Eruptions
on the Mornington Peninsula&nbsp;

BY ANGUS HUGHSON |&nbsp;SEPTEMBER 12, 2023Visitors to Melbourne, on Australia’s
south-eastern coast, are spoiled for choice. The state capital is not only a
mecca for sport, nightlife and fine dining; it is also surrounded by wine
regions. No less than four, with their unique climate and terroir, sit less
than an hour’s drive from the Central Business District, from almost seaside
locations to inland at altitudes of 800 meters.Melbourne’s vibrant ethnic community,
primarily Southern Europeans who immigrated after the Second World War, was a
vital, if not the most important, driver of modern Australian wine culture. Victoria
had already seen the local populace gorge on the finest produce worldwide
thanks to the discovery of vast gold quantities in the nineteenth century. The
Grand Vins of Bordeaux, Champagne and Sauternes were in particularly high
demand.There were also early aspirations for
vignerons, with the first vineyards planted around Melbourne in the 1830s, but
phylloxera, which arrived forty years later, ended that. It would take almost a
century for them to return. As the nation’s unofficial food and wine capital, a
crown that is only recently being challenged, it was inevitable that
Melbourne’s pulsing culture would also be the chrysalis for a fine wine
industry. The Yarra Valley was the natural choice for the first tentative steps
back into winemaking, where vineyards had been first planted in the nineteenth
century. I will explore the Yarra Valley in more detail in an upcoming report.
There is another region also worth a deep exploration: the small but mighty
Mornington Peninsula.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1694536130374-Main+Ridge+Estate+Half+Acre+Pinot+Noir+Block+Planted+in+1975_copy.jpg">Main Ridge Estate's Half Acre Pinot Noir block was planted in 1975. Wine Gardens Mornington is not a place where you will
find a sea of vines, rolling landscapes or hectare after hectare of neat rows.
It is much more common to find isolated plots that optimize what can be pretty complex
geography. It is a reasonably large GI of over 700 square kilometers, but there
are fewer than 1,000 hectares under vine, around one-fifth the size of Chablis.
But that should not be seen as a lack of confidence or intent. Mornington is a
relatively young wine region, with strong competition for land and low yields that
are attractive only to the most quality-conscious vignerons. In addition, the
geography is far from uniform, which makes parts of the Peninsula unsuitable for
fine wine production. This is not the place for broad-scale agriculture. It is
quite the opposite, made up of 200 vineyards, mainly small plots, farmed by 60
wineries.The Mornington Peninsula is almost postage
stamp size in an Australian context, dwarfed by the also relatively small
Margaret River, at 6,000 hectares. Yet despite its size, it is also one of the
nation's leading homes of sophisticated and stylish Chardonnay and,
particularly, Pinot Noir. This is due to a highly unique range of factors
coming together, including climate and soil, as well as the caliber of
practitioners drawn to its location. The stunning beauty and the breezy seaside
lifestyle are also strong motivators.For Australian vignerons with hopes of
crafting great Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir, a location close to the country’s
southern coast is almost obligatory. The cooling Great Southern Ocean is necessary
to provide relief during the summer depths. The Mornington Peninsula is blessed
with significant bodies of water on three sides as it juts out into the ocean,
bordered by Port Phillip Bay on its western flank, Western Port to the east and
Bass Strait, which reaches across to Tasmania. Humidity plays a part in
reducing water stress. It’s a rare trifecta that helps retain the flavor and
perfume delicacies of Pinot Noir. But that exposure is also a double-edged
sword. Spring can be a time of unsettled weather as warmer influences from the
continental land mass meet the cool ocean currents. It can make for a difficult
flowering. In 2020, overall yields dropped to under two tonnes per hectare. The
average is close to five, similar to what is typically found in Grand Cru
Burgundy.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1694536151489-Rollo+Crittenden+with+compost+stacks+at+Crittenden+Wines_copy.jpg">Rollo Crittenden with compost stacks at Crittenden Wines. Yet complex geography and soils make the
Mornington Peninsula such a fascinating region, despite its relatively small
size. The crucial part of the region’s geography is a granite dome rising up on
its western flank to an altitude of 300 meters. From this high point, the land
falls away in every direction, quickly to the west down to Port Phillip Bay and
more slowly down to the north, east and south. Volcanoes erupted on the
peninsula twenty to forty million years ago, which have degraded, leaving rich,
red soils in the Red Hill and Main Ridge zones and wines with distinct savory
tones. It is one of the very few regions in Australia where volcanic influences
come to bear in a significant way. It has also left complex geography as the
various creek lines have, over time, crafted folds in the landscape with every
conceivable aspect. The age of this volcanic activity and its accompanying
degradation have shaped mainly gentle slopes, the north and northeast facing
the most advantageous, with sites having some protection from the westerly sun
also at a distinct advantage. Altitude also plays a significant part, with
vineyards planted between 25 and 250 meters. Adding the impact of cooler versus
warmer aspects, picking dates within the region for the same variety can vary
up to four weeks between the cooler and warmer zones, respectively known by
laconic locals as “up the hill” and “down the hill”.While volcanic soils are vital to the style
of some wines, their prevalence and, in turn, impact steadily reduce as
vineyards move further away from their epicenter. To the north, in low-lying
areas near Moorooduc, the soils take on a more sandy complexion while tending toward
clays near Dromana. To the east, near the coast around Balnarring and Merricks,
brown duplex loams become more prevalent. This diversity, combined with a
multitude of aspects, creates a kaleidoscopic variation with few definitive
rules as to sub-regional variations and wine styles. Altitude, though, is a
different story and, along with aspect, is probably the leading influence on
wine style.Independent of geology and geography, the
Mornington Peninsula has always been a region that has focused on quality. The
economy has been the key driver. It is a convenient and beautiful tourist
playground for Melbourne, which makes property, particularly now, highly
expensive while keeping average landholdings low for new developments. Small
yields have also pushed wineries to pursue quality over quantity, combining
with Melbourne’s overarching food and wine culture and a strong local market.
