100 points)

The "Crown Prince" is considered an entry level wine to the world of Bass Phillip Wines it is often poured by the glass at restaurants and some people don't like that it can be quite cloudy. But I love it and having just acquired some more of the 2016 release I thought it definitely…

ByCrispyOctober 13, 20230Comments

DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir DRINK > WINE

WINE > Dry River Pinot Noir 2020 (96/100 points)

The Dry River vineyard was established in 1979 by Dr Neil and Dawn McCallum and was one of Martinborough’s first wineries and over time it has become one New Zealand's most iconic wines. It was named after one of South Wairarapa’s earliest sheep stations, Dry River rests on the very arid, gravelly, free-draining soils near…

ByEd ItorSeptember 5, 20230Comments

DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir DRINK > WINE

WINE > Domaine Tollot-Beaut Chorey-Les-Beaune Protégée 2018 (93/100 points)

I am very fond of the flavour profile found in Burgundy wines made from grapes grown in Beaune, and while this wine is described by the maker as a "classic rustic red wine" I think it deserves more love and recognition because it is a lot better than that. THE WINERY The Tollot family have…

ByCrispyAugust 30, 20230Comments

DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir DRINK > WINE

WINE > Yeringberg – Pinot Noir 2019 (93/100 points)

THE WINERY Yeringberg and the de Pury family are original pioneers of wine making in the Yarra Valley of Victoria. The original vineyard was established in 1863, though many of the grapes were pulled out with vines replanted in the 1970s. In 1969 Guill and Katherine de Pury (already the 3rd…

ByCrispyAugust 28, 20230Comments

DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir DRINK > WINE

WINE > Chatto ‘Bird’ Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 (93/100)

Its the beginning of winter and for me that always means a range of delicious foods come onto the menu. It is a time to enjoy anything with truffle, slow cooked meats, rich pate, sharp smelly cheese, and warm soups. And being a pinot-phile I am drawn to drinking Pinot Noir over any other varietal,…

ByCrispyJune 15, 20230Comments

DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir DRINK > WINE

WINE > Hurley Lodestone Pinot Noir (2021)

I only recently reviewed the 2020 Hurley Lodestone Pinot Noir (see below) which rated 96/100 but as 2023 marks the 21st birthday for Hurley Vineyard and as a big fan of the wines I was extremely keen to see how this release is tasting. As I write this I have not found any other reviews…

ByEd ItorMay 31, 20230Comments

DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir DRINK > WINE

WINE > Terra Sancta – Shingle Beach Pinot Noir

PREFACE The first think you notice with Terra Sancta wines is how the label jumps out at you, it is both bold and totally different to what you find from most Australian and New Zealand premium wines today and yet this could easily be a classic European bottle with its styling. This feels reflective…

ByCrispyMay 24, 20230Comments

DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir DRINK > WINE

WINE > Irrewarra Pinot Noir 2020

The Irrewarra Pinot Noir comes from grapes dry grown on a plot of land planted in 2001 by the Calvert family, in the Western Plains of Victoria. This wine made Nick Farr now also wine maker for ByFarr Wines. Nick Farr readily acknowledges the influence of his father (the legendary Gary Farr who established…

ByCrispyMay 10, 20230Comments

DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir DRINK > WINE

WINE > Paradox Pinot Noir – Zero Alcohol (NV) 60/100 Points

Recently I heard from friends and colleagues that the quality of alcohol free wine had dramatically improved. Given I had set the challenge to my wonderful wife that we attempt to get through a dry May (well mostly dry), it seems that now is an excellent opportunity for us to face the challenge. So we…

ByEd ItorMay 8, 20230Comments

DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir DRINK > WINE

WINE > Bindi Dixon Pinot Noir 2021

I have been a fan of Bindi wines for 5 or 6 years and a regular collector of the Bindi Dixon which has continued to be an outstanding representation of the best Pinot Noir from the Macedon region of Victoria. But there is something special about the 2021 release that lifts it above recent releases…

ByCrispyApril 28, 20230Comments

Best Choice for Creatives