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James Halliday Wine Companion - 'Exceptional' 5 Star Reviews

We are pleased to announce that all our 2017 Estate & Single Vineyard wines have received outstanding results from James Halliday in the recently released 2020 Halliday Wine Companion.

All Single Vineyard wines were awarded between 95 and 97 points and the Estate wines received 94 or 95 points.

Some of what Halliday said about our wines:

“An exercise in finesse and restraint”

“Flavours intersecting every corner of the mouth”

“Vibrant”, “Energetic palate” “Very fine, active mouthfeel”, “Lingering finish”

“I really enjoy the '17 Mornington Peninsula pinots, and this is one of the best.”

Due to lower yields and the demand for the 2017 wines, quantities are limited, so we wanted to encourage our friends to purchase them now while they are still available.

2017 Wallis Pinot Noir :: 97 points  

Hand-picked, wild-fermented, 7 days on skins, matured for 11 months in new and old French barriques. Light, bright crimson; An exercise in finesse and restraint, partly due to the cool vintage, but duly recognised for its special qualities of pomegranate and cherry. Drink by 2030.

2017 Wallis Tasmania Pinot Noir :: 97 points 

It's a mark of the knowledge, intelligence and bravery of Martin Spedding to include this wine in a vintage that produced this lovely, but light-bodied, pinot. There are those who might fall to the temptation of including 10% of the dark-fruited and strongly structured Tasmanian wine, as they are legally able to do, and say nothing about it if they so wish. Drink by 2031.

2017 Coolart Road Pinot Noir :: 96 points 

MV6 clone, hand-picked, wild-fermented, matured for 11 months in new and old French barriques. Balanced, savoury elements with joyous flavours of black cherry; tannins ex fruit and oak are finely judged. I really enjoy the '17 Mornington Peninsula pinots, and this is one of the best. Drink by 2029.

2017 Judd Chardonnay :: 96 points 

Clone P58, yield 2t/a, hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, wild-fermented, 53% mlf, matured for 10 months in French oak (15% new), 233 dozen made. Vibrant singular shaft of flavour first up; minimal oak influence. White peach and grapefruit lead the way along the energetic palate, flavours intersecting every corner of the mouth. Drink by 2030.

2017 McCutcheon Chardonnay :: 96 points 

Clone P58, hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, cloudy juice direct to oak (15% new) for wild ferment and 74% mlf, 10 months maturation, no batonnage, 134 dozen made. Very fine, active mouthfeel, melon, grapefruit, Granny Smith apple; lingering finish. Drink by 2030.

2017 Wallis Chardonnay :: 96 points 

Hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, cloudy juice direct to 600l French and Austrian barrels (15% new), 88% mlf, 10 months maturation, 206 dozen made. Gently smoky oak on the bouquet, then white peach and nectarine flavours dominate the palate, but don't block the freshness all the wines have. Drink by 2032.

2017 McCutcheon Pinot Noir :: 95 points [Wine Club Only]

Has obvious similarities to the Judd tasted alongside, although this is a more gamey, peppery offering, and also slightly more sweetly-fruited. Strawberry, cranberry, and smoky oak contribute to the flavour spectrum with the texture and mouthfeel providing another dimension. The finish is more tartly astringent than tannic and lingers attractively in the aftertaste. Drink by 2027.

2017 Judd Pinot Noir :: 95 points 
The cool vintage has played its part in shaping this wine no doubt, and it's certainly a fine-boned, elegant release. Aromas range from stems and undergrowth to crushed sour cherries (pips and all) and exotic woody spice. The flavours are both ripe and sappy, building gradually along the palate but essentially quite delicate, as is the light but gently persistent tannin. Drink by 2027.

2017 Estate Pinot Noir 'Up the Hill' :: 95 points 

Lighter colour than most of its siblings. The converse of the Down the Hill Pinot, not necessarily what I expected. Very pretty strawberry red fruits, the fragrance of the bouquet and mouthfeel and length impeccable. Drink by 2027.

