Wine: Mornington Peninsula pinot noirs

The Mornington Peninsula may not be as well known as the Yarra Valley but it’s closing the gap fast.

2016 Montalto Single Vineyard Merricks Block Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir; 2017 Stonier Lyncroft Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir; 2017 Willow Creek Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir

With its beauty, ever-changing scenery, wineries and restaurants, the Mornington Peninsula may not be as well known as the Yarra Valley but it’s closing the gap fast. And the reality is that the two regions are now, and will always be, so different from each other it hardly matters.

The Peninsula recently demonstrated its maturity by changing the name of its biennial pinot noir conference to Pinot Celebration Australia, with small badges dotted here and there simply inscribed Mornington Peninsula Vignerons (of which there are more than 70 in my database). It brought together 18 presenters (nine male, nine female), three from overseas, the Australian contingent from all walks of wine life.

Having attended each event, I can say this was by a considerable distance the best. The 200 attendees were swept away by the venue, the stunning RACV Cape Schanck Resort. From my viewpoint, the most interesting, exhaustively researched and illustrated presentation was The Australian Pinot Noir Story by Andrew Caillard MW, told over an hour and a quarter with six pinots from six regions. For many attendees, the 90-minute Winery Walkabout featured 52 wineries from far and wide across Australia was a highlight.

Another presentation by Christina Pickard, of the New York-based Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and local Kate McIntyre MW of Moorooduc Estate was An International Pinot Perspective, featuring two wines for each of Central Otago (NZ), West Sonoma Coast (US) and Okanagan Valley (Canada). The two Peay Vineyards wines of Sonoma in the US were the best, but I can’t imagine any of the six foreigners gave local producers cause to shift in their seats. The ultimate winner was the cohesion of the Mornington winemaking fraternity and their countless hours of unpaid, jealousy-free work.

2016 Montalto Single Vineyard Merricks Block Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir

The most satisfying and convincing of the 2016 Montalto pinots. Wild strawberries and spices drive the bouquet, opening the way for the perfectly pitched palate and its silver stream of red berries, the purity of the wine exceptional. Trophy Winewise ’18, three gold medals. 13.6% alc, screwcap. 97 points, drink to 2030, $70

2017 Stonier Lyncroft Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir

Open-fermented, 20 days on skins, matured in used French barriques for 8 months. Good depth to the hue; in the words of the late Jack Mann, “resplendent in its generosity”, the fruit flavours of plum, cherry and spice with attitude. 13.5% alc, screwcap 95 points, drink to 2032, $55

2017 Willow Creek Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir

Hand-picked over 18 days, a minute crop at 1.21t/ha, matured in French oak (20% new). It’s a seductive wine with perfumed red fruits in a juicy framework that precludes any question whether it’s dry (it is), the gauze of superfine tannins the final deal. 13% alc, screwcap 95 points, drink to 2027, $45