I have ever tried from this region,and one of the best Oz pinot's I have had ,full stop. It just stood out so much amongst this line up,and none of these are real slouches either,it must be said.
It also needs to be said that the vines for this wine were only planted in 1998,so it stands to reason that in years to come we may see even further dimensions to the wines from Merricks Creek.
The bad news is that they had a terrible vintage in 2002,poor fruit set,low yields and quality way down. Consequently they have decided not to release a wine this year,which is an admirable decision and is in line with their professed goal of only producing quality pinot noir.
The good news is that the 2003 barrel samples look very encouraging,especially the Close Planted vineyard where they are experimenting with the Burgundian system of planting. Lovely aromatics and flavour at this early stage.
Quite exciting really,looking forward to seeing the result of the follow up.


I tried quite a few others,Montalto,Red Hill,Port Phillip,Dromana. Some of the cellar doors were too full with perfumed babes on Hens parties to get a good impression of the wines;some didn't show the full range but overall I had a positive impression of them,like I said,no bad wines,perhaps just a bit unexciting.
I like the range of Italian varietals at Dromana,the "I" range by Gary Crittenden for value and quality. At $20,they are nice intro point to Italian wine,show correct varietal distinctiveness and are well made. My fave was the Sangiovese,a good fun wine.
Last but not least,an honourable mention to Foxeys Hangout for their 2001 Pinot Noir. Trying to find good pinot at around the $20 mark is very difficult,and I think you could buy this at various spots for as low as $17. It is more expressive on the nose than in the mouth,but still remains true to it's varietal origins and is again a great starting point for someone to experience pinot for the first time. A great effort.


Hope you all had a great X-mas.


Cheers

Grant,

Agree on your sumations on the wineries you tasted.
The Main Ridge '01's are very good, the Chardonny right up there with the best Nat White has done and even though I am not a big fan of Oz Pinot, and even less of a fan of Peninsula Pinot, I agree that the '01 1/2 Acre is very good.
Like you, I have had the luck to try the whole range of Merricks Creek, and can confer on the quality of the Nick Farr Pinot. The Close Planted is not that far behind either.
The penisula has been blessed with a run of good Pinot vintages , and is finally showing a very little very good results.

Regards,
Rory

At this time of the yr it can be a bit hectic. MP is full of Melburnians on holiday maybe for the beaches & fishing rather than the pinot. That's how it was when we went down there on Sunday anyway. It's an hr from Melbourne - either the Nepean Hwy (which takes you thru the bayside suburbs & Frankston) or the newer Frankston Fwy. The first has a 60km - 70km speed limit & traffic lights & the latter is just like any other city fwy where you take your life into your hands, etc. A plague of 4WDs on the pretty country roads around the wineries when you get down there - that's about as off-road as most of them ever get I think. Beware of the trailers full of hay that suddenly pull out in front of you as well. It's a bummer for the air-con.

First stop was Ermes - a small, family owned winery at Moorooduc. The Riesling-Malvasia is interesting - really fresh & flowery. Ermes knows all about the Malvasia, because it's used in the local vino where he grew up (in Italy of course). Two chardonnays - the earlier vintage typical of good Mornington chardonnay & full of citrus flavours & acidity & the older one beautifully balanced. The reds are vg, particulary the warm, berry Merlot. Ermes won't tell you BS about how long to keep the wines & generally the answer is "2 or 3 yrs." He threw in a free cab sav with the dozen we got, so smiles all round.

Next was Merricks - another small, family owned winery & one of the older ones. The Chardonnay, Pinot & Cab Sav are OK. But we go there for the Shiraz. It's good - pepper & the typical earthy character you get yr in & yr out. Back vintages of everything (about $30+) & don't be put off because it's all piled up around you in the shed/CD. George K had accidently opened the 97 pinot (a back vintage). It was pongy at first, but come up nicely after 1/2 an hr. He gave it to us to take home as we left. (We drank it last night - lovely dark colour, spicy, dark cherries.)

