This is my last post from the Yarra Valley tour. I have been impressed with PHI Pinot Noir in the past, and I was keen to seek this wine out again. PHI is a very small production joint venture between the De Bortoli and Shelmerdine families, and I tasted the wines (unfortunately only current releases) at the De Bortoli cellar door. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir come from the highly regarded Lusatia Park vineyard in Woori Yallock, Upper Hunter.
2012 PHI Chardonnay: Not too impressed with this wine. The flavour spectrum is apple and citrus, but the wine finishes short (90 points).
2012 PHI Pinot Noir: A fruit orientated wine, with strawberry and red cherry flavours. The wine is elegant with attractive silky tannins (93 points).
The wines were fine, but they certainly did not stand out versus my tastings at Coldstream Hills, Tarrawarra or Giant Steps. So I tasted a couple of premium De Bortoli wines as well.
2012 De Bortoli Section A5 Chardonnay: A restrained and well defined wine. White peach flavours are there, but citrus dominates, which is surprising, given the wine underwent 100% malolactic fermentation (92 points).
2011 De Bortoli Reserve Pinot Noir: A fairly light and earthy wine with a savoury mouthfeel. The cold and wet vintage marks this wine (89 points).
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