Beurrot by Kooyong Pinot Gris 2011
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Beurrot is comprised of two Pinot gris parcels: the tiny original 0.24 hectare section annexing the Meres block, and the all-Pinot gris Beurrot vineyard, which at 2.74 hectares, provides the majority of the fruit. The Beurrot vineyard is planted to a density of 5600 vines per hectare.
Winemaking
The fruit is whole bunch pressed and barrel fermented to as dry as possible in all-old French oak without yeast inoculation. The maturation period is 10 months on yeast lees.
Vintage
Much has been said about the 2010 – 2011 growing season. When the Eastern states of Australia’s decade-long drought broke in September of 2010, the rains were met with great relief. The cooler conditions delayed vine development and gave expected harvest timeframes more akin to historical averages. However the growing season weather patterns came to be shaped by a strong La Niña, which meant Spring and Summer rains were frequent and significant, increasing the time demands on our viticulture team. This season we employed a number of techniques in the vineyard not used for a number of years, including leaf plucking to improve ventilation and sunlight interception in the fruit zone. Surprisingly, fruit set was good and cropping levels quite moderate despite the lack of heat and high humidity during flowering. The ripening period was cool and extended and has produced fragrant and delicate white wines, and Pinot Noirs with attractively ripe tannins, balanced natural acidity and elegant, savoury fruit.
Tasting Note - January 2012
Bright warm straw colour. A delicate bouquet of sweet almond blossoms, bomboniere almond, summer hay and hints of musk. The palate is rich yet dry, with a viscous texture characteristic of the variety, moderate alcohol and a minerally length. The residual sugar is quite low for this style and helps underpin purity and line.
Alcohol
13.0%
Drink
Best enjoyed whilst youthful, this wine will build further richness over several years.
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Beurrot by Kooyong Pinot Gris 2011
Reviews
Note - these reviews are for the 2010 vintage
JAMES HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION MAGAZINE
February / March 2012
Mid-gold; once again a savoury and exotic rendition of the variety, showing pear orange rind, cinnamon and lemony acidity; long and textural, with real depth and plenty of power. 92 points.
JAMES HALLIDAY
THE SATURDAY AGE, LIFE and STYLE, 21st January 2012
This is an outstanding example of pinot gris, although it’s hardly surprising, given Kooyong’s attention to detail in the vineyard and winery. This is made with natural yeast, lees work and fermentation in older barrels. The result is a gorgeous, textural pinot gris that balances the fruit richness of ripe, spicy pears and its velvety-yet-dryish finish. It’s also fragrant with musk and pepper that follow through, flavour-wise, on the palate. Works well with asparagus cooked however you prefer but especially on the barbecue, drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil.
JANE FAULKNER
THE AGE GOOD WINE GUIDE 2012
Kooyong’s dab hand when it comes to pinot gris owes much to the techniques it has honed making chardonnay. This is both precise and complex, with much of the character coming from clever juice management and judicious old oak use. The nose has a wealth of fine pear and stone fruits, while the palate is precise and even, delivering neat, tangy pear, apple and lime fruit flavours. 92 points.
NICK STOCK
THE AUSTRALIAN WINE ANNUAL 2012
A generous, round and punchy pinot gris scented with honeysuckle, lemon blossom, cloves and cinnamon, with an underlying whiff of citrus, tinned pears and delicate white flowers. It’s long and creamy, with an even, juicy presence of fruit finishing waxy and savoury, with nutty, spicy notes and soft acids. 90 points
JEREMY OLIVER
GOURMET TRAVELLER WINE, December 2011/January 2012
Rich and textural, this is definitely gris in style. A delicious combination of lychee and honey make it the perfect partner for pork chops with sautéed red cabbage.
PETER BOURNE
WINEFRONT.COM.AU, 7th November 2011
I’m not sure what Beurrot means, though it puts me in mind of the sound I want to make after drinking most Pinot Gris. Perhaps an onomatopoeic name for the grape? Struck match complexity, pear, ginger spice and citrus. It’s flavoursome with a juicy chin dribbling fruit sweetness, though it’s also pretty tight and controlled. Texture, balance and complexity – and – drinkability. Length is good too. All round impressiveness. . Drink 2011-2013. Rating: 92 points.
GARY WALSH
TYSON STELZER.COM, October 2011
If Sandro Mosele were a sculptor he would be Michelangelo. As a winemaker on the Mornington Peninsula, he is an intricate craftsman who hones his skill with each vintage. The detail he has worked into this wine makes it one of the most complex on the shelves and yet it pulls into an impeccably sculpted finish that rides on clean acid lines and fine-tuned texture. Drink 2011-2014. Rating: 95 points.
TYSON STELZER
THE WEEKLY REVIEW, 13th October 2011
Pretty aromas of peach, beurre bosque pear, saline minerality and smoky notes are interesting and exotic. These are replicated on the palate with subtle power. The wine’s structure is a highlight with lovely, silky, pinot noir-like texture and a drying grip. It finishes with pear, ginger and spice notes in a lengthy finish. 4/5
BEN THOMAS
THE MELBOURNE WEEKLY, October 2011
Certainly a distinctive and fruity style of Pinot Gris, which has as many echoes of (Italy’s) Alto Adige or Friuli as it does of its implied Alsace inspiration? While the fruit is round, with orange blossom, apricot and cinnamon, reminiscent of Viognier, it has a nice disciplining iciness about it, a structure and cut which keeps it all nice and tight. There is a lot going on here, and preceding the fruit and spices stage is the flinty/fume layer, a sort of smokiness which is almost winemaker Sandro Mosele’s signature? As alluded to already, all this could be rather a lot, but it’s low in residual sugar and keenly structured, finishing with a nice touch of grip. A year or two more would just add that little bottle age to complete a potentially great Oz PG.
DAVID RIDGE
THE CANBERRA TIMES, 21st September 2011
Today’s reviews include two really good, very different expressions of pinot gris, a variety that all-too-often produces non-descript wines. The first, made by Sandro Mosele, demonstrates the combined power of great fruit and assertive, but skilled winemaking inputs. Mosele says he whole-bunch pressed the fruit then moved the juice to old oak barrels for spontaneous fermentation, followed by maturation or yeast lees for 10 months. This approach added a distinct patina of aromas and flavours, including a “struck match” aroma and a considerable boost to the natural viscosity of the variety. These add great appeal to the intense pear and stonefruit varietal flavour.
CHRIS SHANAHAN
Download Reviews
2010 (PDF)
2009 (PDF)
2008 (PDF)