Next was Dromana Estate. You've got two choices now. If you want to make a booking at the Cafe (& try the wines by the glass) go to the original CD at Harrison's Rd - called Crittenden at Dromana. We didn't & went to the new CD at the north end of Balnarring Rd at Tuerong. Still flashy & full of yuppies & wine wankers. But a long bench (literally) of wines on tasting. The i range (King Valley grapes) is interesting if you aren't familiar with the Italian varieties - Dolcetto, Barbera, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo. They start light & fruity & get meaty & savoury as you go. I miss the old Mornington Vineyard whites - they had a pure fruit quality that stood out. Now they are blended with contract grapes (local) & labelled "Mornington Estate". The "Dromana Estate" wines are typical of a lot of MP wines & good with food, but no star on their own. The "Yarra Valley Hills" wines are from contract growers in the Yarra Valley. They have the David Traeger wines as well - the Shiraz is still vg. The CD has a gallery, which I have mentioned because it had an exhibition of photos of Ed Hilary's Mt Everest climb in 53. Now that was amazing.

Next was Hickinbotham's. Best described as individual & maverick. The CD vibe is more old hippy & folksy than Sth Yarra yuppie. Andrew H is usually about, so you can talk to him if you want. The wines are rustic & the flavours are nearly always left-field. The Family Reserve Pinot is vg & could be one of the best pinots in MP right now. But a lot of people won't know about it. Definitely worth a visit just for the pinot... & the vibe of course.

All 4 wineries are NOT a guide to the main action down at MP. They are not examples of the Mornington style of (funky) pinot & (ultra-oaked) chardonnay. But they make interesting wines & I would add a few others to that group like T'Gallant, Tanglewood & Turramurra. For the wineries who make the show style pinot & chardonnay that MP is getting a name for, try others instead like (in random order) Main Ridge, Paringa, Stonier, Tuck's Ridge, Moorooduc, Ten Minutes By Tractor, Kooyong, Merricks Ck & Willow Ck. Halliday has talked about a difference b/n the flatter Moorooduc area in the north & the hilly Red Hill & Merricks area on the Western Port Bay side. I'm not sure about it myself, but it is brought up by some of the pinot winemakers when they talk about their wines.

Hi Rory

I can see from your post that you obviously like a good pinot & you know something about them. But your comment - "I am not a big fan of Oz Pinot, and even less of a fan of Peninsula Pinot" was interesting.

It seems to be fashionable to knock pinots made here now. Dunno why really. I've been reading Halliday's "Odyssey" & found his opinion on the matter -

"There are times when I wish I had kept my mouth shut or more precisely my pen in my pocket. Having championed the cause of NZ pinot noir for over five years, I am fearful that I may be partly responsible for the near universally held belief by the up and coming sommeliers of Australia that - in Australasian terms - NZ makes the only pinots worth having, with Australia's about as appealing as yesterday's fish and chips."

The quote is originally from one of his columns in The Australian newspaper & I think written in the context of a very favourable judging of the 2000 Tasmanian pinots. We could talk about whether Oz pinot is better than NZ pinot (or vice versa of course) until the cows come home. But I think his pt about opinion on Oz pinot being fickle is valid. It isn't all that long ago that NZ pinot was regarded as old dishwater - thin & insipid. Maybe it's got a lot better now, but does that mean Oz winemakers have just as mysteriously lost the Art of making pinot?

I suspect Halliday is right by implying that opinion is fickle. It is helped also by the army of NZ fans (here as well as in NZ) who will shout to the rooftops the drinkability of their pinot.

Rory and guest(s)?

There is a certain tendency at the moment to lambast Aussie pinot. It seems a lot easier to simply jump on the bandwagon than to provide substantive argument about its pro's and cons. I am in agreeance about the variability of the variety,especially in the Mornington region,but I think you can say that about pinot in nearly every region where it is grown and remains true to it's varietal roots (cool climate origins). I think a lot of the time people forget that that pinot isn't supposed to taste and look like shiraz,that it is treasured for it's subtlety and elegance,and that is a hard thing to come to terms with when you have been bought up on big,ballsy red wines such as what we identify with in this country. It is worth remembering also that Mornington is a very young area in terms of wine production,a lot of the vines have very little maturity and hence that complexity that we all look for in pinot may take some time to develop. I don't think it will ever be a Burgundy competitor,but where in the world will? I would rather just take a positive outlook and say that there is lot of potential for Oz to grow good to great pinot and that we are probably just pricking the surface at the moment. Wines like that of which Merricks Creek are making at the moment bear some testament to that.


