Top-of-the line Pinot due for release in February 2010

Seresin winemaker, Clive Dougall, dropped by with an armful of soon-to-be-released Pinots that impressed. The fruit comes from three vineyards; Home (on a terrace below the winery), Tatou (5 Kms from the winery on stony plains) and the flagship hillside vineyard, Raupo, in the Omaka Valley on clay-rich soils.

We kicked off with a white wine, Chiaroscura 2007 $65. It’s an unusual blend of three varieties; Chardonnay 40%, Pinot Gris 40%, Riesling 15% and Pinot Meunier 5%. Clive explained that they hold the juice of the earlier varieties under refrigeration until all of the grapes have been picked then blend and co-ferment in barrel before the wine spends 17 months in oak on the yeast lees. It’s more about a rich mouth-filling texture than taste with attractive but rather muted fruit flavours that get a little mixed up with yeast aultolysis and subtle oak characters. An intriguing wine that clearly demands to be enjoyed with food. I liked it, awarding 93 points on the day although I’d like to taste it again blind. (Not officially reviewed because a winemaker was whispering sweet nothings in my ear). Only 30 cases made. Not made in 2008 “the fruit wasn’t good enough” but a similar blend was made this year without the Riesling.

Leah Pinot Noir 2007 $35     This is Seresin’s “commercial” Pinot Noir if you can call a biodynamically grown, hand-made red commercial. All Seresin’s Pinot’s are made using the same winemaking techniques with the vineyards making the difference. Elegant, spicy, supple wine with red cherry and wild herb flavours. Pretty good now but will probably shake off a little adolescent akwardness in another year or so.

Raupo Creek 2007 Pinot Noir $50    (400 cases mostly sold from cellar door). Fleshier, richer and riper than Leah with a much richer texture. This is a class act with fragrant cherry and floral aromas plus savoury, earthy nuacnces.

Home Vineyard 2007 Pinot Noir $50    (50 cases only) Smooth, silky wine with less herb character and generally riper flavours. Integrated, lengthy, fragrant and surprisingly accessible. I liked it very much.

Tatou 2007 Pinot Noir $50     (50 cases) A big, chunky and grainy-textured wine with firm, ripe tannins. Classy red but not hugely Pinot Noir-like.

Rachel 2007 Pinot Noir $55     Made from grapes grown in the flagship vineyard – a blend of three hillside sections. Impressively sweet fruit, very concentrated, supple, and attractive. It has a Musigny-like texture which is high praise indeed. Worth the extra $5 in my view.

Sun & Moon 2007 Pinot Noir $120    (71 cases, to be released in February 2010). From grapes grown on the highest part of the hillside vineyard plus 20% of the Home vineyard. Great weight and concentration with more complexity than Rachel. Impressive length and layers of “peacock’s tail” flavours on the finish.

Clive left me a full glass of Sun & Moon with instructions to “taste it in a couple of hours”. Unfortunately Marion tipped the contents down the sink when she was cleaning up after us. Damn!!

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