Category Archives: Pinot Noir – Wine Reviews

Chardonnay, Pinot and Rose

New Release

Reviewed: 15 February 2012

Is it just me or are wineries releasing their wines earlier and earlier? Many of the wines reviewed here need a year or two to show their best. If you are drinking them young, don’t serve them too cold and give them time in the glass to open up.

There were also a few good value pinot noirs.

Reviewed

Rose

Chene Bleu – Grenache/Shiraz – Rose – 2009 (16.5). Lovely pale salmon colour. Savoury, dry and refreshing, this has nice mouth-feel and texture. Good length and a touch of oiliness on the finish adds interest. This is a smart wine that will suit antipasto well.

Poudriere – Rose – Bastide Du Claux – 2010 (16.9). Very pale colour to what is a very pretty wine. Dry and refreshing, this has some lovely red berries on the palate with a savoury finish. Good mouth-feel and weight with a hint of oak influence perhaps?

Chardonnay

Howard Park – Chardonnay – 2009 (18+). Deeper colour here. Tight and lean on the nose, showing white peach, citrus and hints of honey and toast. The power and quality of the fruit really comes through on the palate. This is complex and very intense, with rich stonefruit notes over a textured, complex finish. The vanillin oak and buttery lees notes complement the fruit very well. A serious wine of real power, this will delight over the next 5 years. From the Great Southern.

Singlefile Estate – Chardonnay – Family Reserve – 2010 (17.9+). A tighter style that works really well. This is elegant and long, showing grapefruit, peach and nectarine on the palate. Quality oak adds complexity to the finish. Pineapple acid adds to the finish as does a touch of mineral and struck match. This got even better with a day on the tasting bench.

Deep Woods – Chardonnay – 2011 (17.5+). Subdued and tight, this is seamless and silky in the mouth. An unusual wine in that no features define the wine, but it is very enjoyable. An elegant wine with a touch of musk to close. Will take a couple of years to hit its straps and fill out.

Yering Station – Chardonnay – Village – 2010 (17.2). Compared to the Howard Park, this is delicate and refined. A precise wine with hints of citrus and nectarine over a creamy finish. Very well made, the gentle oak and lees contact really adds to the package. Good length too. One panellist noted that the wine was very well made, using the fruit to best effect.

Hill-Smith Estate – Chardonnay – Eden Valley – 2010 (17). Complex, creamy nose, with an appealing minerality on top. Powerful fruit on the palate that has been massaged with some skill in the winery. Quality oak is a bit obvious now, but should settle, as the wine integrates well with air.

Yering Station – Chardonnay – Little Yering – 2010 (16.9). Well made, if uncomplicated wine with varietally correct fruit characters and enough winemaking inputs to flesh out the palate. Easy drinking and enjoyable.

The Arm Chair Critic – Chardonnay – Over & Under – 2010 (16.5). This received good support with the panel appreciating the good length and pretty fruit that had grapefruit overtones. Will be better in another year or so and should represent good value.

Pinot Noir

St Huberts – Pinot Noir – 2010 (17 – 17.5). Delicate fruit on the nose. The palate hints at strawberry. This is very well made and quite silky, while the textural components add life to the mid palate. Very good length, this needs 5 years to show its best. Great to see a wine of this quality under this label.

Yering Station – Pinot Noir – Village – 2010 (17.3). Fresh, vibrant and appealing wine. There are hints of cherry and plenty of spice, with good length and a touch of complexity on the finish. This actually builds nicely in the mouth, suggesting that a few years would see it improve. Develops fleshy fruit of real appeal with air. Cherry and spice to close.

Mad Fish – Pinot Noir – Grand Stand – 2010 (17.2). A bigger style with immediate appeal. There is lovely cherry fruit with hints of plum and aniseed on the finish. In fact, there is a touch of fresh fennel and star anise. This is lush and velvety in the mouth and oh so easy to drink. Not that complex, but who cares.

Yering Station – Pinot Noir – Little Yering – 2010 (16.7). Some appeal here. This is a straightforward, slightly sappy wine that would suit food well. There is, perhaps, a touch of carbonic maceration that adds a hint of candy.

