Most Recent Tastings
Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume
16 December 2021
This is the first time that I have tried the wines and the outcomes are very impressive. Overall, the wines are clean, fresh and very well made in a modern style. There was also excellent consistency of quality across the range.
Pinot Noir: April 2021
Barry Weinman: 8th March 2021
For many wine lovers, Pinot Noir remains the holy grail of wine drinking. There is the potential to produce great great wines, however the variety can be almost impossible to get right in less than ideal climatic conditions. to get right in the vineyard and in the winery.
Current Releases Pinot: January 2021
Barry Weinman: 31st January 2021.
Since Christmas, we have been busy tasting a number of different varieties and styles and there have been several highlights that I will share over the coming weeks.
First up, the panel looked at a cross-section of Pinots from across the globe and were pleased to see quality wines on show from Australia and New Zealand, as well as a couple of great value Premier Cru Burgundies available form Lamont’s in Cottesloe.
Picardy and Friends
18th May 2020
The Pannell family are stalwarts of the Australian wine industry. Bill and Sandra founded Moss Wood in 1969, before moving their focus to Pemberton in 1993 with the establishment of Picardy.
Pinot Noir: New Release May 2019
Barry Weinman: 18th May 2019
Pinot Noir remains the holy grail for many wine drinkers. At its best, the grape is capable of producing wines of extraordinary beauty and complexity. All too often, however, events in the vineyard (and winery) conspire to make less than exciting wines.
Valli – 2015 Pinots
Barry Weinman: October 31, 2017
Grant Taylor established Valli in 1998 and has been making the wines ever since. The focus in primarily on Pinot Noir, from five vineyards across Central Otago.
Ostler Wines
21st August 2017
Ostler wines are situated in Waitaki Valley, North Otago. Whilst this is a brand new Geographic Indication (GI), Ostler produced their 1st vintage back in 2004 from vines planted in 2002. There are another 8 – 10 wineries in the region, with 100 hectares under vine.
Pinot Noir – June 2017: New Release
18th June 2017
Pinot Noir is not the easiest wine to make well. It tends to do best in cooler, boutique wine producing areas and requires plenty of attention in the winery. Also, the attention required in the vineyard precludes large scale plantings. So compared to Shiraz, these are not the cheapest wines to produce.
Bass Phillip Pinot Noir – 2015 Vintage Review
31st May 2017
When it comes to Australian Pinot Noir, the reputation of Bass Phillip is unequalled. Their reputation is backed up by the prices that their top wines sell for. The range tops out with the Reserve at closer to $600. The entry level wines, however, are most reasonably priced, starting with the Old Cellar ($35), followed by the Crown Prince ($60).
New World Pinot Noir
20th February 2017
I had a call from a friend recently saying that he was dropping around some wines for me to try. These turned out to be sixteen highly regarded new world Pinots. This was a brilliant way to end a tiring day.
Felton Road – 2015 New Release
20th November 2016
The chance to taste the newly released 2015 Felton Road Pinots was an opportunity too good to miss. Needless to say, the quality of the wines was outstanding.
Pinot Noir – New Release
3rd July 2016
Ethereal at its best, yet notoriously difficult to get right. Given the challenges in producing the wine, finding good value Pinot is indeed difficult.
Winery in Focus: Ostler
28th April 2016
Central Otago Pinot Noir is often defined by purity of fruit combined with a degree of generosity This combination makes for great drinking wines that can also age well in the short to medium term.
Red Burgundy – Part Two
11th February 2016
The panel looked at a few of the Red Burgundies imported by Lamont’s in Cottesloe.
With a number of producers and villages represented, there are a variety of styles available. They vary in price and quality, but are worth trying. If John Jens is in the restaurant, you may be able to try one or two by the glass.
Crittenden Estate – Pinot Noir
18th November 2015
Wines made with Pinot Noir are some of the most challenging to make. That said, there are a few winemakers in Australia who have mastered the art, including the likes of Phillip Jones at Bass Philip and Mac Forbes.
