NobleRottersSydney - Melbourne Dress Circle

A regional theme – the ‘Melbourne Dress Circle’, comprising Mornington, Yarra, Macedon, Sunbury, Geelong – greets the 70% turnout at the Rotters’ third dinner for the year.

• 2004 Yering Station Yarrabank Cuvée

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  [cork, 12.5%] {Gordon} Fresh nose of strawberries and cream. Plenty of moderately fine bubbles on the palate. A dry, crisp, youthful but refined offering. Very aperitiv-ish. Seems to have a good long life ahead on this basis.

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• 2008 Moss Wood Pinot Noir Mornington Peninsula

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula

  [screwcap, 13.5%, A$50] {Greg} Clean, fresh and youthful nose of strawberry fruits, a touch of dark chocolate (lick of oak?). Attractive. The palate is sweetly fruited with gentle strawberries and a touch of smoke. Light-medium bodied, with medium acidity and very discreet tannins, it evolves into a gently attractive wine, evenly balanced, with a medium-length finish. Subtle, but complete. In need of three years to bloom a little.

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• 2008 Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  [screwcap, 14%, A$35] {David} Not far from the Moss Wood in style; generally darker in aromas and flavours, but also lighter. Perhaps a little more development is apparent among the generally similar aromas & flavours; chocolate-coated strawberries and a smoky tinge (not bushfire, I hasten to add). There’s a sweetness to the flavours here; although neither wine has green or stalky aspects on offer. Light-medium body, medium length finish. Seems ready to drink, until you try the next wine…

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• 2003 Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  [screwcap, 13.9%] {Glenn} Aging gracefully under screwcap. There’s a more meaty, gamey aspect to the flavours here, with a slightly burnished quality; it’s obviously a somewhat older wine. The palate is also spicier than the 2008 redition, this is near-medium-bodied, with resolved tannins and a medium-length finish. Authentic and attractively developed effort which probably sold for south of $20 when new; it’s harsh to expect more than is here, although objectively it’s hardly the last word in complexity. Solid example of Yarra pinot at the entry point.

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• 1999 Mount Mary Pinot Noir

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  [cork, 13%] {Graeme} Garnet with a touch of brown about it. Developing nose of charcuterie-based aromas; pruscutto, pastrami with a smoky patina overlaying it all. Vague red fruit is distantly sighted but not overt. A light-medium weight palate whose strength lies in its balance, it’s long and even along the tongue; just plain classy in its blending of flavour and structure. Ought to hold 5-10 more years; it’s got a fair way to go before it’s anywhere near truly secondary in character. Better than I was expecting, I must say. A$80 on release ten years ago; it’s a very nice wine but I’m not sure the value is really there…

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• 2003 De Bortoli Shiraz Viognier

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  [cork, 14%] {Stephen} A developing, yet very sweet-smelling nose of jammy & baked raspberry fruit, but a really obvios viognier/apricot aspect to it. Still very fruity really, with medium dusty tannins on the voluptuous and oaky palate. It’s medium-full bodied, and rich, but the viognier gives it an increasing sweet note that eventually becomes a bit cloying. Local S-V blends were just catching on back in 03, and the white grape was used a little more than it should have been perhaps. This remains a pretty decent wine though, in a friendly, obvious style. Drink up before the confectionary aspect takes over completely.

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• 2007 Yering Station Shiraz Viognier

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  [screwcap, 14.5%] {Bruce} Ruby colour. Youthful aromas, dark, curranty, and a touch pruney. A full-ish bodied, chalkily tannic palate follows, with rich blackberry jam flavours, a touch of warmth from the ripe fruit, and just a hint of fruit-bomb profile. The weight of the wine falls on the mid-palate, although at this quite young age it’s all rather one-dimensional. The oak is controlled, and the acid is soft; this needs another 5 years to evolve a little. I think the Heathcote component takes the upper hand in the profile – it feels a little like a powerhouse on standby. Could be really impressive, but perhaps don’t expect charm.

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• 1999 Wantirna Estate Cabernet Merlot Amelia

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  [cork, 13.3%] {Graeme} As immaculate a 12-year-old cork as I’ve ever seen reveals a ruby coloured wine with very little age apparent. The nose is the perfect Bordeaux substitute; cassis and cigars, some classy french oak, and a touch of dark tar. The palate is staggeringly good; dry, with powdery tannins, rich developing cassis fruit which reveals more dimensions of flavour the harder you focus, and such great balance of the structural components that it’s very hard to pick out the details. A long finish and even palate coverage are the jewels in the crown. I can see this improving for another ten years at least; it’s only just started on the road to greatness. Wonderful example of a top Yarra cabernet blend.

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• NV Ferreira Porto Duque de Bragança 20 Year Old Tawny

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  [ cork, 19.5%] {Gordon} Bit far gone by this time of the night, I must say. Aged nose of cold tea and caramel. Positively heady with fumes which resolve into a caramelly, dusty palate. Not too obviously sweet. Lacks the last word in complexity of flavour, but pretty good overall.

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Good night. Good wines. Pity we weren’t all there!