Mac Forbes, Coldstream Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley

Bottle #1081, bought from Watson’s Wine in Hong Kong 3 months ago, with Clark Foyster (UK) listed on the back label as the importer. Ardeaseal. Transparent dull garnet colored, medium viscosity. Initially musty, muddy nose. With time, the mustiness blew off to reveal some muted fruit on the nose, with hints of baking spices. In the mouth, sour cherries, some tannin, with pronounced acidity throwing the wine way out of balance. My first older bottle of Mac Forbes pinot, somewhat …

Clear garnet. The nose is clean, pronounced, developing, and with fruity and floral aromas. The nose has strawberries, mushrooms earth and cedar. Acidity is high, tannins low, alcohol low, light body, medium intensity. Some strawberries, cherries and spice on the palate. Slightly unbalanced as there was a sharpness in the aftertaste. This is layered, but may improve with a few more years. This was better with food.

Oodles of berries on the nose. So easy to drink. Super smooth. Quite sweet. Did not hit the heights of previous tastings.

As I remember it. Starting to enter its secondary phase. And what I call a 'dirty wine'. Strawberries as the fruit with Earthy notes with hints of barnyard. It's very, very nice. And I can't wait to try this in 2-5 years again. I think this is a great, great wine. It is only 3 years old yet tastes like 20-30 year old burgundy. *drank with my sister and her husband in Melbourne

A delightful nose dominated by strawberries but with some lovely complexity as it already starts to show secondary aromas.. This wine really impressed me and I made a note to purchase more. I'd be very keen to try in 2-3 years. *A gift from my sister for my birthday and drank at the Mandarin Oriental KL with my wife

This has moved up into another realm since I last tasted it. Has some stalkiness and texture like a lot of Mac's wines, but has an aroma which is above and beyond what I remember; much more floral, herbaceous and (for lack of a better word) autumnal, in the way good pinot can be, earthy and green and ripe at the same time. Lovely.

Super stalky in style. I understand this is one of the earlier ripening blocks, so it has softer, warmer style with a greater degree of whole-bunch. It shows. Lots of bonfire smoke and green pea on the nose, a bit of provencial herbs and lanolin/hand wash soap type notes to it too. Cloudy bright red in the glass. A bright and fruit-forward palate, very juicy and jubey sweet fruit dominating. Nice.

Mac Forbes and Jasper Hill new releases (Prince Wine Store - Bank Street) : Dry autumn leaves on the nose with briar and spice and a very fry palette with an interesting depth of fruit and some dusty tannins to finish.

The wine is clear and bright with a pale ruby colour. The nose is clean and developing, showing pronounced intensity aromas of red fruit (ripe strawberry), black fruit (dark cherries), pungent spices (liquorice) and flowers (violets, dry roses). The wine is dry in the mouth with a high refreshing acidity. It has medium(-) soft tannins and a medium(+) alcohol. It has a medium body and pronounced intensity flavours of red fruit (ripe strawberry), black fruit (dark cherries), pungent spices (liquorice) …

Pale slightly cloudy cherry colour - nice savoury slightly smoky palate to complement the cherry flavours

Yarra Valley pioneers and padawans tasting (Prince Wine Store - Bank Street) : Smoky and fresh with nice crunchy acidity and a big structure and long finish.

Peter Bourne - what's happening with Australian Pinot Noir (Dank Street, Waterloo, Sydney) : ON the nose the wine is clean, elegant, slightly earthy with 'that' pinot smell, some red fruit and a tiny touch of meatiness. In the mouth the wine is initially juicy tending to quite sour cherry fruit that is joined in the mouth by phenolic grip that lends a chewy texture and a little alcohol warmth. Disappointing palate after such a promising nose.