Len Evans’s tome, the Complete Book of Australian Wine observed in 1984 that
“the most famous Australian pinot noir wines have been made in the Hunter Valley.”
I am little position to comment as to its veracity in 1984, but few would agree with such a statement in 2014. A reminder perhaps of the fragility of things and thoughts; perhaps even those firmly held. The comment in the next paragraph proves more prescient:
“From its performance overseas, it would seem that pinot noir is more suited to cooler districts than the Hunter” (p366)
We return here then to the start, with an unexpected straight pinot noir from the Hunter Valley in 2014. The producer is Bilgavia Estate, although the spell checker demonstrates a persistent fondness for the word Bulgaria. Aromatically, this release is stemmy, herby and leafy with cranberry jam reminders. The palate has jaunty acidity, and lacks pinot noir characters with a plainness that eludes interest. With time, the component parts of the wine settle in the glass to reveal no particular fault, albeit a wine with more questions than answers. I wouldn’t wish to drink this.
Rating: Acceptable, Abv: 14%, Price: $26, Source: sample, Vendors: http://www.wine-searcher.com/, Website: http://wine.bilgaviaestate.com.au, Tasted: 2014
Leave a comment