| Spring 2003 |
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2000 Picardy Tete de Cuvee Contents: 2000 Picardy Tete de Cuvee This release of the Tete de Cuvee has an incredibly complex aroma profile, so beguiling as to be difficult to describe. Bready, biscuity, musk, ethereally perfumed, briar, leatherwood honey and truffle are a few appropriate descriptors. Palate weight and concentration are exceptional, with sweet fruit balanced by a hint of cherry pith sourness. Structure is provided by balanced acidity and lots of ripe, very finely grained tannins. This wine's incredible complexity and concentration can be attributed to very low yields and a cool, dry vintage. Drink now to 2020 What Ray Jordan had to say (in "Wine - Western Australia’s Best", The West Australian, November 2002): The 1999 Tete de Cuvee (94/100) is …starting to get something wild and pretty exciting here. The aroma is immediately complex with heaps of quite intense and penetrating aromas of cherry and subtle forest floor. The palate is firm with strong, powerful tannin. Palate is deep and carries great weight though the colour is light. A wine for the long haul. Will live for many years. A serious statement of pinot. Back to top Jancis Robinson on Picardy In regards to the 1999 Pinot Noir, Jancis Robinson (Website – Wine of the Week, January 28, 2003) stated: He [Bill] was determined to plant Burgundian clones of the Burgundian varieties he planned for this vineyard in Pemberton, named after the (non-wine producing) French region of Picardy because someone pointed out how many top French wines have names beginning with P (really). This admirable decision slowed things down considerably thanks to Australia's suspicious attitude towards things (and persons) non-Australian, but gosh you can taste that this wine was made from vines that owe their being to the Cote d'Or. I think it's a great value bottle, being truly interesting and elegant - and fruity - but without ant trace of beetroot (the besetting sin of so many New Zealand Pinots or syrupiness (ditto in California). Jancis then went on to say: Picardy Chardonnay 2001 is also well worth seeking out. At about the same price as this Pinot Noir, it has real complexity and staying power, and deserves decanting. Back to top Picardy Chardonnay Update The 2002 Picardy Chardonnay was the product of an extremely low yielding vintage (approximately 1.4 tonnes per hectare). Regrettably miniscule production from this vintage will see prices rise (for the first time ever at Picardy). Fortunately, low yields and increasing vine age have led to the most powerful and concentrated Picardy Chardonnay to date. Aromas include cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon and honeydew melon. The palate also includes these characters, along with whiffs of toasty oak and breadiness. Acid and structure are reminiscent of the 2000, though the wine is slightly more viscous. Drink now to 2012 The 2001 Picardy Chardonnay won the best 2001 Chardonnay trophy at the 2002 Mount Barker Western Australian wine show. Ray Jordan commented on the 2001 Chardonnay: The 2001 Chardonnay makes an interesting comparison with the 2000, which I loved for its 'way out there' pungency and character. This is more refined and restrained, yet still with a beguiling complexity on the nose and a wonderful complex and deeply textured palate. The fruit has some real intensity. Will be a wine to watch develop for a few years, but it's cute drinking now. [Ray Jordan Wine - Western Australia’s Best, Published By: The West Australian, Printed By: Scott Print November 2002]. James Halliday (Australian Wine Companion 2004 Edition, Harper Collins Publishers, Australia) rated the 2001 Chardonnay 95 out of 100 and then went onto say: Medium yellow-green; complex but finely balanced fruit and oak on the bouquet lead into a truly excellent palate, with citrussy/melon fruit, a long, lingering finish and great aftertaste. The wine was also rated equal fifth in Halliday's Best of the Best of Australian Chardonnay list. David Pike (Scoop Magazine: Summer 2002) stated that ...the 2001 Chardonnay will continue to evolve over the next decade. This vintage shows some funky aromatics with a citrus and stone fruit palate that has a lot of punch on the finish. 