Lamont’s – Direct Imports

12 September 2010

Lamont’s in Cottesloe has received another shipment of imported wines. Apparently they are importing the wines direct from Europe, thus cutting out the middle-men. The prices range from good to excellent for the given quality, with the Italian selection being particularly good value.

Wines from Burgundy have become so expensive in general, that even at these ex-ship prices, they are quite pricey, though there is still some value to be found.

My picks include the Bonon – Meursalt, Arpatin – Barbera d’Alba, Araldica – Barbera d’Ast and the Arpatin – Barolo.

This was not a blind tasting, so I have tried not to be too generous with my points. With the reds, I could have been more generous with my points, but because we were only trying one or two wines from each style, I was conscious of the lack of perspective. Be assured that these are good wines.

Tasted

White Burgundy

Domaine Bernard Bonin – Meursalt – Les Tillets – 2008 (17.8). Minerals to the fore, with complex almond meal, cashew nut and lemony oak. The palate is very rich and textured, with slightly honeyed fruit. The length is a highlight and the oak is not obtrusive. (Chardonnay).

Domaine Darvoit Perrin – Meursalt – Clos de la Velle – 2006 (17.9). Much finer and closed compared to the Bonin. Develops nutty fruit and minerals with air. In the mouth, this is creamy, seamless, textured and very fine indeed. The fruit is subdued. One for the purists! (Chardonnay).

Domaine Darvoit Perrin – Chassagne Montrachet – Blanchots 1er Cru – 2006 (18.3). Lovely refined nose, with minerally, textural components overlaying curry leaf and creamy oak. The palate really builds in the mouth, but this remains very elegant and fine. (Chardonnay).

Domaine Bernard Bonin – Meursalt – Charmes 1er Cru – 2007 (17.4). Interestingly, this has all the components of a good white burgundy, yet I preferred the Les Tillets! (Chardonnay).

Domaine Phillippe Chavy – Puligny Montrachet – Les Pucelles 1er Cru – 2008 (18.5+). Classic nose. Complex, yet refined, this is more restrained than some here. There is almond and apricot fruit notes intertwined with creamy textural components. The power on the palate is a revelation, yet this remains very fine and seamless. Superb wine! (Chardonnay).

Domaine Bernard Bonin – Corton Charlemagne – Grand Cru – 2004 (18). From one of my favourite appellations. More peachy fruit on the nose, this is all about refinement. There is a minerality to the palate, with excellent balance and length. This is a very subtle wine. (Chardonnay).

Red Burgundy

Domaine Jean Marc Millot – Cotes de Nuits Villages – Aux Faulques – 2008 (16.8). A good entry level burgundy, with simple fruit characters. The mouth-feel, fruit and texture are all good.

Domaine Philippe Livera – Gevery Chambertain – Clos Village – 2007 (17.9). More complex nose displaying plum, blueberry and earthy notes that combine well. Lovely fruit on the palate, and real depth. This is quite seamless, long and taught. A lovely example.

Domaine Humbert Freres – Gevery Chambertain – Poissenot 1er Cru – 2007 (18.2). Complex, but quite closed. Develops lovely perfumed fruit, reminiscent of violets. The palate is closed and tight, yet delicate and very fine. Superb length and texture, the refinement is the key.

Domaine Jean Marc Millot – Vosne Romanee – Les Suchots 1er Cru – 2008 (18.5+). Complex and earthy, this has licorice, tar, cinnamon, spice and raspberry fruit. The fruit characters are more pronounced on the palate, with incredibly fine tannins. The oak has been absorbed by the fruit. This has superb length and depth, and the finish fans out across the palate beautifully.

Italian

Arpatin – Barbera d’Alba – Superiore – 2008 (17). Lovely cherry fruit with tar and licorice on the nose. This is a fruit driven wine that is fresh, vibrant, juicy, soft and thoroughly refreshing. A modern style and great value.

Poderi Alasia – Barbera d’Asti – Rive (Il Cascinone) – 2007 (17.3). More savoury and earthy, with licorice, spice and lots of pepper. The palate is reminiscent of cool climate shiraz, with peppery fruit, that is long, textured and structured. There is leathery fruit to close.

