Allies Mornington Peninsula Tuerong Pinot Noir 2013

I think I have developed a new flavour sensory in wine. For me anyway. Masterstock. Chinese Masterstock. Spice. Soy sauce. Fish sauce. Spice; cinnamon, cardamon, cassia bark. Smokin hot awesomeness really. Take me down to Chinatown baby!!!

The Allies Mornington Peninsula Tuerong Pinot Noir 2013 is one of the best wines I've seen this year. Everything mentioned above plus a herbal and raspy dry mid palate. This is a real Pinot Noir drinkers Pinot Noir.

Drink with five spiced duck -  a Susan for sure
Drink till 2020
97
Screwcap 13%v/v $38 Brunswick East Wine Store

Appellation Ballarat Pinot Noir 2010

I reckon I've had this wine about 20 times. I thought I had blogged about it before but you know what, nothing. Sorry Owen. The Appellation Ballarat Pinot Noir 2010 comes from one of the nicest blokes in the wine industry - Owen Latta - and is just so bloody good. Plenty of spice on the nose with toasted cardamon dominant. The palate is similar with once again toasted cardamon at the fore with further layers of master stock, soy sauce all held together with delicate supple tannins and funky pan juices. A ripping drop.

Drink with medium rare rib eye
Drink till 2017
96
Screwcap 13%v/v $32

Ashton Hills Adelaide Hills Cemetery Block Pinot Noir 2013

This is a shiraz drinkers Pinot. That's a blanket statement indeed. The Ashton Hills Adelaide Hills Cemetery Block Pinot Noir 2013 dark fruit and spice on the nose with a mix of tart blood plum and toasted brown spices. The palate is what its all about though with a thick a viscous line of toasted spice, earth - blood and bone sticks out like the proverbial, sublte soy sauce, more dark fruit and soft and fine chewy tannins. SexyAsNuts!!!

Drink with BBQ duck
Drink till 2017
96
Screwcap 14%v/v $35ish

La Bruja Averia Madrid Comando G Grenache 2012

Beautiful. A Pinot Noir drinkers Grenache, Tart. Raspy. Dirty. Sexyasnuts - that's the technical term by the way. Ethereal. This is quite a stunning wine if you haven't hooked on yet.

The La Bruja Averia Madrid Commando G Grenache 2012, or Comando G, is a caloboration of five younbg Spanish lads who share a passion for Grenache and Pinot Noir. It shows. Look out for it. Buy it. Drink it. Repeat.

Drink with charred lamb
Drink till 2017
98 - new clubhouse leader for 2014
Quality cork 14%v/v $39 Seddon Wine Store

Lucien Muzard & Fils Bourgogne 2010

A very New World Old World this wine. The Lucien Muzard & Fils Bourgogne 2010 is one of the most generous Bourgogne's I have had ever I think with plenty of fruit forward red and black fruit aka Central Otago, and seamless earth and spice all held check by effortless acid balance. Geez, just got a bit glossy mag on you didn't I. In short (like me) a super impressive Pinot with all the bells and whistles for Burgundy's entry level tipple.

Drink with rare beef steak sanga
Drink till 2016
95
Screwcap - finally France, well done; 12.5%v/v $33 Seddon Wine Store

Mount Monument Macedon Ranges 2011 Pinot Noir

Another reason how the experts got it wrong. The Mount Monument Macedon Ranges 2011 Pinot Noir is a belter. Yes, as I have said before, 2011 was a very tough year for growers, but it all comes down to vineyard management and how you protect your fruit. I do not know who is in charge at the Mount Monument gaff but they deserve a big pat on the back. And a beer. And a medal. And the week off for that matter.

A great colour in the glass, the wine throws up a great mix of spice, funk and supple tart red fruit. In the palate the wine is swimming with depth of flavour; toasted spice, burnt toffee, tart raspberry and cranberry and perfectly balanced oak.

