I was also pouring and doing a bit of presenting at this event, so didn’t get masses of time to scribble, but I thought these might be of interest to folks. This was a fabulous line up to see in the UK and included some real stunners.
Mac Forbes Woori Yallock Chardonnay 2009 – Yarra
Crisp fruit profile with some cheesy / lactic notes. Crystalline, glassy texture. Very green apple – Chabils-esque. Whistle clean lines and a knife edge style. 16.5
Ocean 8 Verve Chardonnay 2011 – Mornington
Mineral, sulphite-laden nose. Very taut but with layers (richness) at its core. High tensile, with a vigourous mid-palate. Very long. 18.5
Ten Minutes By Tractor Wallis Chardonnay 2010 – Mornington
Slightly funky, wild ferment nose. Broad, warm (alc) and spicy on palate. Full and lively but poorly managed alcohol. 14.5
Yabby Lake Block 6 Chardonnay – Mornington
Reductive nose with sulphur and mineral notes. Ripe fruit framed by toast. Has a markedly fleshy, riper fruit profile than other wines thus far – it’s 100% Mendoza clone. Quite creamy and richly textured. Nicely mineral back-palate leads to a spicy finish. 17
Oakridge 864 Lusatia Park Chardonnay 2010 – Yarra
Reserved, mineral aroma. Very tight and chalky. Crackles with energy. Coiled. Spicy finish. 18
Oakridge 864 Drive Block Founder & Diamond Chardonnay 2011 – Yarra
Heavily reductive struck match nose. Limey and extremely taut. Savoury. Broadens a touch on an extremely fine, long finish. Awesome potential. 18.5
Bindi Quartz Chardonnay 2011 – Macedon Ranges
Delicate aroma. Super-fine, tight and limey. Has superb, laserbeam focus. Great line and snap to it. Exciting. 19/20
Bindi Chardonnay 1995 – Macedon Ranges
Aged, lanolin and waxy nose. Not a pristine bottle. Orange blossom character, then actively weird. Out of condition and absolutely nothing like the 1991 (I think) we were served at the estate.
Giaconda Chardonnay 2010 – Beechworth
Smart and complex on the nose with distinct cashew/sesame oak notes. Mineral and fine boned palate. Creamy, full MLF(?) style but with crisp mineral underpinning it. A markedly rich example but beautifully managed. 18
Giaconda Chardonnay 2002 – Beechworth
Mid-gold colour. Mature nose with honey and wax notes. Alive and with some citric cut, but not desperately exciting. Slightly broad at the back end. 15.5
Kooyong Haven Pinot Noir 2010 – Mornington
Slightly candied red fruit nose. Sweet and polished Pinot. Supple tannins but slightly simple fruit profile. Touch green on the finish. 15
Ten Minutes by Tractor McCuthcheon Pinot Noir 2010 – Mornington
Very pretty, delicate red fruit perfume. Crisp, lacy and snappy fruit on palate. Refreshingly tart and crunchy on the finish. Fragrant. 17
Paringa Estate Pinot Noir 2009 – Mornington
Ripe, spicy, generous nose. Fruit is ripe and exotic. Has an attractive, bright, cherry character but the moderate acidity leaves it slightly fat on the finish. 16
Yabby Lake Block 2 Pinot Noir 2010 – Mornington
Aromas quite reserved. Spicy palate with a marked kirsch/cherry note. Lots of stem character giving spice. The fruit profile is really quite dark. Grippy and nervy on the finish. Quite a divisive, take-no-prisoners style. 17.5
By Farr Tout Pres Pinot Noir 2010 – Geelong
Very deep, intense colour. Similarly intense nose with lots of whole bunch action going on – this buzzes with spice and floral tones. Crunchy, snappy and vigourous on the palate. Absolutely brilliant stuff with great sense of line and tension. 18.5
Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir 2011 – Macedon Ranges
Massive contrast with the previous wine and possibly not at its best advantage being served directly after it. Pale and translucent in the glass. Delicate nose with a slight cola aroma. Sweet and scented on the palate with red fruit and strawberry characters. Feels a bit candied after the By Farr. Fragrant and very fine boned. 16.5 – but I wanted to like it a lot more.