Frascole – Chianti Rufina – 2007 (17.4). Cherry fruit to open, but briary and dense, with leather and spice. The palate is dominated by spicy fruit and drying tannins. A good example, and organic to boot!

Selvapiana – Chianti Rufina – 2007 (17.8). More complex, with more fruit weight than the Frascole. This is very textured and structured in a traditional style where the fresh fruit notes are exchanged for mouth-feel and structure. Another organic wine, but this is crying out for food. Good value!

– d’Annona – Barbera d’Asti- 2007 (17.8). Wow – this has an exciting nose displaying cherry, tobacco, plums, cedar and anise. This keeps evolving. This is a powerful wine where fruit, oak and tannins combine to coat the palate with an amalgam of flavours and textures. Will be even better in a year or two.

Arpatin – Barbaresco – 2006 (17.5). More savoury, with real density. There is licorice all sorts on the nose. Typical of the style, this is textured and has really chewy tannins. Whist the tannins are fine, they are formidable. 10 years +.

Arpatin – Barolo – 2005 (17.8). Savoury, with dark fruits, cherry, coffee and tar. The palate is really dense and chewy. The tannins are finer than the Barbaresco. This is great value, but needs at least 10 years to show its best.

Gianni Voerzio – Barolo – La Serra – 2005 (18+). Closed. Pristine fruit, silky tannins and excellent texture. Superb mouth-feel and tremendous depth, this is fine and dense. (Not cheap though).

Burgundy Comes to Australia

Direct imports by Lamont’s – Cottesloe

17 & 22 December 2009

Burgundy is the holy grail of wines from my perspective. The great wines from Burgundy (both red and white) are possibly the greatest wines on the planet. The problem is that most wines do not reach anywhere near that pinnacle, especially for pinot noir. The best new world pinots are lovely wines but they lack the ethereal qualities of great burgundies. Indeed, most red burgundies fall well short of the mark too.

The story is a little different for chardonnay. The greatest new world wines (e.g. Leeuwin Estate from Margaret River) are indeed great wines. They are different to those from Burgundy though. Not better or worse, just different. Is the quality of these new world chardonnays equal to the best white burgundies (e.g. Grand Cru wines such as La – Montrachet etc)? Perhaps not quite, but the gap is small. Do good whites from the Burgundy region offer a drinking experience that is worth pursuing? Definitely! The minerally characters abundant in these wines are ideally suited to food, and often will take some aging.

At this stage I should highlight that wines made from chardonnay from the Burgundy region come from two main regions. Chablis and Burgundy. Both are typically 100% chardonnay, but the style differs significantly. I will discuss this further in a future article.

So to the wines.

Lamont’s has sourced a number of wines from various producers throughout Burgundy and Chablis. Looking at the order form, the wines appear to be very well priced. They suggest that a combination of the higher Australian Dollar, decreased global demand post the Global Financial Crisis and the ability to bypass the middle-man through direct imports has resulted in significantly reduced prices.

Having said all this, the wines only represent good value if they are actually good. After tasting 18 of the wines (this was not a blind tasting, so points are a bit arbitrary) I am pleased to say that they are good to very good, and there is some excellent value on offer.

Importantly, this is an opportunity to drink/cellar a selection of wines that offer something different to anything being made in the new world.

Tasted

Chardonnay

Bernard Bonin – Meursault Charmes – Premier Cru – 2004 (18). (Burgundy). Open and rich nose with minerals and melon fruit characters The palate is round and rich, with caramel toasty oak. Good mouth feel that is viscous and textured. Drinking well now.

Bernard Bonin – Corton Charlemagne – Grand Cru – 2004 (18.5). (Burgundy). Formerly known as Domaine Michelot. Closed and surprisingly tight given that it is 5 years old. The palate has plenty of minerals, spice, stone fruit and a touch of almond. There is also peachy fruit and a touch of apricot kernel. The palate is defined by fine acidity and high quality oak but remains lean and relatively austere. Will evolve wonderfully over time.

Darviot Perrin – Meursault – Clos de La Ville – 2006 (17.9). (Burgundy). Whilst quite closed at the moment, this has citrus and tropical fruit notes. The palate is rich, ripe and textured with lovely mouth feel. Very fine oak is seamlessly integrated. Opens and builds power with air. Give it a few years to blossom.