Again, a super wine from a real tough vintage. Good onya Mount Monument.

Drink with jerk chicken and beetroot salad - a Susan
Drink till 2016
97
Diam cork 13.5%v/v $32 Seddon Wine Store

Azienda Agricola il Borghetto Tuscany Montigiano IGT Sangiovese 2010

And the year just keeps going...

Its October. This year is going sop fast. And this year has also been a year of some amazing wine. From this post until the end of the year I will write only about super-sexy stuff. So on that note people, we have a new club house leader. The Azienda Agricola il Borghetto Tuscany Montigiano IGT Sangiovese 2010.

What a wine!!!! A serious wine that in a blind tasting could easily be mistaken for a Burgundy (the winemaker worked at Dujac in Burgundy I was told at the tasting) with plenty of game, earth and funk. The nose starts out with supple spice and tart red fruit, but it is the palate that picks it up with mouth watering acid and fine tannins all holding sway with wet terracotta, toasted spice and more tart red fruit singing singing and singing. Seriously well made wine and a label definitely to look out for down at the Brunswick East Wine Store next year. An Icona Pop wine if ever there was one!!!

Drink with crispy duck breast
Drink till 2018
98
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $32 at Seddon Wine Store

Ettore Germano Piedmont Dolcetto d'Alba 2009

Its turning out to be a Dolcetto year I reckon.

The Ettore Germano Piedmont Dolcetto d'Alba 2009 has had a very good run here in Brunswick this year, and without prejudice will continue to find its way in to our recycling bin. Bright and tart cherry aromas flow primary on the nose with a lick of nougat at the back of the nose. The palate opens up with fine chalky tannins and persistent acid and more cherry flavours flowing from tart to prickly ripe as the bottle develops over the night.

This is a wine for all you Pinot Noir drinkers who are eagerly waiting for the cracking 2012 wines to develop just a little bit more.

Drink with spicy pork sausage
Drink till 2016
96
Quality cork 13% $29 Seddon Wine Store

Memories Part I; Vue de monde Pinot Noir by Bindi 2007

 

Sitting around the chefs table many years ago at Vue de monde the idea of a serious house wine was realised. Bindi from Macedon was going to be the Pinot Noir. This is it's story, or one of its stories - cue Law & Order 'dung dung' tune.

Quite simple - its 2013, yet the wine is still singing. Spice and tart fruit still hold sway with cinnamon and cranberry evident. A smack of toffee is the primary palate with the mid palate all about spice and prickly acid. A cracking wine, but sad to say, all gone. Special one that Dennis!!!

Kate Hill Tasmanian Pinot Noir 2010

I love winter for its bountiful harvest of root veggies, shrooms and slow roasting meats. I also love winter for deep flavoured and concentrated reds. This is one of those stories.

The Kate Hill Tasmanian Pinot Noir 2010 is dark and brooding and stacked with flavour in all of the right places. Dark ripe cherries on the nose are combined with prickly spice and and a touch of game. The palate starts similar to the nose with heady dark cherries followed instantly with seamless and checked acid. The palate moves along effortlessly with toasted spice notes of cinnamon and cloves. A racy wine this one and drinking stonkingly well right now that's we're in the cool months.

Drink with mushroom risotto
Drink till 2018
95
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $34 Seddon Wine Store

Moondarra Gippsland Studebaker Pinot Noir 2012

For the cool people:

"We were lounging in a Camden flashback in the commons, splitting a Molson, our sunglasses on,our eyes glazed over, a peeled orange sitting untouched between us on a table, and we'd already read our horoscopes and I was wearing a T-shirt that read IF YOU'RE NOT WASTED THE DAY IS and waiting for my laundry to dry and she was alternating between playing with a pencil and smelling a Thai orchid a secret admirer ha sent her and heavy metal pop - Whitesnake or Glass Tiger - was playing from somewhere where we couldn't figure out and it was driving us nuts and her dealer wasn't coming up until next Tuesday so we were fairly unresponsive toward certain events and in the sky things were getting dark." Bret Easton Ellis Glamorama

Moondarra Gippsland Studebaker Pinot Noir 2012. Its cool. Its now. Its dirty. Its got spunk. Its now. Its what Bret Easton Ellis would make his characters drink if they weren't strong out on xanex. Cool and dirty.

