Fragments From A Wine Journal
Fragments From An Incomplete Wine Journal On A Wee Trip To Melbourne
Sunday, 25 June 2006
There is little point being holed up in a hotel room continuously during the exam week. I know I achieve very little. My long case was on Thursday, so when I arrived in Melbourne on Tuesday, I engaged in some distraction therapy by having dinner with two psychiatry registrars, one working in Melbourne and the other in the UK. Lucky for me, the latter was a bit of a Burgundy aficionado. So over tapas, I had my first taste of a French Pinot Noir- a Domine Denis Mortet 2002 from the Appellation Marsannay Les Longeroies. Not quite sure what that all means but I hope to figure it out one day. Brick red in colour, it was complex with good fruit and a bit of acetone on the back, followed by a long finish. Overall a very good food wine.
Come Thursday, my long case was over by 9.30am, so after breakfast, I headed off to Jimmy Watson’s for a liquid morning tea. My friend Kerryn is a registrar at St Vincent’s and he recommended it me because it opened at 10.30am. Not that drinking in the morning is ever to be recommended. Lucky they sell wine by the glass and I could not avoid ordering a Cannibal Creek Pinot Noir 2002 from Tynong, Victoria. How can you pass up on a winery with a name like that? Reminds me of those 1970s Italian apocalyptic low budget films I saw as a child. I must admit I was a bit sceptical about Australian Pinot Noir. I had tried some from the Mornington Peninsula a few years back and compared to New Zealand offerings, was not too overwhelmed. This time I was pleasantly surprised- Ribena Red, with a fresh fruit nose and great balance. It initially felt like it was for drinking when young, but it also had savoury and complexity at the end, which made it very rewarding. Definitely recommended.After the OSCEs, a few of us wound up in a wine bar at Little Lonsdale St. They had a great cellar, which included Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir 2001 from the Waipara region in the South Island of New Zealand. Earlier this year I had been unsuccessful in finding a bottle in New Zealand for a friend’s wedding present. This was a much celebrated vintage and too tempting to ignore. Despite the huge mark up, it was worth it. A beautiful deep red and a balance of plums and berries with a bit of herb and nuttiness. Incredibly smooth, with a long finish that had you hanging out for more. Great pinot noir.Ultimately, notes do not do justice to the differences these three wines present and how rewarding they were to a non wine boffin like myself. Also remember- alcohol in moderation (though, I think you could be excused during the clinicals).
Bradley Ng