Tag Archives: Pinot Noir

Dog Point Pinot Noir 2006

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I loved the 2005 vintage of this wine, and remember it as a generous, wonderfully regional Pinot of utmost deliciousness. Hence, great expectations for this wine.Somewhat hazy ruby colour. Intense, not-quite-funky aromas of sour red fruit and sweet spice (cinnamon/nutmeg, etc), perhaps some autumn leaf as well. There’s quite a lot going on in there, but it’s seductive, not intellectual. It’s also a bit reserved at this stage. An entry with impact, partly due to a flavour profile that registers as sweeter than the nose suggests. Acid moulds the wine’s flow quite assertively, and this creates some textual interest while adding a bright, edgy quality to the fruit flavour. A deeper, plummy note emerged as the wine sat in glass for a couple of hours. There’s a nice sense of widening as the palate progresses, and the finish shows excellent continuity, with ripe, slightly grainy tannins. Oak is notably well balanced.Compared to the rather lush 2005, this shows as a tighter, more controlled wine, perhaps needing some time to relax and unwind. For my taste, it’s just a tad brash for full satisfaction right now. One to revisit in a year or so, perhaps.Dog PointPrice: $A35Closure: CorkDate tasted: May 2008

Saddleback Pinot Noir 2005

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Peregrine’s second label Pinot, composed of Central Otago and Marlborough fruit. I’ve noticed this blend of regions in a few Central Otago producers’ lesser wines. It’s an interesting mix in theory, with both regions having quite distinctive Pinot flavour profiles in their own right. Second tasting of this wine, with more positive results this time around.Initially stinky and somewhat unattractive, with stale spice notes dominating a nose of disjointed fruit flavours. After a few minutes, though, the wine is cleaner and more delicious. The Marlborough influence is evident, with a tamarillo-like note in amongst the more Central Otago cola and plum flavours. Good intensity and enough complexity to make it worth smelling repeatedly.Good, flavoursome entry that shows more bright, moderately sweet fruit flavour alongside slightly smokey, spice notes. Certainly prominent acidity, but not overwhelmingly so. Entry continues to a fruit-driven, medium bodied mid-palate of tasty tamarillo and red fruits. Moderate intensity of flavour, and although flavours are bright, they are also dense enough to be mouthfilling. Mouthfeel is quite velvety and sophisticated. The fruit intensity drops off rather precipitously through the after palate, and the finish is consequently a bit hollow.Perhaps not a wine for regional purists, as it’s neither here nor there when it comes to communicating a sense of place. If you can get past that, however, you’ll find a tasty wine of distinctive character and reasonable price. Try it with pork.PeregrinePrice: $NZ25Closure: StelvinDate tasted: May 2008

Joseph Drouhin Vero Pinot Noir 2005

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Medium red in color, almost cloudy, and smelling like strawberries in potting soil, this wine comes across more Oregon than Burgundy… but giving it some air brings out a distinct sour cherry candy note that really does seem more Old World than New.Body-wise, this is fairly big for a Pinot with moderate acidity (nothing too scary), some nice grippy tannins on the finish, and a fairly decent oaky flavor that matches nicely with the rich red fruits. All in all, this seems like it’s designed to blend potentially otherwise not saleable lots of pedestrian red Burgundy into what turns out to be a pretty decent bottle of wine at the price. I don’t really get a sense of place here, but what I do get is a lovely red wine that’s aching to be drunk with salmon or Serrano ham. Delicious.DrouhinPrice: US $19.99Closure: Cork [crumbly, low quality cork]Date tasted: April 2008

Domaine Pierre Amiot et Fils Morey-Saint-Denis 2005

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On a bit of a Pinot run of late, mostly Australasian. Here’s a change of pace, then; a Village-level wine from the Morey-Saint-Denis appellation of Burgundy, vintage 2005. Some good complexity on the nose: there are notes of cherry, candied citrus peel, musk and something a little more herbal and funky. The wine’s entry is remarkable — texturally bright and acidic, it’s only until the wine is almost at mid-palate that you realise your tongue has started to sing with flavour from the tip onwards, a sort of delayed reaction. Light to medium bodied, there’s significant structure here, mostly acid driven, but with loose-knit and slightly grainy tannins too. There’s also good intensity of flavour, which mirrors that on the nose but jumps up a register in brightness thanks to the acid. The wine’s line becomes broader as it moves through the after palate. Decent length.This wine is pretty edgy at the moment, but the fruit’s intensity shines through and promises better balance in time. I suspect the lower registers will fill out. Quite a distinctive flavour profile, and right now one for lovers of higher toned Pinot Noir.Domaine Pierre Amiot et FilsPrice: $A42Closure: CorkDate tasted: April 2008

