Merivale

Maxi Pinot Noir 2018

Award
Winner Blue Gold Pinot Noir Wines
Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir (100%) Mornington Peninsula, VIC, Australia
Country of Origin
Australia
Alcohol Content
13.5% Alcohol by Volume
Wine Type and Oak Treatment
Still Red with Oak Treatment
Recommended Retail Price
RRP AU $26.90
Buy This Wine

“Complex, forest floor. Second look shows a lack of vibrancy and freshness. Some synergy of flavours with the dish. Still firm and hard.”

“Fragrant bouquet of ripe red cherry. Bright and fruit-forward showing generous mid-palate fruit intensity supported by fine-grained tannins. The wine appears harder and more tannic with the coq au vin”

“A complex aroma, unique in its expression, with lemon, red cherry and green peppercorn nuances. The palate is bright and lemony with rhubarb and sour-sob nuances. With the food, the pepperiness of the wine comes into balance. But the wine is a little too lemony for the food.”

“Medicinal red cherry spiced fruits on the nose with sweet vanillin oak. Warm alcohol, moderate acidity and restrained medicinal red berry fruits and spice on the palate, soft tannins with a hint of rounded vanilla oak sweetness. With food the red fruits come to the fore but the palate then dries out to a charry vanilla oak note.”

“Attractive notes of cherry pie and cedar. Floral notes and clove spice adds complexity on the lively palate. A well-made wine that is long on the finish and harmonious.”

“Colour slightly advancing (age?), Campari and red plums, delicate palate with some nice juicy fruit and fine tannins, good length. Seemed to fight a little with the dish, with the acidity looking slightly aggressive.”

“Slight brick red in colour. Slightly aged gamey notes on the nose with aged strawberry characters on the palate. Finishes with a slight leathery violet flavour on the palate with what appears to be fine aged tannins. Wine is better with this dish.”

“Light garnet colour. Complex strawberry compote aromas with fresh earth and spice. Sweet strawberry fruit flavours, fine tannins, soft acidity. Complex, slightly savoury style.”

“Pale red, woodsmoke nose with morello cherry, soft an sinewy palate, the chicken softens the wine”

“Light brick red, struck match, slightly stewy, plum, whole bunch, beetroot, medium weight.”

“Very pale. Lighter with some perfume lift, savoury and toast. SOP, donut, some flavour but dries off. Food: lifted the flavour and length.”

“Elegant lighter style in the glass, pretty and bright, with soft juicy acidity, nice weight, a lighter style.”

The Pinot Noir Wines were judged with

Coq Au Vin

Presented by chef Michael Manners

Ingredients

  • No. 15-18 Chicken
  • 550mL Pinot Noir
  • 150g Speck
  • 250g Button Mushrooms
  • 8-10 eschallots
  • 30mL brandy
  • 1 Carrot
  • 1 Onion
  • 3 cloves of Garlic
  • 5 Black peppercorns
  • 2 Bay Leaves, Thyme, Tarragon, Parsley stalks, 1 Tbsp butter & 1 Tbsp plain flour – mixed

Method

  1. Cut the chicken into eight pieces.
  2. Make up a stock with chicken backbone, onion, carrot, bay leaves, 5 black peppercorns, and thyme. Strain.In a large saucepan, place the Pinot, 2 bay leaves, thyme, parsley and crushed clove of garlic.
  3. Add stock. Reduce by half.
  4. Dice the speck and cook with some butter and a little oil. Allow the fat to run out of the speck and then add the peeled eschallots. Allow to colour.
  5. Add seasoned chicken pieces (salt and pepper) -try skin side down until coloured and turn, add brandy and flame. Pour in the wine stock, mix ??? a fresh bouquet garni and garlic.
  6. Cover and cook until tender. Meanwhile cook the mushrooms in butter with salt and pepper and one crushed garlic cover.
  7. When the chicken is cooked, strain off the sauce and thicken with the butter/flour mix. Add the chicken, eschallots, mushrooms and serve.