At the end of last month I caught up, at last, with David and Wendy Lloyd of Eldridge Estate, Red Hill, Mornington Peninsula (pictured).
We’d exchanged emails, tweets and I’d tasted their Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay, all of which I rate highly. So great to meet them, taste a mini-vertical (loved the 2009s in particular), also to imbibe David’s views on what principally accounts for sub-regional variations in the Peninsula.
You can read all about it here and, should you be on the South Bank today and/or over this weekend, their UK importer Auswineonline will be showing their impressive portfolio of boutique Aussie producers at the Southbank Cheese & Wine Festival.
I’m not sure which wines will be on tasting, but if Eldridge Estate aren’t there, you’ll find plenty of other goodies! If they’re on show, Mornington Peninsula fans should definitely check out the wines of Ocean Eight – as its name suggests, the Chardy has no shortage of verve and the Pinots are super-pretty and elegant.
For Pinot Noir fans, check out the wines of Picardy from Pemberton, Western Australia which Auswineonline have just listed and, also from Western Australia, this time Margaret River, the Evoi Chardonnay is gorgeous.
Finally, back to Eldridge Estate, here’s Lloyd’s take on the 2011 vintage which, he says, “provided nature with an opportunity to see what they could throw at us…lots of rain and humid weather.” For him a cool year has resulted in relatively approachable, aromatic Pinots and some really special, ageworthy Chardonnays. My apologies and to David for the circular saw “accompaniment” — more penetrating than it seemed at the time….
October 15th, 2011 at 9:05 pm
Great wines from David & Wendy. I was particularly struck by their 2008 Chardonnay. The Pinots are excellent, too. Must write up my notes from our lunch at The Ledbury.
October 16th, 2011 at 9:21 am
Had forgotten you were tasting them at The Ledbury – what wines did you go for alongside in the end – I think I’d suggested a richer style of Burgundy, perhaps a Chassagne Montrachet for their Chardys?
October 16th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Ah, Well I left it all rather late and took along something not that similar – A Fourrier 1er Gevrey from 98 (can’t even remember which one!). The wines were Chardonnay 09,08,07,05 and Pinot 09,08,07,03,02. 03 and 02 were a real treat. 02 in particular from a freakish vintage (only 10% of normal yield) hardly tasted like Pinot at all, having a density more akin to Syrah (but still fabulous). You were quite right that their Pinots are more Volnay than Gevrey…