WINEWISE INTERNATIONAL PINOT TASTING
Canberra July 2010

Conducted in association with the 2010 Winewise Small Vigneron Awards
The wines were assessed by all 16 Awards judges using the 20 point show scale

This tasting was as much about closures as it was about wine. “I guess we have screwcap palates,” quipped one of the judges. If that means we prefer a wine to clearly express its origins without the negative influence of cork, we happily plead guilty.

Set up a blind tasting of wines of the same variety and similar age, ¾ of which are under screwcap and ¼ under cork and you’ll see what we mean. In most cases the wines sealed with cork will show some of the flavour of cork oak. Unfortunately that aroma and flavour are sometimes so strong that they swamp any terroir characteristics the wine may have had. Some of the wines from Burgundy in this tasting were so affected. Even the DRC Echezeaux was blighted to a slight extent, and that cost it top spot. The first bottle of the Echezeaux was so badly savaged by TCA (cork taint) that it was undrinkable.

Nevertheless, the Australian and New Zealand wines (particularly the latter) made a strong statement. They also raise the question “why pay a lot of money for burgundy which suffers significant bottle variation?”

Note: The ranking reflects the median score of 16 judges. The number in bold following each wine is the number of gold medal scores awarded.

Outstanding 2006 Curly Flat Macedon  This is a delightfully fragrant pinot noir with red berry/cherry characteristics and a fine, velvety mouthfeel. There’s a briary complexity suggesting a small stems component, and the oak is comfortably absorbed by the intense fruit. A complete wine.  ($50.00)  10 GOLD MEDALS Screwcap 2006 Échézeaux (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) The nose is quite shy, but offers fragrance with hints of stems. The silkiness and length of palate are the wine’s strongest features, showing that sheer power isn’t what pinot noir is about. Cellar as long as you wish if you’re lucky enough to have any.  ($700.00)  9 Cork 2005 Mount Difficulty Pipeclay Terrace Central Otago  An intense, fresh pinot with a touch of forest floor complexity to complement the dark cherry fruit. A delicious, multi-faceted wine with a pleasing savoury edge.  ($108.00)  9 Screwcap

Highly Recommended
2006 Felton Road Central Otago  Powerful and ripe, showing red plums aromas and a hint of gamy whole-bunch character. The palate is opulent and silky, framed by very fine tannins.  ($75.00)  8
Screwcap

2006 Felton Road Central Otago Block 5  Quite a big pinot, offering dark berry aromas and flavours together with some stems complexity. This wine is very much about mouth-filling richness and structural balance.  ($130.00)  6
Screwcap

2006 Ata Rangi Martinborough  A delightful pinot noir showing preserved cherry aromas enhanced by a touch of toasty oak. The palate is intense, with balanced tannins and considerable drive. One to cellar.  ($80.00)  5
Screwcap

2006 Pegasus Bay  Here’s a big, thoroughly enjoyable pinot that’s downright cuddly. The spicy dark fruits characteristics certainly aren’t delicate, but there’s a balance and structure to this wine that makes it all work. Keep for a few more years.  ($40.00)  4
Screwcap

2005 Paringa Estate Reserve  It’s hard to imagine a tasting like this without Paringa Estate in the front line. The freshness, power and finesse of this wine are particularly impressive as are the fragrant red and dark fruit aromas. There’s a rosy future ahead for this sharply focused, finely structured pinot.  ($90.00)  5 (including 19s from James Halliday and the editor)
Screwcap

2006 Yering Station  This is a very attractive wine with complex notes of tilled earth and undergrowth which complement the strawberry/red fruits nose. The palate is long and focused, with a delightful savoury dryness.  ($N/A)  3
Screwcap

2006 Kupe by Escarpment Martinborough  A big, rich style with strong dark cherry/plum aromas and flavours. Firm, fine tannins match the volume of fruit. Needs time.  ($50.00)  4
Diam cork

2006 Coldstream Hills Reserve  A fresh, complex wine showing fragrant red fruits aromas and a whiff of whole bunch. The palate is long, fine and silky.  ($N/A)  3
Screwcap

2006 Main Ridge Estate Half Acre  This is a delightfully pure, fragrant pinot noir with a fine structure and a pleasingly dry, savoury finish. It’s all red fruits and rose petals and should have been higher up the list – according to the editor who scored it 19.  ($N/A)  5
Screwcap

2006 Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes (Domaine Perrot-Minot)  A complete pinot package showing complexity, powerful red fruits, texture and structure. The oak comes through a little strongly, but this is an impressive wine worthy of cellaring.  ($395.00)  4
Cork

Recommended
2006 Bream Creek  This is a substantial pinot that runs the full gamut of summer pudding and red fruits aromas and flavours. The freshness and firmness suggest that cellaring will be rewarded.  ($30.00)  2
Screwcap

2006 Corton Les Bressandes (Prince Florent de Merode)  Very complex, including stems and a whiff of brettanomyces, but the fruit is strawberry-like, if a little forward and mature.  ($99.00)  2
Cork

2006 Mazy-Chambertin (Domaine Armand Rousseau)  Developed and cork-affected – the first bottle showed taint and the second random oxidation. There was still enough fruit, fineness and elegance to appreciate.  ($400.00)  2
Cork

Acceptable
2005 Clos de Vougeot (Jean-Michel Guillon)  Big and rich, but dulled and dried by cork-related random oxidation. This also accentuated the oak on the finish.  ($150.00)  0
Cork

2006 Richebourg (Domaine A.F. Gros)  Shows some cherry-like fruit but is dried out by brettanomyces.  ($250.00)  0
Cork

Lester Jesberg