Darviot Perrin – Chassagne Montrachet – Blanchots Dessus – Premier Cru – 2006 (18.5). (Burgundy). Closed, complex and creamy. The palate is closed, tight, seamless and very long. Stone fruit to the fore with great subtlety. This is fantastic! Needs several years to show its best.

Laurent Cognard – Montagny Les Bassets – Premier Cru – 2008 (17.5). (Burgundy). More obvious nose. Quite creamy, with more stone fruit and less minerals than the wines from chablis. There is also a touch of Marzipan/rose water. This has potential! The palate has lovely lemony acid, is creamy and has a relatively seamless palate. Some apricot to close.

Philippe Chavy – Borgogne Blanc – 2007 (16.9). (Burgundy). Cold and quite closed to start. Plenty of minerals and lemony acid with a touch of toastiness. Not complex, but would be good drinking with a risotto this summer.

Philippe Chavy – Puligny Montrachet – Folatiers – Premier Cru – 2007 (18). (Burgundy). More complex and ripe. Interestingly, this has more colour than most here. The palate is defined by powerful fruit – this is big. Very good length and more structure. One to drink over the next year.

Philippe Chavy – Puligny Montrachet – 2007 (17.7). (Burgundy). More complex and obviously white burgundy. A touch of mineraly curry leaf. This is quite chewy and textured with a touch of honey and seamless oak. There is a steely finish on this fine wine.

Sylvain Mosnier – Petite Chablis – 2007 (16.9). Classic minerals and flint on the nose with ripe peach and a touch of almond meal. The palate is bright and fresh. This is tasty, and has a lovely mouth watering saltiness on the close. Not greatly complex, but very enjoyable drinking. Good Value.

Sylvain Mosnier – Beauroy – Premier Cru – 2006 (17.4). (Chablis). More complex, with honey, lanolin, and stone fruit. The palate has apricot kernel and honey. There is some oak evident on the creamy finish. This has real density of fruit but is still quite closed. May get greater length with a year more in bottle.

Bernard Bonin – Meursault – Les Tillets – 2005 (NR). (Burgundy). Slight cork taint. Looks promising.

Pinot Noir

Anne & Herve Sigaut – Morey St Denis – Les Millandes – Premier Cru – 2007 (17.5/18). Wow, really perfumed with a touch of meatiness. This really chewy and dense showing fruit and tannin ripeness. The drying finish is very fine. Points for potential.

Aurelien Verdet – Haut Cote de Nuit – 2007 (17.3). Scented and perfumed. A fine and refined wine. More concentrated than the Clos des Faulques. Darker cherry fruit that has earthy undertones. White pepper and savoury notes. This is great value.

Darviot Perrin – Beaune Bellisands – Premier Cru – 2003 (18). Intriguing “French” pong reflects the extra bottle age on this wine. Deep smelling with cherry and red currant undertones. The palate is long, complex, savoury and dense. Subtle oak supports the cherry fruit. Very good drinking!

Jean-Marc Millot – Cotes de Nuits Villages – Clos des Faulques – 2007 (16.5). Ripe cherry with some complexity on the nose. The palate has cherry, strawberries and spice. Simple but a good drink.

Jean-Marc Millot – Clos Vougeot – Grand Cru – 2007 (18.5+). Complex, deep and fragrant nose. Wow, the palate is powerful, deep, dense, very fine and long. Evolves with air, revealing leather, spice and cloves. Majestic wine.

N.B. To add context to the tasting, we opened a bottle of the Leeuwin Estate – Art Series – Chardonnay – 2006 (18.5/18.7) to use as a bench mark. This is a wine of stunning quality and at under $100 a bottle is a real bargain.

Pinot Noir and Cabernet

New Release

Reviewed – 11 June 2011

Pinot Noir is a grape that continues to fascinate wine enthusiasts. When made well, the wines are totally seductive. Just the slightest hiccup in the vineyard or winery, however, renders the wine virtually undrinkable.