Felton Road: 2014 Vintage
20th September 2015
Felton Road Winery is one of the oldest wineries in Central Otago. The first vines were planted in 1992, and the first wines produced in 1997. Amazingly, Blair Walters has been the winemaker for every one of those vintages, meaning that 2014 is his eighteenth vintage at the winery.
Affordable Pinot Noir
30th July 2015
Notoriously difficult to produce, Pinot Noir remains the Holy Grail for many winemakers and enthusiasts alike. At their best, Pinots possess an almost ethereal quality, fanning out and caressing all parts of the palate.
Finding good Pinot Noir is difficult enough. Finding affordable Pinot Noir that offers good drinking is a great challenge.
Pinot Noir – March 2015
13th March 2015
The surprise of this tasting was the Trapeze Pinot Noir. This is made by Brian Conway at Izway (a Barossa Shiraz & Grenache specialist) using Yarra Valley fruit. This is an affordable, great drinking Pinot.
Pinot Noir – New Release – January 2015
Reviewed: 11th January 2015
Pinot Noir is the Holy Grail for many winemakers and consumers alike. Site selection is critical, as is the use of the best varietal clones in the vineyard.
Pinot Noir – New Release
Reviewed: February 14, 2014
The wines reviewed here are all worth a look. If you love pinot, then the Shaw & Smith is an excellent wine. If your budget is a little tight, then the Windy Peak is an authentic rendition at a bargain price.
Direct Import (Red) Burgundy
Reviewed: 7th February 2014
In a line up of 25 red Burgundies, the wines of Emilie Geanet stood out for their sheer quality. Admittedly, they are not the cheapest wines available, but they are certainly worth looking for if you enjoy quality Burgundy.
Pinot Noir
Reviewed: 9th September 2013
Pinot Noir – New Release
A couple of interesting pinots from Dalrymple came in during the week, so I put together a small bracket to see how they came up. Dalrymple is a Tasmanian winery and the fruit for all three wines came from the Coal River region. The quality across the range was very high, with the wines offering an attractive blend of fruit and spice.
Beaune and Beyond
Hosted by Phillip Rich at Lamont’s in Cottesloe
Reviewed: 3rd June 2013
I must admit that I had reservations about attending this tasting as I had spent the day working in Sydney and had flown in just in time to attend. The thought of a hot shower and warm bed was very appealing. I am so glad that I did attend though as it was a fantastic evening.
Phillip Rich was in town to showcase a range of wines that he imports in to Australia. Two things made the night so enjoyable. Firstly, the wines ranged from very good to spectacular. The red Burgundies from Hudelot Noellat in particular were nothing short of spectacular.
Ostler – Current Release
Reviewed: 25th April 2013
I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Jim Jerram from Ostler recently to try their current range of wines as well as several older Caroline’s pinot noirs.
Pinot Noir – New Release
Reviewed 23 January 2013
It was a fascinating exercise to look at the two pinots from Moss Wood. One is from Margaret River and the other from Mornington. Stylistically, the wines were quite different, with the feminine appeal of the Mornington being my pick.
Pinot Noir Benchmark Tasting
A Sommeliers Australia event
hosted by
Sam Badger and Lamont’s Cotesloe
Reviewed: 10 December 2012
This was an interesting tasting, with the 2010 wines from Australia showing well. In particular, the Provenence was a highlight. I was also very impressed by the Evesham Wood from Oregon. The highlight however, was the bracket of Burgundies. There were a couple of superb (if expensive) wines on show.
Giant Steps – 2011 Release
Reviewed: 17 September 2012
Giants Steps have been taking, well, giant steps in their pursuit of making wines that reflect the place in which the grapes are grown. With access to several excellent vineyards in the Yarra Valley, Steve Flamsteed has produced a superb range of wines that speak of the place where they were grown.
The current release of chardonnays and pinot noirs are from the 2011 vintage. This was a very cold and wet vintage that presented numerous challenges in the vineyard and winery. Properly managed, it is clear that the vintage has produced some excellent wines, albeit in a finer, more elegant style to the 2010s. I expect that in the longer term, the 2011′s from Giant Steps will be fantastic.