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APPEARANCE & AROMA >
A luminous garnet in the glass, Musk Creek Pinot Noir immediately impresses with its clarity and vibrancy. The nose is beguiling—florals, wild strawberry, and a touch of rose petal, underpinned by exotic spice (think Sichuan pepper) and forest floor. There’s a sense of autumn leaves and earthiness, lending complexity and intrigue.
PALATE >
The palate is medium-bodied, supple and layered. Red cherry and raspberry lead, followed by a wave of savoury spice and gentle oak. Tannins are fine and silky, giving structure without overwhelming the fruit. There’s a distinct minerality—likely a nod to the basalt soils of Musk Creek—and a persistent, mouthwatering finish that lingers with notes of spice and dried herbs.
WINEMAKING >
Sourced from the cool, elevated slopes of the Musk Creek vineyard, this Pinot is a testament to the Mornington Peninsula’s unique terroir. The Quealy team’s hands-off approach—minimal intervention, gentle extraction—lets the site speak. The result is a wine that balances fruit purity with savoury complexity, and freshness with depth.
Quealy Winemakers is a pioneering family estate on the Mornington Peninsula, founded by Kathleen Quealy and Kevin McCarthy, who arrived in the region in the late 1980s. Kathleen, known as the ‘Queen of Pinot Grigio’, and Kevin were among the first to champion alternative varieties and innovative winemaking techniques in the region, helping to shape the Peninsula’s reputation for quality and experimentation. Their son, Tom McCarthy, joined the business in 2012 and now leads the winemaking, ensuring the family’s legacy continues with a focus on site expression and organic practices. The Musk Creek vineyard, planted by Kathleen in 1997 atop Main Ridge, is the coolest and one of the most distinctive sites in the Quealy portfolio, producing Pinot Noir of finesse and character. The Quealy approach blends tradition and innovation, drawing on Italian winemaking heritage and a deep commitment to the region’s unique terroir.
CONCLUSION >
A captivating Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir that showcases both the pedigree of the site and the deft touch of the Quealy team. Elegant, expressive, and quietly powerful—a wine (at $55 AUD) for those who appreciate nuance over showiness, its bloody delicious. (17/20).
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Note: from this review onwards, we have determined to standardise all our ratings out of 20. Recognising that many wine ratings have moved to a score out of 100 but at the same time it seems everyone rates even the ordinary wines over 90 points. So rather than staying with that trend we are going back to a score out of 20 that still reflects the palate, nose, finish and terroir but does not distract from did we just like drinking it!