Unlike shiraz which appears to produce good wines in almost any climate, pinot noir requires very specific and often marginal conditions to produce quality grapes. What this means is that everything has to go well in a given year to make quality wine.

So, good pinot is hard to find, and generally expensive to buy. With this in mind, I am delighted to tell you about the Geppetto pinot from Crittenden Estate. In a fairly strong line up of wines, this performed well. What makes it remarkable though is the fact that it will sell for under $25. This is definitely one to try.

We also looked at a high quality bracket of Cabernets. The Cape Mentelle – Trinders was a highlight and excellent value.

Reviewed

Jackson Estate – Pinot Noir – Vintage Widow – 2009 (18). Dense ripe fruit, with lovely aromas of cherry, spice and red fruits. Powerful fruit that is ripe and fragrant. The palate is redolent in spice and cherries with gentle tar to close. Yes the oak and tannins are noticeable, but the fruit is superb.

Stoniers – Pinot Noir – 2009 (18). Juicy fruit that is ripe and fragrant. Seductive and silky and quite powerful fruit. There are complex forest floor and earthy notes. The oak shuts down the fruit at first, but again, this is a seductive wine that blossomed in the glass.

Villa Maria – Pinot Noir – Cellar Selection – 2008 (18). Restrained and tight nose at first. The palate is silky, supple and long. The fruit is subdued at present, but builds intensity in the glass. Lighter fruit weight but excellent balance, with forest floor complexity and sappy acid to close. This really shone the next day with a pork dish.

Crittenden Estate – Pinot Noir – Geppetto – 2010 (17.9). Firm and earthy, but with dense, ripe and textured fruit. Long, fine and dense, the fruit quality is excellent, and the length a highlight. Really builds in the mouth with excellent texture. Almost chocolate fruit to close with polished oak. A great drink!

Tollana – Pinot Noir – Robinson Family Vineyard – 2008 (17.8). Another wine that caused much discussion. A lovely nose, though this wine was the most obvious of all tasted here. Seductive, rich and refined, the fruit in the palate is powerful. There are earthy, gamey notes and sour cherry acidity that really adds interest. Long, dense and powerful, this is excellent current drinking while waiting for the others to mature.

Marchand and Birch – Pinot Noir – Mount Barrow – 2010. (17.7+). More mainstream Australian style. This shows lean yet ripe fruit that needs a few years to open up. Long and savoury, the fruit is tight and shy. Opens to show cherry, tar and fine oak. Excellent fruit weight and a quality finish. The length is a highlight. This took two days to show its best. Give it 5 years at least before you drink it.

Millbrook – Pinot Noir – 2010 (17.7). Fragrant red fruits, but with some herbal and cherry notes that add interest. Dense and ripe, this hints at potential. Opens to show pretty fruit, though the quality oak needs time to settle. Excellent length and a silky finish. Definitely worth a try. (Made from Great Southern fruit).

Nanny Goat Vineyard – Pinot Noir – 2008 (17). This wine divided the panel. I found developed earth and forest floor aromas, over ripe red fruits. The palate is a riot of red berries, strawberries and oak. The finish is long and dense, with a somewhat viscous texture and mouth-feel. For those who like their pinots on the wild side. (This is another wine that improved after a day or two).

Provenance – Pinot Noir – Geelong – 2009 (16.8). Lovely perfumed nose. Strawberry, cherry, but with some earthy complexity. Forward and generous nose. Good fruit weight but not as long or concentrated as the best here. The finish is firm and tarry. A good wine.

And Cabernet

Cape Mentelle – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Trinders – 2009 (18). Closed and restrained though there is ripe fruit and a lift provided by the vanillin oak. A flavour profile that is ripe but very restrained. Fantastic texture and length to the palate. Not as dense as some, but an excellent wine. Develops menthol and eucalypt notes to close. Worth a try!

Grant Burge – Cabernet Sauvignon – Corryton Park – 2009 (17.5). A bigger style from a warmer region. Ripe, dense and vibrant fruit showing blackcurrant and menthol. Chocolate, oak and fine tannins all play on the tongue. Superb fruit and wine making, but in a different style. Excellent balance and mouth-feel that is textured, dense and chewy. Excellent length to a very smart wine. (Cork closure).