Drink
Drink till theres no more
95
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $32 Seddon Wine Store

Muddy Water Waipara Pinot Noir 2010

A dirty dirty wine; you sexy beast Muddy Water Waipara Pinot Noir 2010. This is exactly the type of wine why I am falling on love again with Kiwi Pinot Noir's.

This one is just a blaze with spice, earth and rich dark fruit on the nose - its all about the power you would think straight up. Good thinking if you got that too. The palate is singing the same tune as the nose with burly dark fruit melded wonderfully together with brown spices and achingly balanced acid. Such a dirty little number this one.

Drink with cider glazed roast pork - thats right!

Drink till 2016

95

Screwcap 14%v/v $35 Seddon Wine Store

Wickhams Road Gippsland Pinot Noir 2012

The best wine of 2013 thus far!! Simple.

The Wickhams Road Gippsland Pinot Noir 2012 would certainly be the most written up and reviewed wine since its release, and you know what, every word written about it is spot on; The Best value bar none.

First tasted on January 24^th this year with Stef d’Anna, the wine, as the note says, “ticks all the boxes”. Lovely and earthy spice on the nose, the wine lifts after a while and throws up subtle leafy notes with tomato and rhubarb present. The palate follows suit of the nose with a great lick of prickly spice and prickly plum. This is another Icona Pop wine I Have to say. Just get it. Now.

sorry for the poor handwriting

I’m going early, but clear favourite for wine of the year so far

Drink with Buffalo chicken wings

Drink till 2015

98

Screwcap 13.2%v/v $17 Seddon Wine Store

Vintage 2013 Bindi diary; Day 4

The nets are all out!! Thank beejeesus is all I can say; it's all everyone can say really. The nets are out.

Day 2 was pretty much like day 1 except for the nest of course. What was really different was the lack of power, and when I say power I don't mean we were acting like wuss bags but the winery actually lost power - electricity power. Stuff pretty much stopped after then. Thanks anonymous power company that's starts with A, and finishes near  K & M.

Anywhoo, the power enabled us to get back out to the vineyard and put the final nets out; rows 58-70 in block 4 to be precise. So like I said, The nets are all out!! Thank beejeesus.

And it was out there putting nets out that I realised how far there is to go before we kick off vintage for the estate fruit. Just look at this Block K Pinot Noir fruit.

So the nets are out, we got that. But before all of that we had some pump overs that got stalled. Only in power not the other. The thing is though not all of them got started, only about 6 of them. The rest are still juicing it out - check these pics out!! Oh and note, the one that looks like a shiraz spa bath was just pumped over. And yes, I did want to jump in - like it was a spa. How awesome would that be, and just a little bit sticky; still just a lot of sugar and all.

And in between all of this Wendy and Michael put on another smashing lunch. But no 1er Cru today, just some delicious 2012 Pyrette barrel samples. Stay tuned, like Meeka is.

Vintage 2013 Bindi diary; Day 3

Day 3, but technically day 1 for me thanks to heat and a dumbarse motorbike rider. Anyway, I'm here and we're off and running for vintage 2013.

Quick re-cap; the Shiraz fruit arrived at the winery from Heathcote at about 6.30pm Saturday - about 14 tonne - where 15 wine bins with partial whole bunch were filled by about midnight. Sunday was all about keeping the pots covered and cool; do not want ferment to kick off just yet.

