Trans-Tasman Pinot Showdown – Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2013

A glitch in Trans-Tasman relations: Trevor Chappell rolls it down to Brian McKechnie

MCG – February 1st, 1981

Comparative wine tastings are most-often prefaced with the disclaimer “this is not a competition” and I most-often agree. But there’s a looming wine event on the horizon that, no matter how gracious it may all seem on the surface, there lurks below a deep-seated sense of competition, a grudge.

And having warmed up with more than my fair share of great Australian and New Zelaand pinot noir already this year, I’m counting the sleeps until this event which I’m lucky enough to be umpiring at the 2013 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Aqua Panna Global Wine Experience.

Looking at the list of 2010 vintage pinots to be poured, it’s impossible to make the call as to what will transpire in this masked taste-off. My form says there are at least ten wines that are capable of taking out line honours and so the reality is it’s going to be a classic case of who shows best on the day.

Pair these wines with the insights of panelists Michael Dhillon and Nick Farr from Australia and those of Blair Walter and Nick Mills of New Zealand and you have the makings of arguably the greatest Australia/New Zealand pinot noir masterclass ever mounted.

Who do you think will triumph?    More info here.

The Wine List:

• 2010 By Farr Sangreal, Australia
• 2010 Bindi Block 5, Australia
• 2010 Ata Rangi, New Zealand
• 2010 Felton Road Block 5, New Zealand
• 2010 Curly Flat The Curly, Australia
• 2010 Freycinet, Australia
• 2010 Mount Mary, Australia
• 2010 Burn Cottage Vineyard, New Zealand
• 2010 Rippon Tinker’s Field, New Zealand
• 2010 Main Ridge Half Acre, Australia
• 2010 Craggy Range Te Muna, New Zealand
• 2010 Ashton Hills, Australia
• 2010 Escarpment Te Rehua, New Zealand
• 2010 Bell Hill, New Zealand
• 2010 Bass Phillip Reserve, Australia

Whose Pinot Reins Supreme? Saturday 9th March, 11:30am-2:00pm

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