Sometimes wines try to be too serious and lack charm, but some of the charming ones can be lightweight. However, a few gems manage to be both at once, like the Quartz Reef wines in this tasting.
BEST VALUE
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Good value
Fragrant and lush with suggestions of cherry and dark berries, spicy, oaky undertones, a silky
texture and attractive finish.
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Good value
A hint of mineral, generous fruit - elderberries, plums and cranberries, with a suggestion of
charred wood and dark chocolate, a herbal edge and savoury undertones with a lively finish.
Four and a half stars (out of five)
Good value
Classic Central pinot with generous, concentrated fruit supported by spicy oak, rich, savoury, mouthfilling and powerful with a firm backbone but also full of charm.
Drinking nicely now, but will develop with bottle age.
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Below average value
Fragrant with hints of toast and smoky bacon, plums and spicy cherry pie, textural and well balanced with a firm, crisp finish.
Four stars (out of five)
Average value
Dark and spicy with earthy undertones and hints of mint, black doris plums and cherries, lots
of toasty oak, this is a big, mouthfilling wine initially soft and cuddly but with firm muscular tannins and a lip-smacking finish.
Three stars (out of five)
Average value
A lighter, edgy wine with hints of plums, spice, toast and mineral, a crisp finish.
ANOTHER GLASS
• Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2010, $77
Four and a half stars (out of five)
Average value
The black label Quartz Reef is a fine, complex wine with layers of flavour - dark berryfruit, cherry,
dark chocolate, spicy, toasty oak with savoury undertones and a floral hint.
It's well structured with a lovely texture, weight in the mouth, firm finish and a long aftertaste. Despite the concentration and flavour, it also has a lightness of touch and great charm.
Delicious now, but will continue to develop for another few years.
• Murdoch James Blue Rock Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010, $39
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Below average value
Hints of bonfire and charred wood, mouthfilling with a silky texture and dark, savoury, earthy undertones, this big, concentrated wine will develop complexity with a little more bottle age.
• Momo Marlborough Pinot Noir 2009, $27
Three stars (out of five)
Average value
A crisp, lighter wine with hints of plums, mineral, spice and savoury hints, undertones of
forest floor and a lively, edgy finish. At three years old, it's good with food.
• Although wine sent for review is tasted blind to eliminate preconceptions, all wine tasting
and evaluation is subjective. These are personal recommendations.
