Not sure if it was this vintage but a bottle shared over some surprisingly vegetarian food at a wine bar in Frankfurt was delicious, despite nearly asking “where’s the sausages?” Thanks to good old google, it was easy to track down this bottle in Australia, albeit not quite at the same price. I’ve always enjoyed Pinot Noir mostly when it’s not too ripe and hangs on to those exotically heady fragrances and a lightness of touch in the tannin department. From sadly too few examples thus far, the Rheingau and Rheinhessen seem to produce Pinot with the perfumes just ripe and head filling. Getting the tannins over the ripeness line may be more challenging? Anyhow, this effort from a relatively cool vintage in the context of recent seasons, certainly scratched that long lost but still palpable old Burgundy itch. Just a little development in colour, fragrant wild strawberry and an alluring musky mint thing, bit like the wild mint that’s native to Australian eucalyptus forests, still fresh and inviting. Rich in the mouth but still perfumed as it finishes with crisp acidity and just ripe grape skin tannin. Quite a bit of tang and lift that together with those wild flavours had me wondering about a bit of the horse stable, but the finish is clean. Seems to have the sweet, off the leash Pinot thing that got me into those old Burgundies. Quite an adventure and makes me jealous of those Frankfurters who have this for not much from just across the big river.
12.5% alcohol. Cork. $60 plus postage.
93 points.
