Austins Moorabool Valley Geelong Pinot Noir 2024
- 93
- $55
- Drink by: 2025-2031
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The team’s vineyard at Moorabool Valley in the Geelong region has 90 acres of Pinot Noir (out of a total of 150 acres of vines planted, confirming the importance of this variety to them), representing a number of different clones. Maturation is in French oak and the final blend is a selection from the best barrels. The colour is a gleaming crimson. The nose exhibits notes of herbs and spices, but it is the gorgeous cherry flavours which are to the fore. The oak is well handled and there are hints of early complexity already evident. The wine has juicy acidity, fine balance and impressive length. A refined style with silky tannins, this will build over the next two to three years and then make for exciting drinking in the following five to six.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
