AceHighWine

Earlier this month, passionate pinotphile Steve Naughton from Victorian-based pinot noir specialists Pinot Now flew into Perth for a whirlwind trip through Western Australia. During his visit, he made the time to show some exciting boutique pinot noir to an Oenophiles tasting that by the grace of Tony Blackwell (cheers mate!) I was privileged enough to attend. Fascinating, insightful and thoroughly educational, the night will be remembered as another fond memory in my love affair with that most fickle of grapes.

Two of my highlights of the night were these two beauties from Mornington Peninsula’s Merricks Creek, both crafted by winemaker Nick Farr, son of Gary Farr of Bannockburn and general pinot noir fame and notoriety. According to the website, they’re all out of 2005 stock, but it looks like Pinot Now still have bottles of the normal 2005 pinot noir (rather than the close planted) available for purchase.

Merricks Creek Pinot Noir 2005 ($42.50): Perfumed, pretty strawberry aromas wih a touch of meatiness to boot. Fine, drying tannins wrap themselves around a core of tightly wound, almost minerally red fruit that starts to relax and unwind with time in the glass revealing the complex flavours hidden within. The savoury finish is succulent and persistent. Looked good on the night but really started to shine the following night with dinner when the wine started to poke its head out of its shell. 17.

Merricks Creek Close Planted Pinot Noir 2005 ($52): Looked very big on the night with nougat oak and ripe red berry - verging on “plummy” - aromas. But once in the mouth, unmistakably good pinot: juicy, chewy, textured and more than a touch twiggy with other shades of earth used to colour the inside of the mouth. The finish is succulent and lengthy and the wine seems to dawdle and drag its feet as it makes its way slowly yet surely through the mouth. Really good and easy to approach and appreciate. 17.5 www.pinot.com.au

Showing signs of the warm vintage that took place in the Peninsula in ‘06, this wine is crammed full of pretty red fruit flavours with attractive cherry and strawberry edges, all flanked by sandy tannins. Fashioned on the bigger, Australian fruit-forward pinot noir model, this is a very attractive drink-now or short-term cellaring prospect. Good stuff from this Burgundian influenced producer. As an aside, when this wine’s identity was unmasked on tasting night, the price I was given for this belter was a measly $18 and I excitedly thought I had unearthed a serious challenger for Hoddles Creek’s title for Australia’s best value pinot. However, further research has revealed a higher - yet still completely justifiable - asking price. 17.5 www.kooyong.com

I enjoyed the last bottle I had of this so didn’t let the chance to taste Miceli’s newest wares pass me by. Brilliant translucent ruby hue in the glass that smells very feminine and decidedly New World rather than Old: a generous dollop of rose syrup with strawberry and other red berry fruits. But in spite of what these aromas promise, the wine’s tastes lean more towards the savoury rather than the sweet with pinot berry characters playing second fiddle to black coffee beans and earth on the tightly-wound but highly textured palate. The wine’s juiciness is accentuated by the fine, sandy tannins that flow freely throughout before finishing with a burst of succulence. Might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I thoroughly enjoyed this unobtrusive and restrained food drop with a dinner of braised sausages, though I’d love to see this again sometime over the next two years to see if this cute wallflower has opened up a little. 17.