Now you all know that I love my Pinot, there is no dispute there. And I guess through these blogs one thing that I harp on about is terroir and vintage – these two points almost always define the wine. So it is with this I found myself scratching my head with the Hurley Vineyard ‘Harcourt, 2006 Pinot Noir from the Mornington Peninsula.
In 2006, the Mornington Peninsula experienced a cool start to the season and which pretty much described the rest of the season. David Lloyd from Eldridge Estate commented on low sugar levels with lighter colours for red varietals. So how do explain this monster produced by Hurley.
The wine is a massive 14.9% - this is massive for Pinot and the Peninsula.
The colour is deep red with no real translucency. The nose starts out a bit leafy, which would be explained by dense foliage, with a right smack of Turkish delight, which accounts for the high alcohol. In the mouth the wine has an instant spice hit which quickly flows on to unbalanced acid and astringency. After a little while, the mouth mirrors the nose with Turkish delight driving the palate.
This is not my cup of tea. For me Pinot is all about finesse and elegance. This wine has none of that, and is what I would label a ‘Shiraz drinkers Pinot’.
Drink till 2012
Drink with chilli con-carne
14/20
In 2006, the Mornington Peninsula experienced a cool start to the season and which pretty much described the rest of the season. David Lloyd from Eldridge Estate commented on low sugar levels with lighter colours for red varietals. So how do explain this monster produced by Hurley.
The wine is a massive 14.9% - this is massive for Pinot and the Peninsula.
The colour is deep red with no real translucency. The nose starts out a bit leafy, which would be explained by dense foliage, with a right smack of Turkish delight, which accounts for the high alcohol. In the mouth the wine has an instant spice hit which quickly flows on to unbalanced acid and astringency. After a little while, the mouth mirrors the nose with Turkish delight driving the palate.
This is not my cup of tea. For me Pinot is all about finesse and elegance. This wine has none of that, and is what I would label a ‘Shiraz drinkers Pinot’.
Drink till 2012
Drink with chilli con-carne
14/20
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