From the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy. An American owned Estate. Chris Newman’s father was the first American and perhaps the first foreign owner in the region. 100% biodynamic and organic since 2005. Imported by Beaune & Beyond.
All about subtlety and finesse. Darker brambly notes on the back-palate become more noticeable on the second day of tasting and it gained depth but ultimately this is nimble and silky without any feeling of over-extraction. Red fruits, roses, sap and twiggy notes, aniseed, spice and hay. The tannins are fine, smudgy and long. A pretty wine but in no way is it lacking substance. 91+
Region: Burgundy
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Cork
Price: $65
Tasted: November 2013
Hello, NEWMAN.
Now why do I suspect that’s exactly what the native Burgundians said whenever Chris or his father showed up? “Bonjour, NEWMAN”.
Here in sunny QLD (with the odd hail storm thrown in for good measure) Newman makes us think of our *humble* Premier these days. Oh how I long for Seinfeld and the 90′s.
Beaune/Prince Wine Store ran a burgundy masterclass at pinotpalooza this year, which was a highlight of what I otherwise found a pretty disappointing event. They selected this and two other villages level burgs to present in a blind tasting, together with three 1ers. This was pretty distinctively different from most Australian pinots that I have tried and I ended up buying a few bottles. In doing so, I was influenced by the news that the 2012 harvest in burgundy was down quite a lot and my speculation that if the AUD moves against the euro, I doubt it will be in our favour.
As for the wine itself, I thought that it had a bit of sour cherry and juniper to it and that the tannins and finish were really quite different from most Australian pinots that I have tried. Not a bad way to dip your toe in the water with burgundy. The problem is that $65 pb gets you pretty close to the top of the Australian pinot tree and it seems like 2012 has been pretty sensational for most of our pinot producers across the board.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there Luca. In terms of sheer quality to price ratio the 2012 vintage for Pinot in the Yarra, Mornington, Tasmania, Gippsland (and probably Macedon and Geelong – although I haven’t seen many of those yet) makes a compelling case for the ‘local’ cause.
I guess, as you note, wines like this do provide a completely different experience, tannins being a key component to that. Most of us are pretty curious as wine drinkers and I suspect we often purchase for reasons of quality and diversity as much as value. At least I know I do. So Burgundy won’t be slipping off my radar anytime soon even if I can’t afford the best it has to offer. That’s where the generosity of friends and those in the industry is greatly appreciated.