That lack of broad-scale agriculture and limiting plantings to the most
advantageous sites has also helped retain the natural environment, bushland and
reserves, accompanied by impressive biodiversity. Natural corridors of native trees,
wetlands and plants still crisscross the Mornington Peninsula and small
vineyards are occasionally tucked in behind, some good sites no doubt yet to be
planted. Increasing biodiversity is a catch cry for wine regions around the
world, but Mornington is lucky in that there is little change to practices
required thanks to the vibrant regional ecosystems already in place. That said,
there is also constant work in many vineyards to improve soil health.Pinot Pioneers While Australia as a whole does have quite
a long history with Pinot Noir, with the first seeds and cuttings imported in
the early nineteenth century, it is really only over the last thirty years that
Pinot has become a critical fine wine variety driven by a handful of regions
primarily clustered around Melbourne. During that time, extraordinary resources
and effort have been deployed to master this most difficult of grapes. There
has been an almost obsessive attention that shadows similar efforts around the
world. The Mornington Peninsula has been one of the leaders. Like other global
events, their bi-annual Pinot Noir Celebration brings together winemakers and
connoisseurs to showcase and examine the state of play and future directions
coupled with an exploration of international styles and a technical focus. A
strong regional camaraderie is always on display, with leading winemakers and
wineries sharing information and trialing various vintages with the ultimate
aim of improving regional quality.The Mornington Peninsula’s modern Pinot
Noir story had very humble origins, with 400 vines planted on a lower site at
Elgee Park in 1972. The first winery, Main Ridge, was built by engineer Nat
White and his wife Rose after purchasing an old lemon orchard in 1975. It was
so isolated that it even lacked road access, which brought its own challenges.
At the time, the Whites had no qualifications, merely their dreams of owning a
vineyard. Seven grape varieties were planted with the first vintage in 1979.
Whether by luck or foresight, their choice of a gently north-east facing vineyard
at 240m altitude on rich red basalt soils was inspired. Combined with Elgee
Park and the resulting early releases, this would set off a rush to identify
the best sites and spur dozens of winemakers to follow suit over the next
almost five decades. Pinot Noir has always been and continues to be the local
focus, with over 50% of vineyards planted with the variety.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1694536379019-The+Lake+Pinot+Noir+Block+on+the+The+McCutcheon+Vineyard+at+Ten+Minutes+by+Tractor_copy.jpg">Ten Minutes by Tractor's&nbsp;Lake Pinot Noir Block in the McCutcheon Vineyard. Unsurprisingly, clonal availability was
highly limited in the early days, with vineyards planted to a clone unique in
Australia, MV6. This was one of the first clones imported into the country
almost two hundred years ago, which was apparently sourced from Clos de
Vougeot. It has proven highly successful, having adapted well to local
conditions, and remains the local workhorse. However, the desire to search for
greater finesse and detail has seen Mornington’s winemakers continually
experiment with alternatives in search of a winning edge. This has included
plantings with the Pommard clone, first imported in the 1960s, the original
Dijon clones 114 and 115, with 667 and 777 also more recently showing promise.
Abel is another clone with fans. It’s sourced from New Zealand and allegedly comes
from Romanée-Conti.I gauged the opinions of several local winemakers as to the standout clones for
the region. Both Rollo Crittenden from Crittenden Wines, Tim Perrin at Kooyong
and Port Phillip Estate, plus Simon Black at Montalto all highlighted the
outstanding quality of MV6, while Perrin and Crittenden also championed the
Pommard clone. All three also noted that the 114/115 clones delivered excellent
aromatics and, in warmer years, can trump Pommard and MV6. 
