Keith Tulloch 2012 Wild Ferment Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay
Region/G.I.: Hunter Valley, Hunter, Pokolbin
Vintage: 2012
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.0%
Colour: Yellow
Bouquet: Slate aromas
Flavour: No fruit, all wet stone flavours. Quite a shock after the other Chardonnays tasted. Yet, this is well poised, balanced with nice acidity and a good mineral presence throughout and especially in the finish. It was our last bottle and after much discussion and retasting, our clear winner.

Points: 87 (4+7+12+7+7+50)

Notes: The winner of our Chardonnay tasting. From our group, most of us have not accumulated Chardonnay recently as Riesling and Semillon have been popular white alternatives

Main Ridge Estate 2009 Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay
Region/G.I.: Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula
Vintage: 2009
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.5%
Colour: Golden Yellow (showing age)
Bouquet: Rich tropical notes with sweet vanilla aromas in the background
Flavour: High acidity and cleansing to the mouth. Citrus and mineral in equal measure. Balanced.

Points: 86 (4+7+11+7+7+50)

Notes: Our group thought this was the winner until I discovered that there was one more wine to taste. A nice example of Chardonnay although from, in my opinion, an overpriced region of Australia. M. brought the bottle and he bought it at the cellar for ~$50.

Goodchild 2009 Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay
Region/G.I.: Barossa, Eden Valley
Vintage: 2009
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 12.5%
Colour: Yellow
Bouquet: Restrained nose which has hints of rope tropical fruit after much time opened
Flavour: Simple with lemon flavours and nice acidity with a brief mineral finish. Short in length.

Points: 80 (3+6+10+5+6+50)

Notes: For me, the cleanskin from Dan Murphy's was better but for the group, the scoring was close. This wine begs the question why someone would grow Chardonnay grapes in one of Australia's most consistent areas for excellent Riesling.

 

$8.00 Dan Murphy's cleanskin

The cleanskin from Dan Murphy's (the large supermarket chain which dominates liquor super stores) gave ripe banana aromas. Other than that, it was short and rather bland.  I scored it 82 (3+7+10+5+6) and it was generally accepted as 4th or 3rd of the 5 wines tasted.

Brown Brothers 2013 Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay
Region/G.I.: North East Victoria, King Valley
Vintage: 2013
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: ?% (the bottle with most of the contents taken by F to use for steaming mussels)
Colour: Yellow
Bouquet: Nice aromas of ripe banana and some tropical elements
Flavour: Out of balance in flavour. Far too much sourness and a very short finish. Sourness dominates.

Points: 78 (3+6+8+5+5+50)

Notes: This was clearly the worst of the wines from our Chardonnay tasting. There was promise in the nose but little else to appreciate. We all scored it last.

Rob Dolan Wines 2012 True Colours Pinot Noir

Variety: Pinot Noir
Region/G.I.: Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol: 12.5%
Colour: Cherry red
Bouquet: Very good, (wet cow) animal aromas
Flavour: Light in body and straightforward. More toward plummy fruit with some light tannin in the finish. A little sour in the finish as well, in a slightly unpleasant way.
Points: 84 (4+7+11+5.5+6.5+50)
Notes: I liked this more than the Peos which is the last wine I tasted (although to be fair, it was better two nights after being opened). Maybe the hint of sourness in the finish will go away with this wine as well. $16.80~300Kc in a mixed case buy.

Peos Estate Wines 2013 Pinot Noir

Variety: Pinot Noir
Region/G.I.: South West Australia, Manjimup
Vintage: 2013
Alcohol: 14.5%
Colour: Cherry red
Bouquet: Strong forest floor, bramble aromas
Flavour: Lighter style of Pinot with pleasant regular cherry flavours alongside a touch of dusty, earthy flavours. No length or tannins (in spite of what the label claims).
Points: 83 (4+7+11+5+6+50)
Notes: This is the first time I have tried wine from this region in Western Australia. The broader South West Australia region is known more for Bordeaux blends. This wine is a weak version of Pinot Noir. Its aromas promise more than can be delivered. $16.80~300Kc.