Wine: Aussie pinot noir varies, but these peninsula labels are perfect
In the countdown to our 'Pinots of the Mornington Peninsula' Business Lunch at Jacques Reymond, we found this article to be rather timely!
As a fan of pinot noir, I have always struggled with Australia's attempts
at this wine. In a short time New Zealand has stolen the show from the
Aussies with this fickle grape, even with wines made from young vines -
just as they have done with sauvignon blanc.
The key is the climate. Pinot noir is a thin-skinned, tight-bunched,
disease-prone, clonally varied grape that does not like to get too warm.
Too much of it has been planted in the wrong place in Australia and picked
too early to retain acidity in favour of aromatics.
Now I sense a sea-change. Yarra Valley, for years hailed as "the" place for Australian pinot noir, now has its rivals, with some impressive examples from cooler climate Henty region in western Victoria (Tarrington Estate), Gippsland region in south-east Victoria (William Downie), Tasmania (Tamar Ridge) and, in particular, the Mornington Peninsula region near Melbourne, first planted in the 1970s.
I like delicacy, fine aromas, natural acidity and succulent fruit in my pinot. I found it by chance in a wine from Mornington Peninsula from a relatively new producer called Kooyong. In the warmer, drier northern part of the peninsula near Devilbend nature reserve, Kooyong (meaning "where the wildfowl gather") only started planting in 1995, so vines are young, but winemaker Sandro Mosele shows potential with his Massale, Estate and single vineyard wines Ferrous, Meres and Haven pinots.
Stonier is an older boutique winery, one of the first here in 1978. Its style is light, but refreshingly delicate compared to other Aussie bruisers. Sadly their Burgundy-trained winemaker Geraldine McFaul has just left, but hopefully her replacement, Mike Symons, will continue in the same mould. Another to watch is Ten Minutes by Tractor, a memorable name for a winery, sadly only available in tiny quantities.
Mornington, jutting into Melbourne's Port Philip bay area, has 250 hectares of Australia's total 4,500 hectares of pinot. Space is at a premium, with a threat from developers, but the windswept maritime climate is proving good pinot country, so let's hope the winery owners can keep builders at bay. It's an easy ride out from the city, with sensational views - a place to watch dolphins playing, while sipping pinot noir.
Now I sense a sea-change. Yarra Valley, for years hailed as "the" place for Australian pinot noir, now has its rivals, with some impressive examples from cooler climate Henty region in western Victoria (Tarrington Estate), Gippsland region in south-east Victoria (William Downie), Tasmania (Tamar Ridge) and, in particular, the Mornington Peninsula region near Melbourne, first planted in the 1970s.
I like delicacy, fine aromas, natural acidity and succulent fruit in my pinot. I found it by chance in a wine from Mornington Peninsula from a relatively new producer called Kooyong. In the warmer, drier northern part of the peninsula near Devilbend nature reserve, Kooyong (meaning "where the wildfowl gather") only started planting in 1995, so vines are young, but winemaker Sandro Mosele shows potential with his Massale, Estate and single vineyard wines Ferrous, Meres and Haven pinots.
Stonier is an older boutique winery, one of the first here in 1978. Its style is light, but refreshingly delicate compared to other Aussie bruisers. Sadly their Burgundy-trained winemaker Geraldine McFaul has just left, but hopefully her replacement, Mike Symons, will continue in the same mould. Another to watch is Ten Minutes by Tractor, a memorable name for a winery, sadly only available in tiny quantities.
Mornington, jutting into Melbourne's Port Philip bay area, has 250 hectares of Australia's total 4,500 hectares of pinot. Space is at a premium, with a threat from developers, but the windswept maritime climate is proving good pinot country, so let's hope the winery owners can keep builders at bay. It's an easy ride out from the city, with sensational views - a place to watch dolphins playing, while sipping pinot noir.
Source:
The Scotsman
10 May 2010
By Rose Murray Brow