Doug's Vineyard-Romsey Pinot Noir

Sunday lunch with the annual boys trip away for the Rugby where the Wallabies had a win over Wales last weekend. Lunch at top notch Sydney restaurant Icebergs at Bondi Beach. I picked this one from the extensive Wine List from young gun Joshua Cooper who has some famous neighbours in the Macedon Ranges like Bindi and Curly Flat. This was more full bodied than I was expecting but got the thumbs up from all the Rugby fans who ordered a 2nd bottle. A generous Pinot showing ripe red fruits and plenty of whole bunch character.

Marvellous
Vibrant, clean, easy drinking, complex, long
Top class pinot from Downunder
Joshua is not anymore an emerging star, but he shines of his own light

Just a swig. A little syrah-like, I thought. Probably the vintage. Still, a complex number with good energy. On a separate note, a well-deserved accolade for Josh this year - Best New Winery at the Halliday Wine Companion Awards. Bravo!

Tossed in to a mix of red burgs, and it stood out as a new world pino with it's cleaner fruit and "modernity" (as G puts it, less VA?). I think it's all about the structure of the wine in comparison. Josh's was definitely lighter versus the d'Eugénie and Mugneret-Gibourg, the acid perceivably more prominent (almost steely), and minerality less so (if any at all). That's not to detract from Josh's really delicious creation, it's just different.

A light wine with heaps of flavour built around a red fruit core. Reflects the vineyard well I feel, having worked with the fruits from the Newnham family (same plot?) in 2017 and briefly in 2018 - small berries that produced lightly-coloured, aromatically charged wines with minimal tannins. This was in the same vein I feel, but Josh certainly pulled a lot more subtance out of these fruit than we did at KW. He's managed to weave in spicy, earthy, herbaceous nuances, and definitely extracted more colour. Mouthwatering acidity and commendable length. Probably the best Australian pino I've had all year (not like I had much to begin with)!

It felt like extinguished fireworks when opened
Then it moves on the fruit, the mineral and the fun
Light and enjoyable
Perhaps not long living

Wow, this is a big pinot with a marvellous tannin.
Bright and quiet vibrant.
There's leather, cinnamon, forest floor, musk.
White pepper, very floral, a blueberry with raspberries around. The green balsamic side is a delicate Thai mint rather than a straightforward eucalyptus. Tobacco leaves and more notes given by the very present oak component.
I trust this wine will find a better harmony on the sweet side in a while, perhaps when the tannin will soften.
However this is very different vest from the 19s and the 17s., more complex already and even though I believe this wine will age gracefully for a bit I find it already on a secondary stage compared to the formers. I am very fascinated, it reminded of a Vosne from Dom. Laurent.
Long after taste, excellent!

Far too early to crack this open, but I couldn't resist.
It starts a bit like a good Beaujolais from a casual Oz Foillard, but with time loses some vibrancy to unfold complexity. I believe Joshua has found a magnificent vineyard that expresses a wine with many shade and has minerality and freshness quite rare for a red in Australia. I bid on him to become a future benchmark in the local market.
Macedon Ranges are going to become a new Eldorado for pinot...at least I hope...
BTW the 2017 vintage was poured by the glass at the Eleven Madison restaurant in New York, first Oz wine by the glass there.

A wine that we discovered at the Island House in the Bahamas, as recommended by Chris Farnum. Very pretty red-fruited Pinot, with great fruit density and showing nice use of whole cluster.

So attractive
Young and elegant, but it promises well too

Definitely Young
I guess this is as good as an an Oz Pinot can get
Very Long finish
Fresh
Lots of fun to drink
It just lacks a bit of complexity due hopefully to the age
I am very curious 🧐🤔