Tasting Notes July 2013

Tasting philosophy
It always puzzles me why people want tasting notes because if a suggestion is made as to what something will taste like then inevitably that’s what it will taste like – “this wine has peach characters” – oh yes I get that!!! Perhaps people just want to be told what things taste like?

The other reason that I find it incongruous to supply tasting notes is that often these are put on the back of the label. To do this the winemaker has to make these notes prior to bottling so that packaging and bottling can be done in one operation. In two or three (perhaps 20) years time the notes are largely irrelevant because the wine inevitably will have changed – so what’s the point?!

Despite the above here are my thoughts on our wines as at July 2013

2011 Ticklebelly Chardonnay
This wine has all the wine-makers bells and whistles, and shows richness and intensity. Complex fermentation characters combined with intense fruit and balanced with supple oak give the wine length and power. It certainly needs food to be enjoyed to the maximum.

2008 Ticklebelly Pinot Noir
To be frank this wine was a little disappointing for the first 2 or 3 years of its existence. However given time the slight vegetative character has disappeared. The standout character is the intensity on the finish and the breadth of flavour across the palate.

2010 Ticklebelly Pinot Noir
This wine is more fruit driven than the 2008 with great oak balance. Strawberry fruit characters dominate at this stage and follow through onto the palate with well balanced oak creating a memorable finish.

2011 Ticklebelly Pinot Noir
Probably my favourite right now – great fruit intensity and balance. It will be very interesting to see this wine in a few years. Given the benefits age has given the previous Ticklebelly Pinots we could be in for a treat. Perhaps we are finally coming to grips with the fruit from this particular patch in the vineyard.