Pinot Noir – New Release
Reviewed: 23rd June 2013
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.
For me, the standard wine represents the best value ($35). There is a noticeable increase in sophistication with the Cottage Block ($45) and the Block CV90 ($55), but this comes at the expense of approachability today. Try all three and see for yourself.
Reviewed
Dalrymple – Pinot Noir – Cottage Block – 2011 (18+). Pretty, floral fruit on the nose. The palate is floral, but there is real persistence to the fruit and a surprising degree of depth. This is a very smart wine, with the cherry and spice characters from the fruit lingering for a very long time. Tannins and oak are very fine and complement the fruit well. A very finely crafted wine.
Dalrymple – Pinot Noir – Block CV90 – 2011 (18/18.5). A touch closed and reductive to start, but this wine has quality fruit and it has been deftly handled. The finish is slightly chewy at first, but with air, it builds depth and the fruit becomes more vibrant in the glass. The fine tannins suppress the finish slightly, so give this some air or a few years in the bottle.
Squitchy Lane – Pinot Noir – 2010 (18). The nose on this is very classy, showing a lovely blend of ripe fruits and more savoury characters. The palate is quite firm, with souring acid that sets this up well for food. Long and supple, this is the most food-friendly pinot here. The next day, this wine really hit its straps, showing depth and possessing a generosity of fruit that made it a joy to drink with a hearty seafood stew.
Dalrymple – Pinot Noir – 2011 (17.8). Pristine and focused fruit on the nose. The palate is supple, though quite linear at present. There is good depth to the fruit and the finish is very silky. The winemakers have worked very well with the fruit weight, as the oak is of high quality and sits behind the fruit. A very good Australian pinot that drinks well now.