AceHighWine

VINTAGE 2006 was very late in Western Australia and people aren’t expecting the traditional red powerhouses (cabernet, shiraz and associated blends) from the season to be stand-outs: clever winemaking will no doubt be the year’s saviour. However, some of the ’06 pinot noirs that have trickled on to the market place and in to my glass have been tasty efforts, though many such as the Cullen offering are (or were) cellar-door only jobbies. While I doubt Western Australia will ever compete with Victoria’s Yarra Valley in the top value pinot stakes – some “experts” even (wrongly) suggest WA has no place being involved with any kind of pinot production – this MadFish release is all about accessible, food-friendly pinot for those after quality and value. Very varietal and complex Aussie pinot aromas of earth, herbs, blackberries, that unmistakable pinot stink and a flash of mintiness. A string of juicy fine tannins create a velvet, seamless mouthfeel tying together baskets of cherry and red berry fruit that linger on the palate and finish. Perfect summer style of red that was perfectly suited to Friday night pizza after a whirlwind week (and a couple of slices of post-Saturday morning gym pizza too). 17. www.madfishwines.com.au

After shooting to global prominence on the back of its Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough has slowly been building up its wine repertoire with pinot noir starting to show much promise. Produced by Marlborough’s Seresin Estate, this is one of the region’s most impressive pinots I’ve tasted in recent times. A blend of hand-picked and hand-sorted fruit from three different Marlborough vineyards, this smells funky and feral like the Mucky Duck Bush Band doing a set of James Brown, Meters and Sly and the Family Stone covers. Couple with more than just a smattering of raspberry and black cherry aromas, this is unmistakably pinot. The palate sees the aforementioned band members red-level the intensity as waves of sour cherry and red fruit latch on to palate with the assistance of fine, astringent tannins: the reverb-soaked finish is long-lasting and cause for rapturous applause. It’s all there and it makes you want to drink more and more - and that’s before you factor the nigh-on laughable asking price. Coupled with an excellent sauvignon blanc, MoMo is a relatively new Marlborough brand value-hunting wine drinkers should keep an eye on, possibly two if you can spare them… 18.5 www.seresin.co.nz

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

By the letter of my word, this post should wait until I’ve finished writing up the weekend’s Howard Park Riesling tasting, but as it’s more like a short series of thoughts, I decided to take advantage of my editorial supremacy and just get my thoughts out there.

Normally while down in Margaret River, we end up making one too many appointments and the trip can at times feel like a working day in the office and we don’t get to really enjoy ourselves, so this trip, we decided to just make one appointment (excluding plans to catch up with a buddy for a beer) and accept the Mugfords’ long-standing invitation to visit them at Moss Wood but as fate would have it, they were in Perth for the weekend so instead, we ended up being shown around by the vineyard manager and a cellar hand who ended up going to school with my brother. That’s Perth’s three degrees of separation for you!

The Moss Wood vineyards are indeed sacred ground - both because of their relevance to Margaret River’s history and the quality of fruit that comes off their vines. A combination of new and old, the plantings range from the original Pannell-planted blocks and some of the region’s thickest vines to pockets of experimental plantings where trials of different clones and vineyard practices are closely monitored in pursuit of that elusive perfect bottle of wine.

Speaking of which: while time will tell whether it was indeed a perfect growing season, the signs are looking promising for vintage 2007’s entry in to Margaret River’s Hall of Fame, joining such company as the recent esteemed 2001. From Moss Wood’s perspective, both proprietor Keith Mugford and the vineyard manager reckon ‘07 was a crackerjack season and are excited about the wine. After having a taste out of the barrel, I can see why: beautifully concentrated and pure blackcurrant flavours that glide across the palate. I could have siphoned off a bottle of that deep, dark purple liquid and taken it to dinner that night and enjoyed myself no end. The ‘07 pinot also looked very smart out of barrel, exhibiting much attractive bright red berry character.

Like most Moss Wood cabernet releases, drinkers will need to wait three years before having the opportunity to nab bottles of the ‘07. Impatient connoisseurs might be interested to know that auction house Langton’s will be offering the ‘07 Moss Wood cabernet - together with cabernet from other Margaret River marquee producers such as Cullen, Devil’s Lair and Voyager - as part of this November’s “The Great Wine Estates of Western Australia” en primeur (the pay-now, get-later system used for yonks by French vignerons, particularly with much-sought after Burgundy and Bordeaux wines) campaign. Although the campaign has been given a month to run its course, considering the current “resources boom” and hype surround this year’s vintage after a challenging ‘06 season, I daresay the bottles will sell very quickly (as long as Langton’s prices aren’t on the take).

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.

One night while we were in the Mornington Peninsula, I was put in charge of wine-buying for that night’s meal we were cooking up at home. Normally I like to try something new and local (preferably picked up during an afternoon of cellar door hopping) but with the local Liquorland the only bottle shop open at seven in the evening, the options were limited.

I decided the time was ripe for a Quaff experiment and grabbed three wines that had been recommended in the last edition of the book. The wine bill was just over $20 - usually not even enough to cover the cost of a single bottle of “boutique” wine - and for my money, I picked up a bottle of Yellow NV, Sacred Hill Cab Merlot and the ‘05 vintage of this. All were excellent and represented exceptional value for money and not a complaint was uttered by anyone at the dining table.

I’m happy to report that the ‘06 is even better than the ‘05!

Varietal pinot stink with exciting Meters-esque* funk that is lacking in wines with an asking price $10 greater than this wee ripper. Attractive grainy texture which is fleshed out by delicious juicy cherry and red berry flavours. Excellent structure and balance with bonus points for a touch of grip on the long, succulent and persistent finish. By most people’s standards, this is excellent varietally correct pinot noir, but coupled with the ludicrous price tag**, is a no-brainer for those nights when the lure of that roast duck hanging in the Chinese BBQ house’s window proves too tempting… 17.5 www.debortoli.com.au

* The Meters were a fantastic funk band who were heavily sampled and unwittingly played a major role in the development of hip-hop music.

** As an aside, this was tasted double-blind alongside a Margaret River pinot retailing at $50 a pop and while there was certainly tasting panel support for the more expensive drop, everyone’s preference was for this. Goes to show that you don’t need to spend a lot of money for varietal wine in Australia.