We have a great line-up building. Wines selected for inclusion thus far...
All from the 2008 vintage:
Elk Cove Willammette Valley, Oregon
Argyle, Nuthouse, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Domaine, Dujac, Morey-St.-Denis Villages, Bourgogne
Clos de la Roche, Domaine Lucine et Auguste Lignier, Bourgogne
Kooyong Haven, Mornington Peninsula
Cloudy Bay Vineyards
Cloudy Bay Mustang
Weingut Karl H Johner, Spatburgunder SJ, , Bischoffingen, Baden
Guten tag!
Just got an e-mail from Karl Johner, my German friend in Martinborough. He has advised me that he has sent us some of his 2008 Spatburgunder SJ, Weingut Karl H Johner, Bischoffingen.
We have had this wine before from the 2001 vintage. Very interesting and very funky.
This wine was well received at a recent all German Pinot competition. Check out the results here - http://www.best-of-wine.com/grand-prix/krone/Pinotnoir2010.htm.
Thanks Karl... a wunderbar bloke!
Lucie et Auguste Lignier, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Morey St Denis. Selected for inclusion in the Grand Tasting at Pinot at Cloudy Bay.
Good news, my friends from the Oregon winemaking community are being as helpful now as when I visited earlier this year. I have just received the Elk Cove Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and earlier this month Rollin Soles from Argyle sent through his Argyle Nut House Pinot Noir. It's always a relief to get the USA wines here as it has proven difficult in the past. 2008 was an awesome vintage in Oregon so I am thinking we might get all our North American contingent from there. Does anyone know an awesome Pinot from Oregon 2008? Would welcome some thoughts on this, especially if you have visited Oregon recently. I did like the Penner-Ash, Dussin...............
Just confirmed Dujac Morey St. Denis Villages. Given this property is in some ways the Doyen of this village I thought it important to have them present. And of course the 2008 wines have had great reviews. The village should even offer good value for money despite the fact it will not be widely available. The NZ importer will not receive this wine in time so I had to contact an importer in Adelaide (not exactly classic Pinot territory) to source these bottles. Now just remains the task of getting my friend to ferry the wine over from Oz. Morey St. Denis line-up is starting to look good.
Last night I received an e-mail from Sandro at Kooyong on the Mornington Peninsula. Good news, he has some 2008 Haven Pinot Noir that he can spare. 2008 seemed like it was really good for the Mornington Peninsula, possibly the best for OZ Pinot that year. I haven't looked into Tasmania much yet. Ken Gargett reckons Frogmore Creek and Freycinet from Tasmania are worth checking out.
Each year, the journey to Pinot at Cloudy Bay includes the selection of the 18 Pinot Noirs which are showcased at The Grand Tasting. In 2011, you can join our winemaker Nick Blampied-Lane on his search.
Nick has been keeping a journal of his Pinot encounters and this web page is dedicated to sharing it with you.