Pinot Noir Australia at Moncur Cellars

Most leading Pinot Noir producers show their new releases at this tasting, which happened a few weeks ago. I reported on this last year as well. Unfortunately, it was very crowded this year and not very enjoyable as a result. But it gives an opportunity to get across most wineries in one evening.

I felt that the styles are converging, which is a bit disappointing. The bigger Pinot Noirs, for example from the Mornington Peninsula, were toned down, the lighter wines were made more intense. Thankfully, the days of fruity Pinot Noirs are truly over in the better wines. And 2011 is really watery and disappointing as a general rule.

I will report in order of my rating:

The 2012 Coldstream Hills Deer Farm shows complex cherry dominated flavours on the palate with a nice mouthfeel and good length (93 points).
The 2010 Marchand & Burch "Mt. Barrow" from Great Southern is dominated by forest floor flavours, very savoury and European in style, with good length (93 points).
The 2010 Mount Mary is a very elegant and subtle style, with a weaker finish than desirable (93 points).
The 2011 Wantirna "Lilly" is quite an achievement for the vintage. The fruit is strawberry, with penetrating intensity, silky tannins and good length (93 points).
The 2008 Paringa Estate "The Paringa" has bigger and darker fruit - quite an intense and tannic wine (93 points)
The 2011 By Farr "Sangreal" is the other quite savoury and European style Pinot Noir. It has good depth for the vintage (93 points). The 2011 By Farr "Farrside" is lighter, softer and more feminine (92 points).

Close behind on 92 points were the 2010 Giaconda (savoury and penetrating, but not big); the 2011 Grosset (strawberry flavours, a bit bland, but good length); 2010 Glaetzer-Dixon "Reveur" (dark, big, complex flavours, balanced); 2010 Stonier Windmill (dark, fruit orientated, but not too big, good structure); 2011 Moorilla "Muse" (complex palate, fruit and mushroom, silky tannins) 2011 MacForbes "Woori Yallock" (light, strawberry flavours, silky tannins, good length); 2010 Bannockburn and Bannockburn Stuart (orange peel, quite smooth, lacks mouthfeel).

The weakest wines on 86 points were 2008 Savaterre (brown colour, quite aged and mellow); 2011 Yabby Lake (light, harsh); 2011 Tarrawarra (light); 2011 Stefano Lubiana Primavera (lolly flavours); 2010 Yarraloch Stephanies Dream (plump, not much depth)