2017 Estate Pinot Noir 'Down the Hill' :: 94 points 

A best barrels selection from vineyards at lower altitudes. Supple and spicy, with juicy red fruits criss-crossing the well balanced palate. Made for drinking, not sipping. Drink by 2025.

2017 Estate Chardonnay :: 94 points 

Hand-picked from five vineyards with clones I10V1 and P58 over a month, matured for 10 months in French and Austrian oak, no batonnage, 43% mlf. Vibrant and juicy, with grapefruit leading the pack of flavours; elegant finish. Drink by 2027.

2019 Vintage Overview

It has taken 15 years and a lot of hard work to finally get to this point. Vintage 2019 is the first harvest processing our fruit in our own purpose built winery on our Coolart Road vineyard.

Following a lower than average rainfall and relatively standard temperatures over the winter, cooler temperatures in August and September led to late budburst and flowering.

Above average temperatures and low rainfall during summer meant an early veraison and harvest. Five days of above average temperatures at the beginning of harvest has compressed the vintage further, with ‘up the hill’ fruit, which has lower yields, being picked immediately after ‘down the hill’. On average, there is two weeks difference in ripening between our down the hill vineyard in Tuerong and up the hill vineyards in Main Ridge. There has been very little gap this year.

Ten Minutes by Tractor commenced picking on the 27th February at our Coolart Road vineyard and we will finish the picking up the hill vineyards by around 20th March.

The yields are normal and fruit quality is outstanding, particularly up the hill. The down the hill fruit has higher sugar levels from the warmer weather experienced during picking. Up the hill fruit has maintained very good acidity and beautiful flavours. At this very early stage we would say that the 2019 vintage has a lot of promise, better than 2016 and 2018 and quality to match or exceed 2017, but time will tell.

- Martin Spedding

The Secret to Great Pinot Noir by Jane Faulkner

The quality of Australia’s pinot noir is at an all-time high as an increasing number of producers turn their focus to the vines, writes Jane Faulkner.

We check in on Australia's Pinot Noir and how producers are working with it.

Flirty, firm and fine. Structured, detailed and elegant. Hedonistic, ethereal and exclusive.

Read full article: https://www.winecompanion.com.au/news/news-articles/2018/may/Exceptional-pinot-noir-lies-in-the-vines

Ten Minutes by Tractor: Exploring Australia’s premier Pinot Noir region

One of the Mornington Peninsula's star wineries is 10 Minutes by Tractor. The name comes from the fact that originally the basis of the project was three vineyards in Main Ridge that were each no more than ten minutes apart by tractor.

One of the Mornington Peninsula's star wineries is 10 Minutes by Tractor. The name comes from the fact that originally the basis of the project was three vineyards in Main Ridge that were each no more than ten minutes apart by tractor. The owners, Martin and Karen Spedding had a previous life in a very successful software company that they owned, and this has given them freedom to take a single-minded approach to quality. As well as the vineyards, they have two restaurants, one very fancy and one a bit more down to earth. Both are excellent.

Read full article: http://www.wineanorak.com/australia/morningtonpeninsula_6_tenminutesbytractor.htm

What will fill red burgundy's place? by Jancis Robinson

I'm a refugee', declared a particularly well-dressed attendee at a wine tasting in London last month, adding as he swirled a glassful of crimson liquid, 'and like all refugees I'm traumatised. Is this the same as burgundy, I wonder?'

He may have a somewhat insensitive way of describing his flight from increasingly expensive red burgundy, but this wine enthusiast is not alone in feeling alienated, And he is no cheapskate. The last time we met had been at a dinner at which he had provided a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1971 Romanée-St-Vivant. But, like so many wine lovers devoted to France's infinite variations on the theme of Pinot Noir, recent Côte d'Or price rises have stuck in his throat and here he was at an event designed to showcase answers to red burgundy from … Germany.

Read full article: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/what-will-fill-red-burgundys-place