I don’t normally hang out in the city on the weekends, but happened to be studying for my Graduate DIploma in Corporate Governance at work on Saturday morning. So I was only too happy to accept an invitation from a mate at work to attend a tasting at Mezzo restaurant, in Little Bourke Street.
The tasting started at midday and there were 7 producers exhibiting. Most were from the Yarra Valley, but a couple further afield: Red Hill on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula and the Bellarine Peninsula, on the west side of Port Phillip Bay, near Geelong.
The tasting tables were set up in a circle, surrounding the bar in the middle of the restaurant. So we started with a white circuit. We tried mainly chardonnay but also tried a fairly Loire-style Sauvignon Blanc and a 100% Rousanne. No stand out wines I’m afraid, and the cheapest was still $26, so no great value for money either.
On the plus side, all of the exhibitors were friendly, eager to talk about their wines and most importantly, gave generous pours!
On the red circuit we discovered some lovely Pinot Noirs indeed. Best value wine of the day was definitely the Rob Hall 2013 Pinot Noir. At $26 a bottle, this wine was full of rich red berry flavour. I’ve since checked out Rob’s website, which is well worth having a look at, particularly his explanation of how he came to put his name on the label.
Speaking of labels, his was the best label too. Clean, clear and free of clutter. Nice.
http://robhallwine.com.au/
Also worth a mention is the Oakdene Bellarine Peninsula Pinot Noir. Densely coloured and flavoured, it had a bit more oak influence than the Rob Hall, and a touch more complexity. A well made and enjoyable wine. At $31 a bottle, it was ok value for money, but had it been $25, then I’d have bought a few bottles.