Pinot pilgrims lift their eyes to the peninsula
A grape that has been worshipped for centuries is finding a new spiritual home in Australia.
IT'S MYSTERIOUS, SEDUCTIVE, bewitching and fickle. An ancient variety of unknown origin, pinot noir has the ability to express its terroir subtly between neighbouring vineyards or markedly between regions.
''I can't think of any other variety that makes people so obsessed,'' says Nat White, winemaker and owner of Main Ridge Estate on the Mornington Peninsula. ''Why? I'm not sure. But I think if you drink a lot of wine and then a bottle of exceptional burgundy, you spend the rest of your life wanting another one just like it.''
While Burgundy is the variety's spiritual home and produces the finest examples, pinot noir has travelled the globe.
Unwittingly, White became a pinot pioneer. He was the first to plant the variety on the peninsula 38 years ago, producing the first vintage in Main Ridge Estate's newly built winery in 1980.
His two pinots - dubbed Half-acre and Acre - are made the same way, from plots next to each other, yet are different. The Half-acre is structured, concentrated, deep with ageing potential and yet there's a restraint, too. The Acre is a touch more delicate and floral, producing wines for more immediate pleasure.
''The winemaker influence shouldn't be apparent,'' he says. ''The site ought to be the dominating influence. I try to make the Acre as intense as Half-acre but the site doesn't let me do it.''
The explosion of pinot-philes on the peninsula encouraged local producers to band together to learn more about the grape variety, which can keep winemakers awake at night and preoccupy their minds during the day.
Early in February the region will stage the sixth Mornington Peninsula International Pinot Noir Celebration, a world-class event held biennially.
This year Jasper Morris, a burgundy wine buyer for British-based Berry Bros & Rudd and writer of Inside Burgundy, is the keynote speaker. Joining him for the two-day celebration will be Etienne Grivot, of Domaine Grivot, plus the leaders of California's pinot scene, Josh Jensen of Calera Vineyard and Ted Lemon from Littorai, the first American to manage a Burgundian estate.
The irrepressible Marquis Sauvage, owner of Burn Cottage Vineyard in Central Otago, will also attend.
''The common thread among our international guests [except Grivot] is the pilgrimage they have made to Burgundy and the pioneering spirit they have shown in bringing pinot to their homeland,'' says Kate McIntyre MW, who chairs the celebration.
''It's about celebrating pinot from around the world while showcasing what Australia is doing now, and looking at those wines from the perspective of the world stage.''
Yet, it's only in the past decade or so that particular cool-climate regions in Australia, such as the Mornington Peninsula, the Yarra Valley and Tasmania, have been making very good pinot.
''The belief we can't make good pinot is so passe it's ridiculous,'' McIntyre says. ''Those of us who really look deeply into the nuances of Aussie pinot know that and the best way to prove it is to benchmark with the best, compare and contrast.''
While the ticket price - $990 for two days - isn't cheap, McIntyre says it is good value considering the quality of speakers and wines on tasting. Most will be from the excellent 2010 vintage, with older wines included in various brackets. Forty-two wines will feature.
An area of more serious discussion will centre on the effects of global warming. As Morris says: ''If it happens so quickly that the vignerons cannot adjust their techniques, then we are going to have a lot more to worry about than where the next of wine is coming from.''
It's a reminder that beauty is finite.
Kooyong Ferrous Pinot Noir 2010, $75
Each of Kooyong's three single-vineyard pinot noirs is very different, yet all are made the same way. The pinot from the Ferrous vineyard is named for the sedimentary soils containing ironstone, a character that comes through in the wine. This vintage also offers gorgeous ripe black fruit, especially sweet cherries, plus orange zest and blood orange. Available from Port Phillip Estate, Red Hill.
Curly Flat Pinot Noir 2010, $53
Curly Flat, out Lancefield way, is where co-owner and winemaker Phil Moraghan chose to grow pinot noir. The 2010 is the finest to date. It is fragrant and pretty with hints of cherries and strawberries. It's a lovely, medium-body wine, delicate with slinky tannins and fine acidity. Try Europa Cellars.
Weingut Bernhard Huber Malterdingen Baden 2010 $54
If German pinot isn't on your radar, retune. Medium-bodied and utterly delicious, it offers lovely florals and earthy, deep red fruit, racy acidity and ripe, velvety tannins. Available from City Wine Shop.
The Mornington Peninsula International Pinot Noir Celebration is on February 8-9. For tickets, go to mpva.com.au