WTN: Misplaced expectations

Was experimenting in the kitchen this evening, playing around with a couple of recipes and trying to recreate a fantastic dish I had at Szechuan Gourmet a few days ago. Wanted something fun to drink, though wasn't reaching for anything particularly complex or layered, something more appropriate for casual drinking - and I grabbed a 2001 Port Phillip Estate Pinot Noir from Mornington Peninsula, Victoria.

That was a huge, huge underestimation on my part.

This is unlike almost every other New World Pinot I've ever had (the one exception being a '96 Mount Mary). A light, clear red in colour, bricking a little at the rim and an incredible aromatic profile with scents of red fruits, earth, herbal elements and touches of leathery funk and rose petals. The palate is full of sappy red fruits, earth and leather, but what stands out is the incredibly finessed, silken and very light mouthfeel this has (in spite of the 14% alcohol indicated on the label), with a presence and texture that seems more like a Chambolle than a new world Pinot. Fantastic wine.

[Jenise]

Interesting! I remember when the Mornington Peninsula was being touted as the Next Big Thing in pinot noir, but it never seemed to materialize. Have you had this wine before such that your expectations were lowered?

[David M. Bueker]

Might a few years of age been helpful to this wine. These days a 9 year old wine is practically ancient.

Interesting! I remember when the Mornington Peninsula was being touted as the Next Big Thing in pinot noir, but it never seemed to materialize. Have you had this wine before such that your expectations were lowered?

No, but I did have a Shiraz from the same estate that was good but boring some time ago, and when I visited the Mornington Peninsula in 2006, I remember finding the wines generally tasty and enjoyable - but never particularly striking, certainly nowhere near the level of this.

I have another bottle of slightly older Mornington Peninsula Pinot (2003 Stonier Reserve, which is a wine I've heard many good things about), that could be interesting to open soon.