Tom Carson appears to seek substance with his Pinot Noirs and this is certainly a bold wine. The word ethereal isn’t going to be applied to it.
Ripe, dense, dark berry/cherry fruits with black spice and a little glossy oak. Loose knit and read to drink although it does have a good set of tea leaf tannins. Plenty of spice. The texture is silken but the wine is powerful. It’s a little hefty for my tastes; I tend to prefer the controlled concentration of the Yabby Lake single vineyard and block wines – but they cost quite a bit more. My personal aesthetics aside, this will make a lot of people happy. 91
Region: Mornington Peninsula
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $23.50
Tasted: November 2013
Don’t recall a Red Claw wine, Chardonnay or PN leaving me disappointed. Combination of very good region, and a wine-maker whose second tier wines don’t taste second tier?
Good comment Jeremy about it being hefty. As we know, in order to pay the bills for the great wines, the ones that earn the cash have to stand up and be counted. I’d rate this higher if only to reward the producer for delivering to the required specs.
Tom hosted a Yabby Lake/Red Claw/Burgundy tasting in Brisbane late last year and the punters went for the Red Claw wines big time. And they are very well made wines, I completely agree. Good value too.
“I’d rate this higher if only to reward the producer for delivering to the required specs.”
What!
Don’t be so precious. If a super premium lover wants layers, and a $15-30 buyer wants yummy, then a winemaker who wants to have a job will often deliver accordingly. I think Tom does a great job of making delicious value wines that remain within the spectrum of his house style.
Yes. Excellent. It’s no reason at all to rate something higher! It’s like saying [yellow tail] Shiraz is a ripper worth 94 because it delivers a nice sweet red to the masses.
I blame Tom Carson for everything.
Actually I blame him and QANTAS. If they hadn’t upgraded me years ago I might never have tasted that Yabby Lake chardonnay and realised how good life could be.
I’d have saved $1000s of dollars, wouldn’t have an off-site cellar, and children wouldn’t moan “Muuum, dad’s looking at the wine blogs again.”
So thanks a lot Tom.
Don’t forget to blame Tom for a Pinot winning the Jimmy Watson
I think it is 14.5% alcohol.
GW,
By higher I mean a point or so. In exactly the same way you said so about yourself regarding the Armchair Critic Chardonnay. If I didn’t elaborate, apologies. But my comment was, without the more efficient prose, identical to yours.
Ha ha. Well, we agree again then TT.