Move over Romanée Conti, Mornington Peninsula pinot has arrived!

Not quite, but I am nearly over the moon after reading Neal Martin’s piece on his visit to the famed Romanée Conti cellars. Neal writes for Wine Journal on Robert Parker’s website, and you have to subscribe to read the articles, which means I can’t produce a link here.

But I will faithfully quote the writer who is probably the envy of many wine writers, drinkers, traders etc. who consider the Domaine as the Mecca of wine around the world, as he is one of the few to have had a personal tour of the cellar (at least he makes it sound very exclusive).

Anyway, he met the “self-effacing proprietor Aubert de Villaine” and had a little tour and a little taste of Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Duvault-Blochet, La Tâche and Romanée-Conti from the barrel.

After some tasting notes, or bragging, about the above-mentioned wines, Neal says:
“I then ask him about his quote that: ‘Pinot Noir not tasting of anything’, a phrase I know is completely taken out of context, but pertinent and a truism all the same. He describes Pinot Noir as being “elusive”, a grape difficult to cultivate outside Burgundy; a grape that responds and obeys its terroir.
“Have you had any good experiences outside Burgundy?”
“A Chalon ’69,” he replies and then upon further consideration. “Otago. Some nice Pinot Noirs from Oregon and Mornington Peninsular.”

And there you have it! Australia gets a humble and little known geographic treasure into the books of the world’s greatest pinot noir winemaker.

P.S Perhaps my joy was more overcome by gloating to my Italian colleague who works with me in a largely French-tinted company which snubs anything new-wordly and which is buying bucket loads of Romanée-Conti 2005. I said “If you ever want to thumb your nose at Aussies wines again, just remember that Australian pinot was cited by Aubert de Villaine. I don’t see any Italian pinot mentioned.”