WHITE WINE
Mornington
Located in the Port Phillip Zone an hour's drive north of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula has a short, yet remarkable history of fine wine production. While there were a smattering of vineyards in the nineteenth century, modern viticulture on the Peninsula began when Ballieu Myer established a vineyard in 1972. This began an explosion of vineyards over the next thirty years with Main Ridge (1975) Stonier Wines (1978) Dromana Estate (1982) Moorooduc Estate (1983) Paringa Estate (1985) Port Phillip Estate (1987) Kooyong Estate (1996) Yabby Lake (1998), Ten Minutes by Tractor (1999) amongst those to become established during this time. Mornington Peninsula’s proximity to Melbourne and its underlying historical status as a holiday destination has strongly influenced the region's structure, influencing land prices resulting in a patchwork of small vineyards and producers spread across the area triangulated between popular weekend destination of Somerville, Flinders on Bass Straight and Rosebud on Port Phillip Bay. The result is a number of particularly accessible cellar door facilities and restaurants catering to tourists over weekends.
A maritime climate, the influence of Mornington’s proximity to the ocean, Bass Straight, and Port Philip Bay is the single most significant climatic factor affecting vineyards, followed by the diverse typography of terrain. Overall the climate is cool, the pervasive winds limiting issues with humidity and frost. The typography soil profile is diverse, impacting on viticulture, with the significantly cooler, elevated area surrounding Red Hill and Arthurs Seat (Main Ridge, Port Philip Estate) on fertile red volcanic soils, differing from the warmer low-lying areas of Moorooduc and Tuerong (Yabby Lake) which have well-draining sandy soils.
Mornington Peninsula is renowned for the production of high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay which are the most planted varieties, alongside Shiraz, Pinot Gris and very small quantities of Sauvignon Blanc. Mornington Pinot Noir is diverse, with many single vineyard bottlings ranging from light delicate expressions to more powerful styles with wines displaying flavours of bright cherry, strawberry and nuances of earth to powerful expressions with darker fruits and firmer tannins. Outstanding producers include Kooyong, Hurley Vineyards, Port Philip Estate, Ten Minutes by Tractor, Moorooduc Estate and Yabby Lake. Quality conscious producers follow the same model with Chardonnay bottling premium wines from site specific vineyards. On the whole these display delicate aromas of melon, citrus, with warmer sites display fig notes. Depending on winemaking styles they also may show notes of nutty characters of cashew and toasty oak or butter. Outstanding producers include Main Ridge, Kooyong, Yabby Lake, Moorooduc and Ten Minutes by Tractor.
While only planted in small quantities Shiraz from the Mornington Peninsula displays the classic cool climate characters including spice, black and white pepper, smoked meats and liquorice. Outstanding producers are limited, though the variety is starting to gain ground with both Paringa Estate and Foxy’s Hangout winning awards at major Australian wine shows in the last three years.
Pinot Gris is produced in small quantities and occasionally labelled as Pinot Grigio to indicate a dryer Italian style expression of the variety with T'Gallant and Quealy having had success with this variety.
Sources:
James Halliday’s Wine Atlas of Australian, James Halliday
Victorian Department of Primary Industries
Wine Australia
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Moorooduc Estate McIntyre Chardonnay 2019
More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2019chardonnayAustralia441$83.00 As low as $74.70 -
Moorooduc Estate Robinson Vineyard Chardonnay 2019There's always a lot of class to this chardonnay. It has flavour aplenty, yet everything is reined in by fine and tight acidity. It's also flinty, spicy and tangy. The oak is a mere part of the overall profile, not at all dominating. Long, pure and utterly refreshing. (96) JANE FAULKNER, Wine Companion2018chardonnayAustralia441$68.00 As low as $61.20
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Yabby Lake Single Vineyard Cuvee Nina Sparkling 2018Traditional method, 47/44% chardonnay/pinot noir with 9% reserve wine from ’12. Three years on lees, dosage 4g/L and disgorged January ‘21. It has the perfect amount of complexity – think brioche with lemon curd with a touch of aldehydes – to the brightness of apple and stone fruit within. While it comes across with a richness of flavour, it’s crisp and refreshingly dry. JANE FAULKNER, James Halliday2018chardonnayAustralia441$55.00 As low as $49.50
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Rill House Fume Blanc 2020
More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2020sauvignon BlancAustralia441$55.00 As low as $49.50 -
Rouleur Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2022
More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022chardonnayAustralia441$48.00 As low as $43.20 -
