About the Winery
At the very least this is a fantastic place to visit to sample some very solid woodfire pizza. Nice setup that clearly relies heavily on the food aspect to get the punters in, and perhaps just as well as the wines (from those sampled) don't really fire.
No doubt a tough viticultural site - lots of wind and very cool temperatures - and I think this shows in the wines through a lack of depth and intensity in the flavours. They are quite well made don't really get out of first (or second gear).
Getting a seat in the restaurant on a Sunday is not guaranteed so it might pay to book.
Chardonnay 2007 (August 2010)
Light and elegant wine that is well put together. Nice touch of oak fills out the minerals and peach. Helps fill out what might otherwise be a slightly hollow palate. No excitement machine but good enough.
Pinot Noir 2008 (August 2010)
Again a wine that tends towards the light side for fruit depth and intensity. Ok black cherry flavours here but the oak pokes through a bit too much for my liking and slightly disjoints the wine. Many better options for the money ($28).
Riesling 2008 (April 2010)
New label, to me at least, but I understand the vines have been in the ground for 30+ years! One of the benefits of moving to Woodend, I guess, is discovering little known labels such as this. Drank over 2 nights but unfortunately I am writing my notes off the second sitting and it is clear that the wine has lost some energy over the past 24 hours. Still, shows good lemon and lime albeit at 'first gear' intensity. It is well worth noting that the ABV comes in a at a mere 10%, an attribute sorely lacking these days in the domestic market. To be fair I will try again soon (and in one sitting).
(Ian Marks, Woodend, $18)