21 February 2011

As many of you know, pinot noir is a difficult grape to make fine wine from. It came as a surprise then, to have several excellent wines in this short bracket. Interestingly, of the top three, one was from South Australia, one from Victoria and one from New Zealand. There were also several very strong shiraz based wines as well.

Reviewed

Ata Rangi – Pinot Noir – 2009 (18.3). Delicate and perfumed nose on what is a very pretty wine. At the moment, this wine is all about texture and structure, but the fruit opens up nicely with air. The palate is superb, with powerful fruit that retains an elegance lacking in some. Textured and very complex, this is very youthful but still enjoyable.

Capel Vale – Shiraz – Whispering Hill – 2008 (18). Pretty wine. There are floral notes and a lovely, peppery lift. This is very fine and textured, and the length is superb. Fruit and oak tannins are well judged, but the fruit needs time and air to really express itself. Chocolate fruit to close. An excellent wine.

Deviation Road – Pinot Noir – 2009 (18). Fragrant and firm to start, with cherry and bright red fruit. A quite delicious wine with a lovely savoury twist on the finish. A complex wine with excellent length and mouth-feel. Feminine and elegant, this will be excellent drinking over the next three years.

Crittenden Estate – Pinot Noir – 2009 – (17.8+). More structured and earthy than the Deviation Road, with forest floor aromas, cinnamon, clove and spice on the nose. Powerful palate, with plenty of structure and sappy/briary fruit. Complex, tight and a touch awkward on the finish right now, this should soften with time in the bottle.

Deviation Road – Shiraz – Reserve – 2008 (17.8). Plum, spice, cherry and oak all impart aromas that gel together well. The spicy palate is complemented by cedary oak. A well made wine that shows quality fruit. Only medium bodied, this should evolve over 5 – 10 years.

Palmer – Shiraz – 2008 (17.6). Cooler climate expression of shiraz fruit. Vibrant, raspberry fruit with licorice and a touch of tar on the nose. The palate has lovely, peppery fruit with some spicy notes coming from the fine grain oak. Silky and classy mouth-feel demonstrates quality fruit and winemaking. Not super long but a very good drink.

Alkoomi – Shiraz/Viognier – 2009 (17.5). Fragrant with Satsuma plum and mulberry. Silky, sweet fruit coats the tongue and there are licorice and tarry notes to add complexity. Long and dense, the finish has no rough edges. Excellent value.

Bird in Hand – Shiraz – 2009 (17.5). Rich, ripe and dense with a seductive nose. Dense, ripe fruit on the palate with sweet fruit that has a slightly candied/vanillin edge. Long and dense, this retains a degree of elegance.

Penfolds – Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Koonunga Hill – Seventy Six – 2008 (17.1). Opens with a lifted nose. There is a degree of depth to the fruit on the palate. Whilst there are ripe fruit aromas, there is a degree of balance here. The middle palate lacks a bit of density but otherwise, this is a smart wine.

Plantagenet – Pinot Noir – Omrah – 2009 (17). Cedar and spice suggest a fairly fresh wine that has seen some new oak. The palate is dominated by strawberry and cherry fruit. Not as complex as some, but good drinking. Represents value.

Juniper Crossing – Shiraz – 2008 (16.8). Dense and rich with perfumed notes coming through on the nose. The fresh and vibrant fruit is balanced and round. Plum and cedar dominate the palate. The finish is tending towards warm.

Greed Sheep – Shiraz – 2009 (16.8). Smells slightly damp and earthy. Restrained and taut, this has lovely, peppery fruit, but a slightly earthy finish. Good fruit, with soft, fine tannins, though just a touch simple.