Media Reviews

Philip Rich, The Australian Financial Review Magazine, December 2009
“A collaboration between Montreal-born, Burgundy-based, globetrotting Pascal Marchand and Jeff Burch from Howard Park, this impressive WA pinot suggests there may well be a futurefor the variety in the west. A single-vineyard wine from a cool, south-facing vineyard in Mount Barker, this brightly coloured and energetic wine has a core of dark cherry pinot fruit that has completely swallowed up the 40% new oak, together with some dark chocolate shavings, cinnamon and nutmeg. The ripe but balanced palate is rounded out by its lively acidity and really supple and persistent tannins.”
TOP 20 WINES OF THE YEAR

Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age - Epicure, December 8, 2009
“From a partnership between Burgundy winemaker Pascal Marchand and Howard Park’s Burch family, this Great Southern (WA) pinot is easy to overlook at first. Give it air and it builds in the glass with fragrant floral and red berry characters, earthy depth and subtle, classy oak. It’s seamless to the last sip, medium bodied, refined and lingering."
4 1/2 Stars
Ageing? Drink over five years.
Food ideas Duck breast with glazed fennel and balsamic cherries; grilled quail.
Stockists in Melbourne include Armadale Cellars; Prince Wine store, South Melbourne.
$$ (reasonably priced relative to quality)

Peter Bourne, Bob Campbell MW, Qantas Inflight Guide to Wine 6th edition - First Class
"From a miniscule vineyard near Mount Barker, this shows all the exotic aromatics for which pinot noir is famed. Raspberry and wild strawberries leap from the glass with a touch of spice and fresh earth. The palate is fine and supple."

Campbell Mattinson and Gary Walsh, The Big Red Wine Book,1 June 2009
"Walsh reckons there was a lot of love packed into this wine -his way of saying that he likes it rather a lot. It's grown on a single vineyard and has 'future star' written all over it."

"Beautiful wine. Fragrant, juicy, red cherry and sundry red berries drizzled with the warmth of chocolate sauce. Its medium bodied, deliciously pliant and silky, with some sappy, minty flavours too. Classic pinot, really. Fresh and light but it manages to fill your mouth -those delicious, cherried flavours keep rolling on and on.
Drink 2009 - 2015."
95 POINTS

James Halliday, Australian Wine companion 2010
“Excellent clarity and line, similar to the Gibraltar Rock; has more energy and thrust, with a pleasingly tangy edge to the small red fruits of the palate and finish.”
93 POINTS

Andrew Jefford, www.andrewjefford.com 3 August 2009
"You wouldn’t guess this wine was made from cool south-facing vineyards in Mount Barker. It’s ripe, and full of personality: warm, tangy, meaty aromas, with a rich, vivid, mouthfilling flavour, packed with cherry and cinnamon plum. Delicious and exuberant."

Sarah Ahmed, The Wine Detective, 17 December 2009 
"Quite fresh and forward with well defined red cherry and pomegranate. Quite silky in the mouth, but there’s a subtle edge of tannin to support medium-term drinking."

Dr Edward, Wino Sapien, 10 September 2009 
"Mount Barker and the nearby Porongurups make a range of very good wines. Cherry, rose petal and earth. By night's end I think there is a whiff of eucalpytus and English breakfast tea. Notably brisk and tart, the intensity of the attack is a little surprising, though thankfully the texture and suppleness redeem. Very good - excellent."
92 POINTS

Philip White, The Independent Weekly, 10 September 2009
"Jeff Burch, owner of Howard Park and MadFish, has dragged viticulturer and winemaker Pascal Marchand out of Burgundy to show his Margaret River winemaking crew how to make pinot and chardonnay. To back up the release that smote me last year, they’ve really rung the Bianco bell with this sensual, supple earthy elixir. It’s almost rotten with naughty cherries, Satsuma and dirty beetroot, and a neat little prickle of smashed granite. The palate has a rude conserve tone, but with fresh berries atop, and a simmering well of terra cotta below, glowering, daring the drinker to slide right in."
94++ POINTS

Andrew Neather, The London Evening Standard, 04.02.10
"A wine produced biodynamically by Jeff Burch of Howard Park and Pascal Marchand, ex-Domaine de la Vougeraie, this is seriously delicious: rich, sweet berry fruit with perfectly balanced acidity and fine structure."