Ngeringa J.E. Pinot Noir 2005

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The third of Ngeringa’s current release “J.E.” wines tasted here at Full Pour (Chardonnay and Shiraz previously, and positively, reviewed). This wine is made of grapes grown using biodynamic techniques. There’s a lot of hype around biodynamic producers lately, and I don’t hold an opinion as to the inherent superiority (or otherwise) of this approach. For me, it’s all about what’s in the bottle. A lovely bright colour, garnet, not terribly dense. Clean yet funky (if that makes sense) aromas of cherry, rhubarb/beetroot and deep spice. Perhaps a little reduction too, but this blows off quickly. Expressive and reasonably complex, it’s a nose that shows some bright character but suggests deeper layers of fruit as well. A lovely entry that balances silkiness with fine, firm acidity. It flows with focused line through to the mid-palate. Medium bodied, this wine shows sour red fruit and veg with good depth, plus a firm structure that keeps the wine shapely and alive. Tannins are especially notable for their ripe deliciousness. Slight falloff through the after-palate, but a sappy note persists well on the finish.A really nice Pinot. The fruit is generous, but it’s far from a fruit bomb, with the sort of sophisticated structure that rewards sipping, not gulping. I think balance is a key word here; for me, all the elements cohere and complement well. Super value.NgeringaPrice: $A25Closure: StelvinDate tasted: April 2008

Peregrine Pinot Noir 2006

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For those visiting the Central Otago region, do drop by Peregrine’s cellar door, as much for the spectacular setting and architecture as the wines. I enjoyed a wide range of wines when there last year, but right now we have the key label in its portfolio: the Pinot Noir.

This wine, made from fruit of the Cromwell Basin (Northburn) and Gibbston Valley sub-regions, makes an interesting stylistic comparison with well known wines from the Bannockburn sub-region (specifically, the 2006 Mount Difficulty and Felton Road Pinots previously tasted here at Full Pour). On the nose, this wine is a detailed, perfumed wine of impressive complexity. There are notes of bright sour plum, spice, sap, sausage and citrus mixed into a well integrated flavour profile. It’s a delicate nose, and if I were to compare it with the Bannockburn Pinots, I would say this wine shows greater finesse and complexity, perhaps at the expense of outright impact.

Initially, I found the palate to be structurally overwhelming, with prominent acidity and tannins washing away any substantial trace of fruit flavour. Some vigorous swirling, though, has helped to rebalance the palate, and through the evening it has become more drinkable, if still highly structured. Acidity and bright fruit weave in and out of each other on entry, creating a very focussed first impression. As the wine moves to the mid-palate, it remains quite driven in its line, but the fruit relaxes somewhat to express hints of sweetness amongst the primarily savoury, sour flavour profile. There’s a lot going on here, flavour-wise, with more sour plum and spice, plus a strong mineral streak. The flavour continues to build towards the after palate, where a clean, attractive burst of red fruit presents, before velvet tannins whisk the wine away to a lengthy finish.

Frankly, this wine isn’t ready to drink now and, as excited as I am about it, I should note that its best days are ahead of it. Having made that point, this is an excellent wine that has enormous potential to become superb with a few years in bottle. It’s already complex, and just needs time for its structure to soften and let the fruit emerge from its cage. One that’s worth waiting for (and excellent value).

Peregrine
Price: $NZ39
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: April 2008

Kooyong Massale Pinot Noir 2006

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Kooyong’s Massale Pinot has two things immediately going for it: it is reasonably priced and classily packaged (I do like the Kooyong label design, generally). I saw this on a restaurant wine list the other day and had to give it a go. A piercing nose of sappy red fruits, minerality and a touch of oak. The palate shows good intensity from entry onwards, although this intensity is counterbalanced by an overall delicacy and lightness of touch. The wine’s acid structure is quite prominent, and this adds zip to the wine’s middle palate of sour red fruits, hints of sous-bois, perhaps some sweet nutty spice and minerality. The fruit character is bright and clear, and elegantly savoury. Mouthfeel is very fresh indeed, thanks to that acid, and the finish shows slightly grainy tannins that are noticeable but well-balanced.This wine is elegant and “adult”, although not especially complex. I found that it responded extremely well to food (creamy pasta), so for full enjoyment, one is well advised to try this with, not as, a meal. KooyongPrice: $A28Closure: DiamDate tasted: April 2008

Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir 2006

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I really don’t know what to say about this wine. It smells like Pinot Noir, more or less… and I’m at a loss for descriptors past that point. There seems to be some kind of weird spritziness on the tongue, and I find myself wondering if there’s been a small refermentation in bottle as well; there’s an odd, yeasty note that’s unattractive and it mostly tastes of pizza dough that someone dropped in a wax cup of strawberry Kool-Aid at the end of a children’s birthday party.Fifteen minutes after pouring, there’s kind of a foamy, frothy ring around the wine as it sits in my glass. It’s not very attractive. Here’s a snapshot:With additional time and air, this wine is about as far from good pinot noir as it gets. It’s medium bodied, atypically so for Pinot. The wine is heavy, dull, flabby, and overripe. There is no finish. There is no excuse for shipping this wine overseas; it should have been consumed as sangria, preferably in Nelson.Thankfully, our street’s recyclables are being picked up by the city overnight. I don’t want to have to look at this bottle in the morning and be reminded of my mistake.Villa MariaPrice: US $17.99Closure: StelvinDate tasted: April 2008

Mike Press Wines Pinot Noir 2004

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It’s not often I leave a sub-$10 wine overnight, and overnight again, to see how it evolves. But this wine has prompted me to do so, with most pleasing results.I’ve had this one a few times with, I admit, mixed impressions at first. My first bottle seemed a little murky, structurally, lacking the purity I often associate with Pinot Noir, especially New World styles. It was also showing a heavy, oak-driven flavour profile. Whilst this wine is not, and will never be, a bright cherry fruit bomb, time will help to clarify its flavour components and structure.So what does it smell and taste like? At first, a whole mix of flavours, not terribly well delineated, generous, a little “dark.” After a day, it was as if a veil had lifted, revealing clean and somewhat brighter (though still deep) fruit flavour, along with definite earthiness, some musk, and perhaps a little lift. The entry is pleasantly lively, with some acid tingling the tip of the tongue as flavour introduces itself towards the mid-palate. Fruit flavour is mostly dark berry in character, and is accompanied by more earth and sous-bois. Oak is relegated to a supporting role now, and it’s astonishing how much this aspect of the wine has stepped back over the last six months. Mouthfeel is quite lovely, mixing the aforementioned acidic freshness with fine, powdery tannins of the mouth coating variety. It’s definitely tending towards a “dry red” style but, if you’re open to this, will be a pleasing wine in its own right. The after-palate and finish show good line and persistence.At just over $A8 per bottle, I’m astonished this wine is drinkable, let alone stylish and expressive of personality. Mike Press WinesPrice: $A8.34 ($100/dozen)Closure: StelvinDate tasted: April 2008

Mount Pleasant Mount Henry Pinot Shiraz 2002

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Pinot Noir and Shiraz. A little odd, you might say, yet not without precedent. As the back label explains, some of wine legend Maurice O’Shea’s most renowned wines were blends of these two varieties. So, Mount Henry is a tribute of sorts to these iconic wines. It’s pure Hunter Valley, of course, wrapped in a heavy, somewhat monumental bottle of chunky proportions. First impressions are marred somewhat by a big whiff of brett that never quites dissipates as the bottle empties. It’s not, however, beyond tolerance, at least for my palate. Rather, it’s a metallic sheen over deliciously earthy red fruits, quite sweet really, a bit of custardy oak and some funkiness. It smells of Hunter Shiraz but shows a marked divergence at the same time, with some bright complexity pushing it away from the straight Shiraz style. On entry, the wine smacks the lips and tongue with generous flavour almost immediately. It’s got good presence, this wine. The mid-palate shows good fruit weight and a fine, powdery texture, and tastes of raspberry liqueur poured on a dusty dirt road. Characterful, if not hugely complex. The after palate and finish are quite textural, thanks to chewy tannins.There’s a slight lack of focus to this wine’s progression through the palate, but why quibble over something so tasty? Parallels between Hunter “Burgundy” and Pinot Noir have a lot of history to draw on, if only at the level of nomenclature and general “style.” But there are synergies there, as O’Shea and this wine show. It’s a wonder more producers in the Hunter don’t experiment with this blend. I’m led to believe some Hunter enthusiasts are taking matters into their own hands.McWilliams Mount PleasantPrice: $A30Closure: CorkDate tasted: March 2008