Yarra Valley 13% Screwcap RRP $17- Tasted 11/9/09
My favourite sub $20 Pinot Noir and it’s not surprising that it comes from De Bortoli. They always over deliver. This a serious Pinot, make no mistake.
Beautiful dark cherry red with a charming translucence. The nose is of cherries, strawberries, sap, undergrowth and a dab of spice. Most appealing. There is some whole bunch action here, adding complexity to the wine.
Light to medium bodied and silken, the wine begins with cherries and strawberries before adding spice and undergrowth. Some enjoyable rhubarb in there as well before it finishes with finesse and length and beetroot. I do love beetroot in my Pinot Noir.
There’s not much more to say, it’s a classy wine and a bargain. It is worth moving up from the very good Windy Peak to the Gulf Station if your finances allow
Winery Website- http://www.debortoli.com.au/home.html
Yes, I totally agree with all your comments here. Especially about being a bargain – I remember picking up bottles for around $8. It's almost a minor miracle that sort of varietal quality can be retained at that price.
I'm still keeping my eye out for that 08 Windy Peak chards mind you. Do you think it offers the same mindblowing value as the pinot?
Cheers as always
CP
$8 for the Gulf Station! Madness.
Interesting you should ask about the 2008 Windy Peak Chardonnay, as I took a bottle to a friend birthday bash last night and asked a few folk between 20-36 years of age what they thought. These were not wine enthusiasts by any means, but the correlation between age and enjoyment of its restraint was very interesting. Almost all the 20-22 range thought it lacked flavour, whilst us 36 year old dinosaurs really liked it.
FWIW, I think the 2008 Windy Peak Pinot is more of an achievement for the price than the 2008 Windy Peak Chardonnay, and I guess I'd take the Pinot in a vacuum. But as always, we all know it depends on mood and food etc
Cheers Chris. Have been enjoying reading of your WA adventures too! I'm aiming to get there not next year, but the year after. It sounds great.
j
Hi Jeremy,
Really enjoyed a bottle of this last night. I had a couple of quibbles (love that word) but then thought to myself, I’m acting like this is a $50 wine rather than the $13 I paid for it. Impressive. Even a bit of structure to it. I wouldn’t have a problem drinking it in a couple of years. Plus, and here’s the clincher, it disappeared very quickly. Winner.
Dave
P.S. Tried the 07 Blue Poles Allouran yet? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. I’ll ruin any pretension of my objectivity by saying I’ve tasted and I’m a fan
"Quibbles" is a most excellent word Dave, I agree. Much less serious than "problems" or "difficulties"
Certainly it's not as good as De Borts or many others produce at $50, but as you say, at $13-20 it disappears quick. I couldn't see it falling over in the space of two years.
Unfortunately my finances haven't been up to speed lately so I'm slow on the 2007 Blue Poles Allouran. It may take me until around the end of the year before I get my order in. I want to pick up some the 2008 Greedy Sheep Rosé for the festive season first. It'll be damn hot in Brisbane and 12 bottles of that will go quick, believe you me!
Objectivity is but one possibly useful aim. I'm yet to be convinced anyone I've met possesses it, but some get closer to it than me. Glad to hear that you enjoyed it though. I'm certainly looking forward to tasting it sometime this year. Then after the tasting comes the drinking. Much more fun…
Cheers Dave.