90/100 And from Mathew Dukes (Estate review website 2001): …The 2001 Picardy Chardonnay was gorgeous, tight and mineral, with resinous, limejuice oak and a stunning finish. This was Puligny 1er Cru at the top of the ladder. Mathew Dukes Mathew Dukes is an English wine writer who writes for the Daily Mail Weekend, The Scotsman and who also has his own wine review website. Back to top NEW! 2001 Picardy Merlimont (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc) The Pannell Family are please to offer this new wine, which represents a stylistic departure for Picardy. This is a special blend of the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc which the Pannell's have given an extra eight months in barrel (20 months total). Bill and Dan's desire is to produce a blend which is more approachable upon release than the traditional blend. This wine will still be performing beautifully in 15 years. Aromas include chocolate, raspberry coulis, musk and violet. As a result of its extended maturation period, this wine is sweeter and more unctuous than would be the case otherwise. The palate is extremely smooth and long. Structure is still bold, with fine, ripe tannins supporting the palate. Drink now to 2015 Comment from Mathew Dukes (Estate review website 2001): …2001 Bordeaux blend which I think they are going to call Merlimont was rich and plummy, smooth and long. Back to top Cellar review - 2001 Picardy Pinot Noir This wine is drinking beautifully now, and will continue to improve for at least the next seven years. This wine is in much the same vein as the 2000 Pinot Noir. All clones represented in this wine have achieved yield maturity (the earthy 114 clone being the last to do so) and therefore the 2001 is quite Burgundian in style. It is also representative of what is, now, the Picardy style. Flavour profile offers suggestions of earth and truffle characters offset by sweet fruit in the dark cherry spectrum. As this wine matures we feel that the truffle and earth elements will build slowly. One of Picard'’s hallmarks is careful use of oak. Typically, oak influence in the 2001 Pinot Noir is both subtle and supportive, adding complexity and length to the wine. The acid is obvious but nicely balanced against tannin and fruit sweetness, giving the wine a succulent character and guaranteeing longevity. Tannin, as always is fine and deftly integrated. The Pannells feel this wine will drink now to 2010+. Mathew Dukes (Estate review website 2001) found that" …2001 Picardy Pinot Noir was a delightful Pommard Style, stuffed with ripe, fleshy Pinot and a stylish cherry and plum core. Back to top Cellar review - 2001 Picardy Shiraz This is unquestionably the boldest Shiraz made at Picardy to date. Coloured a vivid and dense purple. The nose had elements of allspice, blackcurrant and plum and a hint of smoky oak. Having slightly riper fruit than usual has afforded the wine a very lush mouth feel, which accentuates the complex layers of blackberry, plum and cherry. These mouth coating textures are pulled together by a streak of acidity and finished with abundant, fine, ripe and drying tannin, all of which are woven together with subtle French oak. It is a wine of great length and finesse, which lingers on the palate well after swallowing. Drink now to 2012 The 2001 Shiraz won the silver medal at the 2003 Perth Sheraton wine awards. Ray Jordan (The West Australian – Fresh – Four Good Drops, Thursday July 31, 2003) reviewed the 2001 Picardy Shiraz as: …having smells of subtle white pepper and spice drift from the glass. Immediately appealing and gorgeous bouquet. The palate has a seamless unctuousness that shows excellent fine grained oak and delicious concentrated refined fruit flavours. Nice acid and fine tannins do the trick to complete a very well made wine. This is a wine that will continue to improve and become fleshier with age. Excellent. 92/100. And Mathew Dukes (Estate review website 2001): …The 2001 Shiraz was a stunner – Cote Rotie eat your heart out. Back to top Cellar review - 2000 Picardy Merlot Cabernet This wine is made from 45% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Cabernet Franc. The Picardy 2000 Merlot Cabernet shows plum, cherry and violet as the most obvious fruit elements of the bouquet. The palate is lush, long and well structured. Both the nose and palate show nuances of tobacco leaf, green bean, cassis and cigar box. As always, fruit is complemented by savoury and smoky oak characters, braced with firm acidity and structured around ripe, firm, fine tannin. With the extra bottle age this wine has developed into a very complex wine reminiscent of a good St Emillon/Pommerol. Ray Jordan (Champagne Result for Vintage Winemaker, The West Australian, May 29 2002 U! Wine) found the 2000 Picardy Merlot Cabernet has: …a mix of largely merlot with almost equal portions of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. This is all about balance and subtlety, combining powerful and intensely flavoured fruit but delivered with style and elegance. The deeply textured fruit has wonderful fine lingering tannins building a firm structure to the sweet red berry fruits. Probably the most complete of the merlot cabernets to date, built for the long haul. Score 91/100 Drink: Now to 2015 |