Red Claw by Yabby Lake Pinot Gris 2022 375ml
More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2015Pinot GrisAustralia441$18.00 As low as $16.20 -
Onannon Mornington Chardonnay 2023A blend of five vineyards, from the sub-regions of Tuerong, Main Ridge, Shoreham, Merricks and Flinders
Samphire, ripe grapefruit, apple crumble, some spice. Juicy, savoury too with an umami quality of white mushrooms and white miso, Scotch Finger biscuit, flinty with it, saline and savoury on a long lime-laced finish. Complex and individual. Such a great thing to drink. GARY WALSH2023chardonnayAustralia441 -
Moorooduc Estate Robinson Chardonnay 2012From Dijon clones 95 and 96, with cloudy juice wild-fermented in French oak. Stone fruit, melon and hazelnut aromas set the scene for the elegant, calm and unhurried palate; both this and The Moorooduc are of high quality, but are very different expositions of chardonnay. (95) JAMES HALLIDAY2012chardonnayAustralia441$110.00 As low as $99.00
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Moorooduc Estate The Moorooduc McIntyre Chardonnay 2012From the oldest vines on the home McIntyre Vineyard, wild yeast barrel-fermented cloudy juice; Rick McIntyre was one of the early proponents of wild yeast fermentation with chardonnay. The bouquet has compelling touches of flinty reduction, the palate profiting from the drive engendered by the bouquet and that which has gone before. (96) JAMES HALLIDAY2012chardonnayAustralia441$130.00 As low as $117.00
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Moorooduc Estate Robinson Chardonnay 2011Made from the highly regarded Burgundy clone 96, hand-picked and whole bunch-pressed with wild yeast fermentation of cloudy juice in French oak; is as complex as its background would suggest, but has a line of minerally acidity that makes the wine light on its feet. (95) JAMES HALLIDAY2011chardonnayAustralia441$115.00 As low as $103.50
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Yabby Lake Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 375ml
More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021chardonnayAustralia441$28.00 As low as $25.20 -
Onannon Tuerong Robinson Chardonnay 2022
Plenty of struck match, ginger snap biscuits, cardamom, curry leaf, aniseed, so much spice, pink grapefruit and stonefruit, lots of flinty texture, a buttery white mint chocolate richness, and a very long grippy finish. This is so complex and engaging. Caramel with citrus bite. So lovely. (95) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
Fruit off the 35-year-old Robinson vineyard, hand picked and pressed to barrel, 30% new French oak plus a portion to 1000L stainless steel eggs; 50% undergoes mlf. Expect stone fruit and invigorating lemon flavours, lots of blossom and ginger spice, flint, and the funky sulphides entice immensely. The fuller-bodied palate gives way to creamed honey and lemon curd with the oak neatly integrated adding shape and spicy flavours, too. This turns out moreish and savoury. Another glass please. (95) JANE FAULKNER Wine Companion
2022chardonnayAustralia441 -
Onannon Main Ridge Tudibaring Chardonnay 2022Owner Gary McGibbon and family planted 16 acres to both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on an incredible wild site looking out across the ocean around 10 years ago. 95 clone. Pressed straight to older puncheons and one new barrique, final blend was 10 months in new oak. 100 MLF. Left on gross lees without sulphur until just prior to bottling. Three barrels produced. This is so complex and engaging. WILL BYRON, Onannon2022chardonnayAustralia441
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Onannon Flinders The Orchard Chardonnay 2022Onannon produced an impressive range of single-vineyard chardonnays in ‘22 and this, well, is stunning. Fruit is pressed to barrel and left on full solids with 100% mlf; aged nine months in used oak and unsulphured until bottling. The result is a moreish, tight and linear drink, yet layers of flavour within taking in lots of seductive sulphides, lemon and ginger cream, super-bright acidity, and it stays in the savoury spectrum with a hint of oatmeal biscuit. Alas, just two barrels made. (96) JANE FAULKNER Wine Companion2022chardonnayAustralia441
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Onannon Mornington Pinot Noir 2023
Fruit comes off seven sites across the peninsula, some of which make up the single-vineyard wines, and this very much the sum of its parts. It’s excellent. Aromatic, enticing, savoury and spicy, full of cherries and pips, Middle Eastern spices, a hint of mint and just a skerrick of oak. Medium bodied, laced with supple tannins and mouth-watering acidity. It fits the bill perfectly for a drink-now pinot. (95) JANE FAULKNER, James Halliday’s Wine Companion
Strawberry, raspberry, spice, roses, just a little autumnal and earthy. It’s bright and frisky, juicy red fruit and blueberry flavour, some sage and mint, fine-grained dusty tannin, a pleasant sappiness, with a lively spicy finish of good length. Plenty of energy and refreshment. Good now, likely better next year. GARY WALSH
2023chardonnayAustralia441