A top Australian Pinot and a solid Alsace late-harvest

These wines just slipped down a treat, good drinking for a random Tuesday evening. I didn’t report the tasting in detail, but the Sorg VT was clearly the best wine we tried at his place when we were there in the summer. His other offerings were either boring or faulty – so many were simply oxidised and past it. The whole experience was so woeful it has really put me off visiting there in the future. This as a bit of a shame because once upon a time the Sorg name was deeply associated with affordable quality in this neck of the woods.

I doubt anyone will be surprised that I really enjoyed the Mac Forbes single-vineyard Pinot, they are models of harmonious delight and sensuous allure. That is very much how I like my Pinot.

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Pinot Noir ‘Woori Yallock’ 2008, Mac Forbes

A wonderfully attractive nose of fresh, ripe fruit; it may be a minimalist nose of refined elegance but it smells so enticing. I also think there is a good stony character to it which raises it above mere fruitiness into the pantheon of properly interesting Pinot – it sits comfortably alongside the exulted members of that status. It doesn’t smell hot, oaky, booze-driven, jammy or anything else that would diminish my enjoyment, it is just exquisite. The palate has lovely, silky tannins which are perfectly ripe without any hint of them heading towards being soupy. Its acid levels are totally harmonious and distinctly vivacious and the fruit… oh the fruit… I mean, it is absolutely tumescent with sophisticated, graceful fruit of totally entrancing character. I’m very pleased with its length as well, it just keeps on giving. I’m not sure this is a wine for ageing many years, but if you drink it soon you will not miss out on deep pleasure of the most hilarious quality.

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Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive 2007, Domaine Bruno Sorg

This is an orange colour that would worry me if I hadn’t tried it earlier in the summer and knew it to be in good condition even with its kidney-disorder hue. The orange theme continues on the nose as well, it bursts with bitter orange marmalade fruit. Plenty of Gerwurz rose/gingerbread aromas as well, but very little in the way of minerality. I do not mind this so much in a sweet wine, but it does mark it out as being ‘solid’ rather than ‘fine’. The palate is deliciously fruity with a satisfying, and slightly surprising, level of acidity; even though though this is quite sweet it does not lack harmony. Harmony it may not lack, but complexity it does. As far as sugary wines go it is pretty drinkable yet it will never set the world aflame with excitement – it is simple stuff.