Reviewed – 3 March 2010

The diversity in the Australian wine industry continues to expand each year. It has become hard to keep up to date with the new and exciting wineries that are continually springing up. When John Jens called to say that there was a tasting of some of the new (and not so new) emerging producers, I was keen to attend. The wines were primarily Victorian, with a good selection of pinot noir.

The wines were presented by wholesalers Travis Howe, Cath Willcock (Imbibo) and also a producer, in Erinn Klein (Ngeringa). Whilst the wines on show were diverse in style, the common theme was the passion with which our hosts presented the wines! Ngeringa is an interesting story, with the wines being Biodynamic. Errin is totally committed to the principles and feels that the wines are now expressing a true sense of place. Whether biodynamics is your thing matters not. The chardonnay is worth trying.

There were several highlights including the wines from Bass Phillip and William Downie. The pick for me, from a value point of view, was the Jamsheed pinot (Pepe Le Pinot). An excellent drink at the price.

NB: This was not a blind tasting. There were too many wines on tasting to review them all, so I focussed mainly on the pinots.

Reviewed

Bass Phillip – Pinot Noir – Premium – 2008 (18 – 18.5). Complex nose, but a touch more forward than in some previous years. The palate is a treat, with leather and spice over earthy fruit. Very refined, this is powerful and silky, though very tight. This is more Burundian in style and is not as approachable as the Crown Prince at the moment.

William Downie – Pinot Noir – Yarra Valley – 2010 (18 – 18.5). Rich, dense and structured, the ripe fruit perfectly balanced by textural components and fine, lingering acidity. The mouth-feel is fantastic and will only get better. The finish is very long and precise. A complete wine!

William Downie – Pinot Noir – Mornington Peninsula – 2010 (18+). Silky wine, though tighter than the Yarra and Gippsland wines. The structure here is the key. The acid is a touch high at the moment, so give it a year or two to settle. As this opens up, it develops some of the mouth-watering juicy fruit that these wines all seam to have. The finish is long and textured. May turn out to be the best of the three in the medium term.

Bass Phillip – Pinot Noir – Crown Prince – 2008 (17.5/18). Ripe fruit aromas leap from the glass, with strawberry, plum and cherry fruit characters. A generous palate displaying rich, ripe and textured fruit. Think spice, with earthy and meaty components over ripe red berries. The length and generosity make this a great drink. (I gave this extra points for being a really good drink!)

Mayer – Pinot Noir – Doctor – 2010. (17.5 – 18). From a close planted vineyard. Closed and tight on the nose. There is rich, sweet fruit on the palate that evolves into a savoury mouth-feel with extraordinarily fine tannins that caress the tongue. Balanced fresh acidity carries the palate to a precise and long finish. There is a touch of grip on the finish, but this will soften with air. Bring on the roast duck.

Syrahmi – Shiraz – Climat – 2009 (17.5 – 18). Very enticing nose that is vibrant and perfumed, whilst being really deep smelling. In the mouth, there is cherry, menthol, pepper and chocolate over red fruits. Despite its refreshingly moderate alcohol (13.2%), this is packed with flavour. The finish is silky and long, with some leather, aniseed and spice to close. An elegant wine.

William Downie – Pinot Noir – Gippsland – 2010 (17.5 – 18). More immediate appeal here than the other Downie pinots. With bright red fruits, this is succulent, juicy, generous, round and forward. The length and structure are very good. Drink this while waiting for the others.

Wildcroft – Shiraz – Wild One – 2007 (17.8). Rich and vibrant fruit to start, but there are some really interesting funky characters and white pepper reminiscent of the Northern Rhone. The palate has powerful fruit, with earthy (almost gamey) overtones. A long, silky palate is set off by fine, chalky tannins. Not a mainstream style, but a very good wine.

Ngeringa – Chardonnay – 2009 (17.7). Surprisingly fresh and vibrant for a wine that went through 100% malo-lactic fermentation. The palate is where this wine stands out. Excellent mouth-feel and texture on show here. The sweet fruit blends seamlessly with the wine-maker’s inputs such as barrel fermentation and some lees work. A fine wine with obvious appeal. Biodynamic Wine.

Madderns Rise – Chardonnay – 2009. (17.5). Nectarine, peach and perfumed floral notes. This smells really creamy, courteous of the 100% malo-lactic fermentation, though it is in no way overblown. The palate has fruit richness and texture, with grapefruit acidity running over the top. Very fresh, this should improve for another year or two. Good drinking.

Garagiste – Pinot Noir – 2009 (17 – 17.5). Bright, clean and fresh. The palate is excellent, with forward, bright fruit that is long and textured. This has a lovely mouth-feel to complement the juicy fruit. Not quite as complex as some, but this should be excellent value.

Jamsheed Wines – Pinot Noir – Harem Series – Pepe Le Pinot -2010 (17 – 17.5). Smells like pinot, tastes like pinot… must be pinot. This is a really smart little wine, with cherry and spice on a textured palate. There is a touch of licorice and sympathetic oak to close. At around $20, this is a beauty! Try La Vigna, Beaufort St Merchant or Lamont’s in Perth or United Cellars on the east coast.

Mayer – Chardonnay – Bloody Hill – 2010 (16.9). Subdued nose to start. The palate is fine and silky, with excellent length and texture. The fruit is not particularly complex, but the wine-maker’s inputs add to the mouth-feel.

Ravensworth – Marsanne – 2009 (16.9). Complex aromas of subtle fruit, with a touch of oak evident. Made in a style that emphasizes texture and mouth-feel over primary fruit. Quite a neutral wine that will take food well. Made by Tim Kirk from Clonakilla.

Mayer – Pinot Noir – Bloody Hill – 2010 (16.8). A pretty wine with cherry fruit over tar and spice. The palate is round and satisfying with no rough edges. Acids and tannins keep the fruit fresh and there is little in the way of oak influence.