Each of these single vineyard wines offers such a different proposition. Maybe that alone explains a lot of our modern preoccupation with the concept of terroir. The Judd Vineyard yields a tannic wine of profound gravitas in 2012.
Savoury, entwined, earthen and sappy. It’s difficult to tease apart individual components here, the wine refusing to yield to such simple representational techniques. It is twiggy and slightly smoky with the acid more embedded in the flavours than the McCutcheon. A touch less spice, hints of mushroom, tobacco, rhubarb and beetroot. Each attempt at a descriptor only seems to highlight the elusive nature of an utterly compelling Pinot Noir. 96
Region: Mornington Peninsula
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $75
Tasted: January 2014
Tasted again alongside the 2012 Estate and McCutcheon Pinots. All the wines looked better four months down the track. This is still my pick. They’re soon to be released and the Judd Vineyard is quite majestic. I’m bumping it up a point for those keeping score at home.