Mayer The Magician

‘Bring back the funk’ is Timo Mayer’s calling card! And funky this wine is. Timo experimented with whole bunch fermentation in his wines where he really liked the funky characters and silky texture and decided that he liked it so much Dr Mayer was born. This is 100% whole bunch fermentation and really delivers an incredible complex array of flavours and textures. Pound for pound there is no other Pinot Noir that I can think of that I would rather drink than this beauty.
The colour easily translates the unfiltered product with a hazy dark raspberry that almost turns purple in natural light. The nose is very tight at first, but after sometime in a decanter a very pronounced tart cranberry and beetroot aroma fill the glass. Layers of red licorice, more beetroot and cranberry with a wonderful dirty fungal bight to it, similar to a forest floor. An amazing wine with so much more time left in the bottle.

97 Points Drink Now Till 2018

DIAM Closure

$55

Jamsheed

2009 Jamsheed Yarra Syrah 'Silvan Vineyard'



Sourced from a vineyard planted in the mid 90's on the deep red 'Monbulk' soils in the southern vales of the Yarra.






South facing, north/south row orientation, low cropping (4.5t/ha) PT23 clone. 100% whole bunch fermentation, 40 day extended maceration, indigenous yeast, racked to one and two year old French puncheons, sur lees for 10 months, gravity racked and bottled unfined and unfiltered with 35 mg/l SO2 at bottling. Graphite/cordite whole bunch nose with sweet brambly black cherries and violets. Licorice, black cherry and juicy high tone wild black berry fruit and game meats on entry with tight grain stem and fruit tannin. Graphite, pencil lead and campari/orange liveliness leading to a long finish.






Total production 160 dozen Alc/vol 13.0%
 

2009 Jamsheed Great Western Syrah 'Westgate Vineyard'

Handpicked from vines planted in 1969 from the Westgate Vineyard. 'Old Best' clone on Concongella soil profile. 100% whole bunch fermentation , 40 day extended maceration, indigenous yeast, racked to one and two year old French puncheons, sur lees for 10 months, gravity racked and bottled unfined and unfiltered with 35 mg/l SO2 at bottling.






Wild bergamot tea leaf and raspberry compote nose. Lively plum, raspberry red licorice sweet fruit on entry and succulent round tannins supported by a whole bunch perfume and meaty/gamey weight and texture. Rich mid pallet balanced by well integrated sappy tannins.






Total production 220 dozen Alc/vol 14.0%


pH 3.72 TA 5.6g/l

009 Jamsheed Great Western Syrah 'Garden Gully Vineyard'

Handpicked from vines planted in the 1950's in the Great Western region of Central Victoria. 'Old Best's' clone, 'Concongella' soil profile. 50% whole bunch fermentation, 40 day extended maceration, indigenous yeast, racked to French HH (20% new), sur lees for 10 months, gravity racked and bottled unfined and unfiltered with 35 mg/l SO2 at bottling.

Sweet spicy red 'Dutch licorice', sap and spice. Textured and layered pallet showing old vine concentration, plums dark cherries and earthiness/leatheriness. Large, chalky mouth-coating tannins and fresh herb and stem character finishing long and livley

Total production 180 dozen Alc/vol 14.5%

The All Mighty Downie

It has to be said that William (Bill) Downie is one of my favourite wine makers. He started his own label in 2003. With his previous  stint every year in Burgundy this enabled him to express his love for regional wines with the 3 Pinot's that he crafts. He uses purchased grapes from older vines on these vineyards to make his wines, carefully avoiding any use of pumps, filtration and fining. His eye catching labels were designed for him by Reg Mombassa (Mental As Anything Fame) who is also know in the art world for his famous MAMBO graphics. These have help his obtain shelf space at many of Victoria's leading wine stores.

In 2007 Bill Won the "Gourmet Traveller Wine" 2006 Wine maker of the Year Awards, taking home the Kemeny's Medel for the Best Young Winemaker 2006. 

"His intention is to produce wines of purity and detail that reflect their place of origin. They are made in the most natural way possible, not pushed or shoved in any direction. They are not added to or subtracted from." (http://www.williamdownie.com.au)

Sourcing grapes from some excellent sources such as:

Denton View Hill, Yarra Gen in the Yarra Valley for his "Yarra Valley Pinot"
This wine is grown on only granite based soils in the Valley. There was a lot of mint, some developing meat and a touch of cherry stone. Then a complex bundle of light, vegetal, stalky cranberry fruit.  It is a well made wine, well balanced, and extremely powerful Pinot i think it will cope well with a few years left in the bottle for it brilliance to develop further.
90 Points Drink now till 2018
DIAM with Wax Seal

Merrick's Grove, Merrick's in the Mornington Peninsula for the "Mornington Peninsula Pinot"
The 2008 Mornington Pinot Noir, there is strawberry, raspberry with a meaty element coming in gently. There is a bit of grippy tannin, some spice too, on the palate but it is really nicely blended with gentle fruit flavours. A long, slightly spicy and herbal finish. 
94 Points Drink Now till 2020
DIAM with Wax seal
$59

Berry's Creek Vineyard, Berry's Creek; Lucinda Estate, Leongatha; Followell Farm (His Vineyard), Yarragon all in Gippsland for His "Gippsland Pinot"
The 2008 Gippsland Pinot Noir.  This is an outstanding wine – period!  A light, floral nose mixing with raspberries and some sweet wild strawberries leading onto a gently fruity palate, with a bundle of cocoa powder and raspberries. 
93 Points Drink Now till 2017
DIAM with Wax Seal
In 2011 there will be another Gippsland Pinot Noir released, this time with fruit from their own property.  If the 2008 is anything to go by, I can’t wait!