So here we are at Monday. A mini heat wave is what we are going through right now. Today was the seventh straight +30 degree day so keeping the winery cool, so that means crank up the air-con. But wait!! Before you cry out, 'wont someone please think of the planet', stop. Bindi is powered by solar panels and also has a wind turbine; both put power back into the grid. Oh it was so cool in the winery today.

Today was also the day I met the new family member up at Bindi - Meeka. I'm not good on dog breeds so I'm just going to take a stab and say she's an 8 week old kelpy-something-cross. One word - wooshie-wooshie-wooshie-woo (just be grateful I didn't spell the hyphen's!).

As I entered the winery this morning I was instantly hit with a massive whack of mulberry fruit and brown bread. Mulberry fruit is pretty obvious, but the brown bread was all due to the wild yeast; a wild yeast that hasn't kick off yet, but just introducing itself I guess. But brown bread, and it smelt awesome.

Now pump-overs are exactly what it sounds like. And its gotta be done. The cap hadn't risen so we had no ferment kickoff. That's exactly what we wanted. And that's it. One more pump over at 4.30, some fixing up of nets and that was the day. That and a swim in the pool and a steak lunch with a bottle of 2010 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cr. Civilised wouldn't you say.

Domaine Anne Gros Bourgogne 2010

Tantilsing. Textuaul. Beautiful.

The Domaine Anne Gros Bourgogne 2010. Based in Vosne Romanee, Domaine Anne Gros consistantly producers exquisite wines from Flagey-Echezeaux, Chambolle-Musigny, Clos Vougeot and as mentioned Vosne Romanee where she produces about three wines. This wine was a treat and I could not wait to get it home.

Being a Bourgogne, I was expecting something very entry level; not top be. What we got was a wonderfully crafted wine with power and effeminate beauty. Dark ared in the glass, the nose was full of dark cherries, earth and succulaent bacon fat. The mouth had an instant hit of acid and tartness coming through as soft cranberries. The mid palate went to a new level with full dark cherries followed by more tart expressions of raspberry and cranberry. Great finish indeed. I loved it.

Drink with crispy skinned duck breast - a Susan
Drink till 2018
96
Quality cork 12.5%v/v

Mt Moriac Geelong Estate Pinot Noir 2008

Delightful. Lovely texture. Good age. These are just few of descriptors that can be used for the Mt Moriac Geelong Estate Pinot Noir 2008. There are more but lets talk about Mt Moriac for starters.

Why do we not see this label in more places around Melbourne? Is it because too many people are in meetings to see David - Mr Mt Moriac - or is it because Geelong only gets a nod if it is Farr or Bannockburn. I don't know. The other two are great yes, but as I have mentioned plenty of times previous, Geelong is a ripping place for wine, not just for driving through to get to the surf coast; something I will be doing tomorrow actually.

So much for the soapbox. More wine. The colour in the glass shows a touch of age with a bronze hue. The nose is also aged affected with developed spice - cinnamon, cassia bark and dried garden herbs. There is also just a  touch of tart red fruit hanging in there, just. The palate once again shows sign of development with dry terracotta, more spice and once again lingering tart fruit with cranberry the obvious. A great wine highlighting Geelong and also a touch of bottle age in a time where wine is usually consumed 2-3 years after vintage.

Drink with pull pork taco's
Drink till 2015
94
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $30 Seddon Wine Store

Cassanne Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2010

I feel quite lost in contemplative thought today; must be because the kids are both inside and I am hiding out the back. To dream, to dream....

Now on to the wine. This was quite close to my top 10 for 2012, an honorary I suppose. The  Cassanne Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2010. Quite dirty in the glass with a faint reddish hue, the wine comes alive on the nose with a gorgeous mix of tart cranberry and green leafy beetroot. The palate has a very earthy and dirty primary hit with brown spice and tart raspberry in the middle. It has a very long tail with more earth in the way of fried clay, think terracotta if you must, right at the back. A great finish to a great wine so one to look out for.

