Andrew Jefford: Pale, clear red. Pure, fresh raspberry fruits: plenty of aerial classicism in the aromas of this wine. Beautifully and unaffectedly Pinot, though few substrata. Vanilla whisper behind, presumably from élevage. Enticing nose. Brisk, dry, intense, and searching palate, the fruit tone now more redcurrant than raspberry. Some cereal warmth to follow the raspberry. Few tannins to speak of—though, happily, there are some. It has inner warmth, despite its very upright bearing and sustained acidity; not underripe, not overripe. Pure, classical, brisk, and engaging. It would be hard to pick this out as a non-Burgundian in a tasting of Côte de Beaune reds at this stage, which isn’t a bad place to start from... Perhaps that warmth would place it apart. Australia? I’d love to drink it, lightly chilled. 16.5
Anthony Rose: Pale-ruby hue. Invitingly fresh sweet rhubarby fragrance, with a smidgen of underlying vanillin oak. Attractively fresh, juicy mulberry-fruit quality, with supple textured tannins and a zingy, crisp nip of cool-climate acidity bringing backbone and a degree of structure. Well-crafted tongue-tingling fresh Pinot Noir, if a tad on the simple side. New Zealand. 16.5
Joanna Simon: Not a pale color, but paler and with a thinner rim than the others in this flight of 2010s. Nose: red cherries, bergamot, and a slightly dusty, meaty character, with a touch of cocoa. Red-fruit intensity on the palate. Quite a silky texture mid-palate. Fresh acidity and “minerality”; light, fine tannin. Acidity on the finish. New Zealand? 15.5
Details
Wine expert | Andrew Jefford Anthony Rose Joanna Simon |
Tastings year | 2012 |
Region | Western Australia |