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Riorret Merricks Grove 2009

Location: Stanleys Rd, Merricks North
(Between Balnarring Beach and Red Hill)

Vineyard: North Facing, Clone MV6, Planted 1992

Region: Mornington Peninsula

Owner: Joe Gersch

Place: Beautiful section of the Peninsula around Balnarring and Merricks. Cooling south easterly winds, basalt based red soils, plump perfumed wines. Grapes nurtured by Barney Flanders and David Chapman. Good lads with a hint of naughty.

Alcohol: 13.0%

Merricks Grove is typical Mornington style.
Luckily no fires on the Peninsula in 2009. The Merricks Grove is very typical Mornington style. Ripe black cherry and warm spice notes from a terrific vintage with plenty of natural acidity. The palate mirrors the nose with subtle but fragrant fruit, fine tannins balanced with juicy acidity. A plumper style Pinot, totally gluggable. Great length and good aging potential but we haven’t had a lot of joy keeping our mits off this wine.

The Mornington Peninsula produces some exquisite pinots and it shows in this single vineyard offering. It’s rippling with layers of black cherry fruit, there’s a decent core of spice, the oak is super and the tannins fine and silky.

Kerry Skinner , Illawarra Mercury, September 2011

94 Points
"It is a great challenge to produce Pinot Noir of lifted rose petal delicacy and subtlety and at the same time a firm, textural tannin backbone. Trust the talented De Bortoli brigade to nail it again."