2015 Mount Mary Pinot Noir

Mount Mary

Australia / Yarra Valley / Mount Mary

Our Pinot Noir vines were sourced from Western Victoria in 1971. This material was acquired before individual clonal selections were considered, and as such, our older Pinot blocks are a mix of many clones. A visiting French ampelographer once told John Middleton that there were in the order of 30+ clones in our original Pinot block. Subsequent plantings of Pinot on this site have been selections from the original block, and the clonal selection has been somewhat refined. There are also some newer blocks of Pinot Noir planted (as of 2008) to American rootstocks. These are of specific clonal material, namely MV6 and 777. In the winery the emphasis is on simplicity. By today’s standards, relatively short fermentations are employed, typically 8-10 days. This is followed by 16 months of barrel maturation consisting of 25% new oak barriques. Minimal, if any, fining and filtration is carried out prior to bottling. - Sam Middleton

August, 2017

James Halliday

Best Pinot Noir of the Year, Halliday Wine Companion 2018

99 points

Bright, clear crimson-purple; everything about this wine exudes supreme class: the bouquet has a rose garden of perfume and spice, the palate a concerto for strings and clarinets, as predominantly red berry fruits glide around the finest quality tannins of the cello. The length and balance are awesome, and the wine will be singing soprano 20 years on from vintage.

August, 2017

Campbell Mattinson

The Wine Front

97 points

Mount Mary is one of the great wineries of Australia, and has been for decades, but I’m pretty certain in the view that it is in the form of its life. The Mount Mary wines have never looked better.
I wouldn’t bother drinking this as a young wine, as delicious as it is. It just looks so perfectly suited to the cellar; indeed it’s hard to imagine a young Australian pinot noir more suited. It’s pure, tight, bright and undergrowthy at once; it bristles with spice, woodsmoke and mineral; it flashes red berries and red roses as it soars through the finish. The acid and tannin profile of this wine puts on a masterclass on structure. I drank this wine over dinner a couple of weeks ago; I tasted this wine this morning at the tasting bench; in both environments it looked equally spectacular.

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About Mount Mary

Mount Mary is one of the great small wineries of Australia, established by Dr John Middleton in 1972. Production is tiny. Mount Mary is noted for both the character and high quality of its wines. Since the first vintage in 1976, it has established itself as one of Australia's most highly regarded producers, commanding a mythical status among wine collectors. The vineyard faces due north and captures optimum sunlight during the growing season. The purity of fruit, poise and structure of Quintet, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot blend, epitomises the estate. It resonates with individuality of place and Dr John’s fastidious respect for the landscape. Mount Mary has continued to take great steps forward while staying true to the vision of Dr John, whose son David oversees the business while grandson Sam Middleton has taken on the winemaking mantle with aplomb.
“It’s axiomatic that generational change can be good or bad, obvious or discreet. The changes at Mount Mary have been unambiguously good, but fittingly discreet.” – James Halliday

About

Sam Middleton is a third generation wine maker from the Mount Mary family. He holds a degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Melbourne as well as a degree in Wine Science from Charles Sturt University. His background includes employment at several significant producers including Coldstream Hills and Dominique Portet. Sam has gained experience in France working a vintage in Burgundy in 2009 and travelling extensively through other wine regions on a number of occasions since. Bordeaux is of special interest to him as a result of its role in Mount Mary's history. Growing up in the Yarra Valley alongside his father and grandfather, grapes and wine have always been a part of life. He has always demonstrated a passion for primary production and has a deep respect for this region and its unique ability to produce world-class wines.