Cheers

Hi Lads,

Given that I live on the peninsula, I could easily have fallen into the trap of becoming perochial about all that is done down here. I run a restaurant here as well, and so rely on the wineries around here to produce good quality to put on my wine list.
But I judged the quality of the Pinot's on what I personally thought.
No doubt about it, they're getting better as the vines get more age and the winemakers get more experience.
But generally I find them lacking unforced fruit sweetness, have tannic astringency and lack that "sexiness' that good Pinot should have.
Then there are the Pinots that are made on the Penisula that are so close to a cool climate Shiraz that it's often difficult to tell the difference (Paringa Estate for example). And when you compare the retail price of the top flight Peninsula Pinots against thier N.Z. counterparts, the argument becomes stronger.
Having said all that though, I agree, the Merricks Estate Nick Farr Pinot is very good, as is the '01 Main Ridge 1/2 Acre Pinot (of which I have every vintage back to '97 in my cellar, and the '01 is undoubtably far better than the others).

Good discussion!

Rory

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Hi Sean,

You raise a number of points. Vine age is a key factor in fruit quality,but it also seems that distinctive terroirs/locations can over-ride this factor in some cases.Case in point is Gimblett Gravels in NZ where superlative wines are being made from vines only 18 months old.How much better they will be when the vines have matured,say at 15 years of age,is something that time will have to prove.
There seems to be a number of different micro-climates on the Mornington peninsula. Up around Main Ridge is one of the coolest spots in the region,and I think this shows up in the fineness and restraint of their Chardonnay. On the plains it is a bit hotter in general,and in some cases this shows up as a more overtly fruit driven style. A lot of vines in the area have been planted facing in less than ideal directions.This too has an effect on the quality of the fruit. I'm sure that there is someone more familiar with the region than me who could be more expansive,but in general I think it can be said that terroir is a factor.
As per the Burgundy reference. Vieille Vignes is french for old vines,and you will see this on various bottles from Burgundy.Not sure how old a vine has to be to qualify for this category. In general,older vines are pulled out and new ones replanted as they reach their limit of productivity. This would of course suggest that terrior is the most important factor in the production of great wines,and the great locations,in conjunction with conscientious growers,consistently put out the highest quality wines

Clone is important and most producers are constantly experimenting to find the best fit for their site. Currently,quite a few in Oz are trying the Burgundy clone 777 in the hope of producing a finer,more expressive wine. Again,the issue of clonal selection and suitability to various areas may be a topic that someone else can elaborate on in greater detail.


Cheers

Hi Sean,

I do have some bottles of Nick Farrs Geelong Pinot in the cellar, but as yet am to try one.
I will let you know as soon as I crack the first one.
Rory

Hi there,
Was at a pre-Xmas bash where everyone brings wines along to try blind. Someone brought along this pinot. It was v.v. good in the context of the evening. I thought it was NZ but it was the Red Hills 2000.
Cheers,
Sue

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Sean wrote:Lately Red Hill has been a fav as well - the Red Hill Classic Release pinot 00 (maybe the one Sue was referring to) had been a trophy winner at the Cool Climate Wine Show here last yr - & must have hit all the right buttons with the locals.

Could have been the Classic. The guy who bought it along has been there recently and lugged it back across the Tasman to fool us all. Certainly offers a lot on the nose though, taking note of what others have said above, some in the room thought it was a cool climate Syrah. But to me it was quintessential southern hemisphere pinot in the bigger style.

Cheers,
Sue

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rory,
On another note, I tried the Morooduc res chardonnnay the other day and it was quite yummy albeit a bit pricey.

sanjay

Sanjay,

I agree on the quality of the Moorooduc Reserve Chardonnay,.
I had a '00 there for dinner a couple of weeks back and thought is was great. I don't know how that one snuck in under my radar, as I thought I knew all the best on the Peninsula!
Rory

The Merricks Creek wines are exceptional..none is being made this year...they will only make quality wines. If you like pinot..get on their mailing list while you can..i have a feeling they will be making some amazing wine in the future.

Cheers

Paul T