Tag Archives: Victoria

April 8, 2013 · 3:52 pm

It’s good to be the King (King Valley, Victoria – 4/04/2013)

I think it’s time for an embarrassing confession. In spite of the fact that I have now travelled all around the world visiting almost 100 different regions I have actually been to very few regions in Australia, of which there are almost 50. What is possibly worse is that there are about a dozen regions within a few hours of Melbourne alone, only three of which I had visited outside of work. I have had the chance to visit the major wine regions in South Australia, thanks in some part to working in the trade previously and being invited, and also visiting some regions around Adelaide with my father before I left. There is now only one state in Australia that doesn’t produce wine, and that is the Northern Territory, so there are still four states I still haven’t visited wineries in. Returning home I was determined to remedy this and the first new region to visit (finally) was the King Valley.

Gorgeous view into the King Valley on a lovely day

Gorgeous view into the King Valley on a lovely day

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April 6, 2013 · 12:07 pm

Brown Brothers – 5/05/2013

Limited Release Prosecco 2012
Slight struck-match riesling-style flint minerality, nice crisp apples. Quite fruity with a little residual sugar, consistency and approachability, solid and reliable.

Prosecco NV
A little more vibrant in fruit, slightly creamier. Rounder, broader and more fruit sweet, most definitely palatable and serviceable than most Italian prosecco.

Vermentino 2012
Nicely bright vibrant and crisp. Balanced, good fruit, a little brisk and spritzy, slightly round but still very fresh.

Pinot Grigio 2012
Slightly talcy, crisp fresh clean and vibrant. Nice crunchy acidity, light and fruity, has character which is good to see in a wine of this style and volume.

Limited Release Single Vineyard Pinot Grigio 2012
A little fuller and more textured on the palate, density and concentration, crunchy, good extension but still fresh and vibrant.

Montepulciano 2012
Lovely and soft, bright approachable and fresh. Good style, slight savoury edge to things keeping it interesting.

Brown Brothers Italian varietal wines

Brown Brothers Italian varietal wines

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March 16, 2013 · 3:18 am

Mornington Peninsula – 10/3/2013

When I was young my grandparents owned a holiday house that our family made use of at least twice a year, particularly during summer. The house was pretty old, the beds weren’t very comfortable and worst of all there was no television. In spite of this I always looked forward to holidays there. The house was in Rye on the Mornington Peninsula between Rosebud and Sorrento, and I have fond memories of beaching, fish & chips and the summer carnival. They sold the house when I was in my early teens and suddenly there was a hole in my heart where those experiences used to be. Once I became interested in wine that hole was filled in a different way when I discovered it as a wine region. Over the years I was introduced to many other wines and regions in Australia, especially in the Yarra Valley where I worked for quite a while, but Mornington always remained my favourite region in Australia. So it seems fitting that the first region I visited since my return was to the Mornington Peninsula.

At Main Ridge Estate, my favourite producer in the world

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March 10, 2013 · 9:23 pm

Eldridge Estate – 10/03/2013

Chardonnay 2010
Bright citrus melon peach, clean leesy ripeness. Tight dense ripeness, not warm or heavy. No malo character, heavier texture. Varietal.

DRL 2011 (50/50 Pinot gamay)
Quite pale in colour. Nice slightly spicy red fruit nose. Quite savoury in character, spice rosemary and bright red fruits. All on the front food wine, pleasant and most importantly different.

Gamay 2011
A little darker in fruit, a sharpness on the shoes, pomegranate turnips, medicine(?). Full yet fresh and bright, nice extension of fruit on the palate, round soft tannins, plenty of spice to it.

Pinot Noir 2010
Nice dark fruit with some good mature stalk elements. Very tight on the palate, focused linear, a product of location, focused and fresh, dense fruit.

MV6 Pinot Noir 2010
Soft pure quiet, focused dark cherry notes. Dark soft round but building on the palate, very late dark sweet spice savoury edge. Tight acids.

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March 10, 2013 · 11:49 am

Ocean Eight – 10/03/2013

Pinot Gris 2011
Piercing sharpness, very citric. Lovely soft unctuous texture, good warmth, a little savoury oiliness, really good integration.

Verve Chardonnay 2010
Soft rich slightly creamy almost floral notes, hints of lees. Focused sharp bright, a little green, clean and solid acidity with some minerality to boot.

Pinot Noir 2010
Soft clean nice savoury red fruits. Pure fresh focused acids, supple yet tight and brisk tannins, a sharpness that will soften with some age.

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March 10, 2013 · 11:15 am

Yabby Lake – 10/03/2013

Red Claw Pinot Gris 2011
Very light and thin on the nose. Solid balanced textured yet fresh. Looking a bit tired though.

Single Vineyard Pinot Gris 2012
Blossomy honeyed lychee peach notes. Warmer fuller mouth feel, Moore concentration of fruit, lacking in acidity somewhat.

Red Claw Chardonnay 2010
Clean light fresh citrus, not much else. Dense warm fruit, nice and clean from malo oak and lees, nice and ripe with good concentration.

Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2011
Much bolder and riper on the nose, a little leesy and curdy. Dense texture and phenolics, little green and lacking in depth, worked in terms of lees and oak, Mornington Chardonnay has changed.

Red Claw Pinot Noir 2011
Bold vibrant fruit nose, a tad reductive, a little savoury. Hot and reductive, not aggressive or hot but forward and bold.

Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010
Quite closed and young at the moment, very solid though, tight and focused ripe red fruits. Full balanced and soft, silky tannins, well structured with exceptional length.

Block 6 Pinot Noir 2010
Amazing purity. Soft supple and slightly spicy, gentle extraction but really builds on the palate travelling back. Extraordinarily young.

Block 2 Pinot Noir 2010
Denser and more concentrated. Much warmer and more tannic, a little aggressive for now. Needs a lot more time.

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March 10, 2013 · 10:59 am

Main Ridge – 10/03/2013

Chardonnay 2010
Bright mineralic crisp flinty and citrusy. Lovely texture, very supple, focused fresh and intense, wonderful balance, integrated oak and alcohol.

Chardonnay 2008
Showing a little more richness depth and lees character. Fuller rounder and riper, a lot more character, excellent flavour and texture maturity.

The Acre Pinot Noir 2010
Light bright but not at all varietal. Tight lean and focused. Wonderfully delicate fruit, supple and long tannins, wonderfully balanced alcohol.

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