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Yarra
Valley, part 5
The
wines of Mount
Mary
As we heard before in the account of Guill de Pury and
Yeringberg, winegrowing in the Yarra had a 50 year break,
beginning in the 1920s. Then, in the 1970s a small band of
pioneers returned to the Yarra, including Dr John Middleton.
Others included Guill de Pury, Peter McMahon (Seville Estate), Reg
Egan QC (Wanterna Estate) and CSIRO scientist Bailey Carrodus (Yarra
Yering).
John Middleton was a medical man, and in 1971 he
planted 25 acres of vines. Over a while he established a stellar
reputation, with the winery’s small (3000 case) production
selling out quickly each year. It’s one of Australia’s ‘cult’
wines. I didn’t meet John on my visit—sadly, he wasn’t well,
and died shortly after in June 2006 aged 82.
Mount Mary wines aren’t universally appreciated,
though. In particular, Robert Parker gave them a bit of a
hammering. How did Middleton react? Each year the winery opens for
two weeks for mailing list customers, and the offending Parker
review was displayed on the end of a barrel for everyone to see.
A range of varieties are grown here. It’s testament
to the versatility of the Yarra that Cabernet and Pinot Noir can
grow side by side in the same vineyard. Middleton hated Shiraz,
though, and wouldn’t grow it. The grapes are picked early by
Australian standards: Middleton aimed to get them in before 13.5%
potential alcohol. At picking, some of the fruit tastes green in
the vineyard, but the wines turn out fine.
Mount Mary Triolet 2004
A blend of 70% Sauvignon, 25% Semillon and 5% Muscadelle. Both
Mount Mary whites are made with plenty of solids left in the
juice, pressed to about 700 litres/ton, racked with half solids in
the tank for a couple of days fermentation when they go into
barrel. This has quite an assertive grassy nose: not terribly
perfumed, but rather quite savoury. Nice weight of fruit on the
palate, with good presence. It’s fruity with a hint of phenolic
structure. Very good/excellent 90/100
Mount Mary Chardonnay 2004
15% new wood with some larger barrels. No malolactic. Good
yellow colour. Smooth, rounded nose with some minerality, a bit of
flint and some smokiness. The palate shows lovely weight and
restraint. It’s smooth, concentrated and quite elegant with a
nice minerality. There’s a bit of softness and fatness, but
overall it’s a very stylish wine with a good future ahead of it.
Very good/excellent 92/100
Mount Mary Pinot Noir 2003
Quite pale in colour. Sweet, intense, smooth, dark cherry and
berry fruit nose with a spicy tang. It’s quite complex. Herbs
and tar in the background. The palate has great concentration and
presence with elegant, spicy cherryish fruit, backed up by nice
structure and acidity. It’s a big but delicious wine with lots
of complexity. Very
good/excellent 92/100
Mount Mary Vineyard Quintet 2003
This is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 30% Cabernet
Franc, 5% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot. It’s normally 12.5%
alcohol, but this was a warm year and they got caught for tank
space, so it’s 13%. The nose shows lovely complex sweet
blackcurrant fruit with a spicy, savoury, almost minty
earthy/gravelly edge. The palate is concentrated with nice
gravelly complexity to the ripe blackcurrant and red berry fruit.
A classy, savoury Bordeaux-style—perhaps a bit riper than
Bordeaux—but it’s a wine that has power allied to restraint.
There’s just a hint of greenness, but it’s more leafiness than
pyrazine character. Very good/excellent 93/100
Yarra series:
Wines tasted 03/06
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