As a teenager I grew up in South Gippsland, cattle country as it was back then, And as the school bus passed by the turn off to Pakenham each morning.
I had not the slightest clue that grapes would one day grow there. More to the fact did I even consider that One day I would make a living working in retail wine. And furthermore to the point that I would become so passionate about a single grape variety called Pinot Noir. Now some 45 years later the Pinot I am enjoying comes from just down that same road the school bus passed each morning. And the name of that Pinot is, Mount Bunrnett Chestnut Hill, Pinot Noir. Now I have that off my chest I can tell you about said wine.
First thing is the light see through cherry red colour as you swirl the glass. Followed by the wonderful sour cherry nose, The thing I love about Pinots with this clear light red shimmer is that it lulls you into thinking the wine will be light in flavour; Wrong. The wine is light in the mouth almost feather weight in-fact. And then you swallow that first mouthful and the sour cherry on plate starts to build and build into a full flavoured pinot with grate acid that translates to a Long tart almost mouth watering finish.
The thing I must point out is Pinot Noir like most grape verities can take on many forms and styles its just a case of finding an area that suites you. Well South Gippsland may be a struggle as vineyards are a good distance apart in some cases, but the change in styles and quality as you travel from one end to the other is unbelievable. Me I love them all and from every where around the world, some can be a bit challenging others can be expensive most like this one you can pick up for $35.00 to $40.00 and that in all honesty is the starting price for a enjoyable Pinot Noir. Then they just better, as they get more expensive as you would hope for at any rate.
Pinot Noir is a tricky and fickle grape verity that can take on many forms and styles from heavy full flavoured N.Z Pinots. Too the rich medium bodied Pinots of the Yarra Valley all the way too France the home of sedative, exotic perfumed pink under-bellied mushrooms and acid filled liquorice parcels of wonder, that bring consumers to there knees in praise.
As it was cold and bucketing down last Sunday, I enjoyed this Pinot Noir with home cooked roast pork for lunch. The light acid and the sour cherry was enough to cut through the rich flavour and not overpower the crisp pork with baked apple and crisp potatoes with honeyed carrots. All cooked in a old wood oven that my mother has been using since I was a teenager just gives it a smokey flavour you just don’t get from an electric oven. No one cooks a roast like your mum. MAX at WINEREVIEWS Michael Lillis
