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Morning ton Peninsula - a bit like Burgundy with ocean views

Moorooduc Estate are one of the few Mornington Peninsula wineries that are still allowing their Chardonnays to undergo Malolactic Fermentation, the natural process that gives Chardonnay the buttery flavours that many of us love. For more details visit our website http://www.onlinesommelier.com.au

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Morning ton Peninsula - a bit like Burgundy with ocean views

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  1. Morning ton Peninsula - a bit like Burgundy with ocean views Have you ever spent time in Burgundy in the summer? Long warm days, rolling hills and magnificent countryside, beautiful bed and breakfast accomodation on working vineyards and truffleries, plenty of fresh produce, and some of the most expensive real estate on the planet where perhaps the very best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir you will ever experience is grown. 

  2. Just a very short drive out of Melbourne you’ll find yourself in a place that has a lot in common with Burgundy.  Rolling hills, beautiful Australian bushland, incredible local produce, beaches and incredible ocean vistas (something you won't find in Burgundy), and a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir region of excellence. The Morning ton Peninsula is home to 50 wineries. Though grapes were first planted on the peninsula in 1886, it was as recently as 1972 that continuous production commenced.  Main Ridge, regarded as the first commercial winery in the region, opened in 1978 and picked its first vintage in 1980. Most wineries on the peninsula are considered boutique, however the region has developed a global reputation for wines of outstanding quality. 

  3. I headed down to the Peninsula recently and paid a visit to some of our favorite cellar doors. First stop was Paringa Estate, located in Red Hill South.  Paringa Estate produces a wide range of Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Viognier, Pinot Gris and cool-climate Shiraz from fruit grown on the Peninsula, much of which on the Estate. I arrived a little after lunch time, probably not the best time to visit a cellar door as the lunch guests are often making their way to the tasting counters to enjoy some more wine, however despite the number of people it was a quality tasting experience. Friendly, knowledgeable and engaging, the team at Paringa did an outstanding job of presenting the full Paringa range.   Paringa Estate Chardonnay is made in the modern style, lean and clean with citrus and white stone fruits predominant, though for those who like their Chardonnay a little more buttery and textured, the Paringa Single Vineyard Chardonnay will be to your liking. Cool-climate Shiraz is something you will find more and more on the Peninsula, and Paringa offers 3 great examples of the style. Medium bodied, blackberry and black plum with pepper and spice, all were personal highlights for me and something I would recommend to those who enjoy an elegant style of Shiraz. The Paringa Pinot Noir range offers 4 wines of distinctly Mornington profile, raspberry and cherry, savoury and spice, power, poise and potential, the current 2013 wines are from an excellent vintage that is pure Pinot pleasure. 

  4. Next stop was Crittenden Estate, a family owned winery established in 1982. The Crittenden cellar door experience is very unique, and definitely one to try. Rather than the traditional walk-up tasting counter, you and your group will be seated at a private, restaurant style table where you will be able to taste up to ten wines from the entire Crittenden range.  As you taste each wine you are asked to score it on a scale of one to ten, enabling the Crittenden team to personalise and curate your tasting experience based on the wines you like, or perhaps don't like.  It's an approach very similar to that of Online Sommelier, needless to say I thought it was a winner.  

  5. Crittenden offers three ranges, each focussed on a classic European region. The French origin styles are labelled Crittenden Estate, under which you will find Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and a Fume Blanc (oak matured Sauvignon Blanc). Their Crittenden Estate labelledZumma wines are the estate's premium wines, and are excellent expressions of cool climate wine, boasting complexity, intensity and finesse.

  6. The Los Hermanos range comprises Spanish styles in homage to the family's love of Spanish food and wine. A Txakoli, a Tempranillo and a Granacha/Mataro/Tempranillo blend, all made from grapes grown in the King Valley, are fun, easy drinking wines that pair perfectly with tapas style foods.  The Pinocchio range are Italian styles, with a Pinot Grigio, a Sangiovese, a Moscato, and a Rosato. Foodies will love the Pinocchio range as these are all great value partners for your favourite Italian dishes. 

  7. Jones Road Cellar Door is a beautiful, rustic barnyard where lunches of woodfired pizzas and the Sunday Roast are paired with the Jones Road wine range. I had the great fortune of catching up with founder Rob Frewer, who guided me top to bottom through the tasting list, giving me the lowdown on each of the wines as we went. Rob is one of the Peninsula’s great characters, who’s light-hearted though passionate approach makes for an entertaining conversation. Rob was particularly keen for me to try his cool-climate Syrah, which I found very much in the Rhône style with peppery, savoury notes and a healthy presence of black fruit, definitely one to try if you are looking for a medium bodied red.

  8. The Jr Jones range is sourced from vineyards across the peninsula and offer great value, with the Pinot Noir particularly popular. The estate grown Jones Road wines, and the premium estate grown Nepean range reflect Rob's passion for making high quality wines that improve with every vintage, and are gaining the recognition that they deserve as a winery of excellence. A short trip around the corner you will find the magnificent Moorooduc Estate. The Moorooduc McIntyre 2013 Pinot Noir was rated by Decanter Magazine in the UK as the second best Pinot Noir made outside of Burgundy, and anyone who’s had a Pinot Noir from the Moorooduc Estate range could vouch for how spectacular these wines are. You'd be lucky to get your hands on a McIntyre Pinot Noir though, they quite literally sell out within days of release. 

  9. Moorooduc Estate are one of the few Mornington Peninsula wineries that are still allowing their Chardonnays to undergo Malolactic Fermentation, the natural process that gives Chardonnay the buttery flavours that many of us love. All estate grown, with the Robinson and McIntyre both single-vineyard, these are premium quality wines that are textured, yet delicate, refreshing stunners. A very unique cellar-door-only wine is Moorooduc’s Pinot Gris on Skins. Made under their experimental Origame Duck label, it's Pinot Gris made using the same winemaking process as Pinot Noir, being masceration on skins. I couldn't leave without buying some, I only wish I'd bought more. 

  10. When you next visit the Peninsula, check out some of the brilliant cellar doors scattered throughout the region. I'm sure you'll find plenty to your liking.  What are your favourite Mornington Peninsula wines? http://www.onlinesommelier.com.au Thank You….

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