December 26, 2006
Yarra Burn Pinot Noir Chardonnay Rose 2003 and Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cabernet Merlot 2004
A couple of great drops I’ve had the pleasure of imbibing over the Christmas break. Both well worth hunting down at your local bottle shop. Fingers crossed, this review should also buy me some time as I get the second half of my Christmas chardonnay reviews up. They weren’t kidding when they dubbed this time of year the silly season!
Yarra Burn Pinot Noir Chardonnay Rose 2003 ($17)
Attractive light salmon in colour injected with a very fine, barely-there mousse: you almost have to squint to see those tiny pockets of air bubbling away like express elevators. Subtle hints of strawberry and nougat on the nose. A deliciously creamy mouth feel acts as the perfect gift wrapping to the wine’s refreshing, clean palate. There’s some berry characteristics from the pinot plus some nice chardonnay crispness and appley-ness with a succulent burst of lemon on the juicy finish. Very elegant, fine, refined, classy. This is the kind of drink you could wollop by the magnum on a summer’s day before you even realised you were drunk. Picked up from Liquor Barons at the bargain price of $17 and will highly likely be the Australian sparkling that summer 2006/2007 will be remembered for.
Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cabernet Merlot 2004 ($TBC)
Given time to breathe, that typical dense blackcurrant and chocolate aroma associated with young Margaret River cabernet blossoms into a heady mix of liqueured cherries, cedar oak, forrest floor, marzipan and a dozen different scents that my nose is nowhere near good enough to isolate and identify. Suffice to say, it’s the kind of nose you could spend a good half hour smelling and second-guessing yourself over. Juicy, medium-bodied and very approachable. The tannins are fine with just a hint of grip to add some bite to the wine. Succulent red berry flavours, a hint of “rustic” characters including savoury tomato leaf characters and a handful of earthiness. The perfect Moss Wood release that sits between the drink-now Amy’s range and the patience-testing wonders of the “regular” top-shelf Moss Wood cab sav.