It is not only Pinot of the Noir variety that has found a happy home on the
peninsula. Pinot Gris has also had a substantial success, mainly attributable
to the pioneering work of Kathleen Quealy and Kevin McCarthy. Their planting of
Pinot Gris for a grigio style in the late 1980s, before Italian white
wines had any presence in the local market, was ahead of the curve. The winery
they founded, T’Gallant, was purchased by what is now known as Treasury Wine
Estates, with Kathleen going on to launch her own Quealy winery with a focus on
Italian white wines, which have now stretched to Friulano, Ribolla Gialla,
Malvasia Istriana and Moscato Giallo. Today, their son Tom McCarthy has
taken the winemaking reins and is continuing to evolve the style, particularly
in relation to skin contact, with greater effort also with Pinot Noir. It is
quite early days for some of these varieties, but the trajectory is worth
following.While Pinot Noir is by far the major focus,
it would be remiss of me not to mention the local Chardonnay, which can be
equally stunning. I do not doubt that in a world without Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
would be the brightest Mornington star, and it is only the rarity of great
Pinot regions in Australia that has seen it relegated to second place. In fact,
Mornington Peninsula would be not dissimilar to Margaret River as a Chardonnay
powerhouse.Stylistically, the Mornington Peninsula is
home to the classic modern Australian style, powerful yet composed with a
Burgundian delicacy thanks to that cooling oceanic influence. They are the
antithesis of the rich, bold, more traditional Australian style. Oak now almost
always plays the role of bridesmaid with a greater proportion of old and larger
formats and from a variety of coopers equally at home in the leading Chardonnay
houses in Burgundy and California. The only tragedy with Mornington Chardonnay,
which could be said for the peninsula as a whole, is that it will always be a
minnow in terms of production.A Final Word It is fair to say that Australian Pinot
Noir is an unknown quantity for many fans of this hallowed grape variety. The
country has made its name with wines that deliver herculean power and lavish,
ripe fruit rather than Fred Astaire finesse. Yet its sheer size provides climatic
variation from snow-covered peaks to extreme desert conditions. It, therefore,
should come as no surprise that a region such as Mornington Peninsula exists,
which can craft fine and detailed examples of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at
surprising price points. So much so that, pound for pound, Mornington Peninsula
must be one of the leading regions for sheer value for these varieties in
Australia and worldwide.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1694536226890-Tom+McCarthy+and+Kathleen+Quealy+at+Quealy+Winemakers_copy.jpg">Tom McCarthy and Kathleen Quealy at Quealy Winemakers. Recent Vintages Two thousand twenty-two was another low-yielding vintage thanks to a
significant wind and storm event in October 2021 that reduced yields of key
varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir by 41% from the previous year, which was
also low cropping. There was not only poor fruit set, but the bruising of
shoots and lateralling of canes created congestion in the canopies and disease
risk. Luckily, the remainder of the season was relatively settled with a cool La Niña season producing intense
and vibrant wines, making for a strong, although small, vintage, the third in
succession.Two thousand twenty-one was a welcome
return to regular programming after the historically low yields of 2020 but
also without significant heat spikes, which has produced a beautifully even and
vibrant vintage thanks to the more temperate La Niña season. Thankfully, the wind held off during
flowering, which helped to foster good budburst and potential yields. The rest
of the season remained uneventful, with moderate temperatures and occasional
bursts of rainfall to keep vines and fruit in optimal condition with no time
pressure when picking—a classic vintage with excellent all-around balance across
all varieties.Two thousand twenty was an unusual vintage
in Mornington Peninsula in that while much of the rest of the country was hot
and dry with wildfires, the region was the polar opposite, cool and wet. It
started with a challenging fruit set, strong westerly winds buffeting vineyards
and hitting the yields hard, with some vineyards exposed to the elements down
over 70%. There was a little smoke in the vineyard pre-veraison, but timing
meant that there was no detectable taint, and that remains the case. The
weather was actually a bit of a gift, as the cool summer and autumn would have
made ripening a full crop load on many sites almost impossible. A challenging
flowering also led to plenty of ripeness variation at the picking time, so
sorting was essential. Still, the vintage has given some intense, focused wines
with notable acidity.
I tasted most wines for this report in Mornington Peninsula in May 2023, with follow-up
tastings in Sydney.© 2023, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.<hr> You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/penfolds-collection-2023-jul-2023">Penfolds Collection 2023</a>, Angus Hughson, July 2023<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/changing-gears-in-barossa-jun-2023">Changing Gears in Barossa</a>, Angus Hughson, June 2023<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/henschke-s-hill-of-grace-the-garden-of-eden-apr-2023">Henschke’s Hill of Grace - The Garden of Eden</a>, Angus Hughson, April 2023

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