Drink with sticky beef short ribs
Drink till 2016
95
Screwcap 13.2%v/v $32 Gertrude Street Enoteca

Top of the tree in 2012

No, the world did not end. The Mayans sort of got it wrong with December 21st 2012 being cupitski for all of us mortals. Word is the Mayan's also predicted Beta VCR's would be the greatest invention since poncho's, the Spice Girls to collectively cure cancer and Corey Worthington to win a Noble Peace prize. Stick to human sacrifice next time Mayan's!!

What 2012 did bring to me was some pretty schmick wine positioned neatly in my glass. Last year saw just 6 wines for my top list. This year there are 10; 1 sparkling, 3 whites and 6 reds. Last year saw 5 whites and 1 red.  More awesomeness in 2012 than 2011 I guess.

So without delay and in no particular order, here is the pick of the the 2012 tasting crop.

Viñero Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir 2010 - a new label from super-sommeliers Matt Brook and Liam O'Brien, the 2010 hit all the right notes from a cracking vintage; very cool climate and not too far off soft and sexy Chambolle-Musigny.

Between 5 Bells Geelong Red Wine 2010 - a whacky blend that just so beautifully worked; who'd have thunk that we could find a use for Zinfandel? No offense California (sic).

Albert Mann Alsace Pinot Blanc Auxerrois 2011 - continuing on my love affair with Pinot Blanc, the recent winery of the year according to Wine Spectator (I think) delivers a magestic little quaffer that delivers so much more that the price suggests. Just beautiful.

Bindi Macedon Ranges Cuvée V Chardonnay/Pinot Noir -  I told you that this was going to be here. Bias or no bias, this wine just rocks.

Reichsrat Von Bulh Pfalz Riesling 2011 - I love Riesling, but what I loved about this beauty is its very unlike Rieslingness that just grabs you by the scruff of the neck and screams,' JUST DRINK ME!!!!!!!'

Fletcher Adelaide Hills Nebbiolo 2010 - my wine notes for this one were quite simple, 'Awesome. Breathtaking. Oursum. Captivating. Orsum. Sexxy.' You get that?

Best's Great Western Dolcetto 2010 - definitely bringing sexy back to Western Victoria, and definitely giving new world Dolcetto a voice.

By Farr Geelong Sangreal 2009 - Erin and I enjoyed this on Bastille Day last year in Perth. Enjoyed quite the understatement. Such brute power with such gentle force. Gary Farr knows his shit.

Sébastien Brunet Vouvray Arpent Sec 2010 - like my love for Pinot Blanc, my love affair with Vouvray also knew no bounds. I will make it a task this month to get this down at Seddon Wine Store, perhaps by the glass.

BK Wines Adelaide Hills Cult Syrah 2011 - just goes to prove that when you have a crap vintage, doesnt mean you have to make crap wine.

There you go, the top ten for 2012. And for the record, the By Farr Sangreal and BK Wines Syrah were the definate standouts. Cannot wait to see what 2013 has install.

The remains of 2012 - Bindi Macedon Ranges Cuvée V Chardonnay/Pinot Noir

I reckon later on today I will post my top picks for last year, even though it is this year today, the year after last that finished yesterday. You get that?

The Bindi Macedon Ranges Cuvée V Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, disgorged 2011, is just pure sexual liquid goodness. I know I bang on about Bindi wines pretty much all the time, but in all honesty, there is not really a wine where you would tie up like a piñata and go to it with a stick is there? So, the wine.

Still holding a straw/yellow colour in the glass with a supwer fine bead, the nose has an instant whack of gingerbread - very festive don't you think? The palate pleases as much as the nose with generous brioche and more gingerbread in there all neatly held together by subtle grapefruit acid.

I have still got about 3 bottles of this in my cellar and am convinced that this wine will still be singing when my boy Henry will be graduating from uni, give or take 20-25 years I reckon. I reckon well.

Drink with tuna sashimi
Drink till 2030
98
Diam cork 12%v/v $$$