2006 Kooyong Chardonnay Clonale Mornington Peninsula
($25) Pale gold. Smoky pear, apple and hazelnut aromas are given depth by sweet butter and vanilla. Taut and focused, with vibrant citrus and orchard fruit flavors, bracing acidity (this did not go through malo) and bright minerality. Finishes on a zesty note of citrus pith, with very good length.
2005 Kooyong Chardonnay Estate Mornington Peninsula
($40) Light gold. A complex bouquet expresses bright pear, quince, minerals, jasmine and anise, with zesty citrus peel adding interest. Crisp and minty but with the added depth of smoky lees to complicate the ripe pear and apple fruit. There's very good focus and lift on the long finish, which leaves an impression of poached pear.
2005 Kooyong Chardonnay Faultline Mornington Peninsula
($55) Pale yellow. Intense, mineral-accented tangerine and peach scents are deepened by lees, truffle and buttered toast. Deeply concentrated orchard and pit fruit flavors are complicated by an intriguing iodine quality. A chewy, stony, dry chardonnay with late mineral lift on the very long, juicy finish. Takes on a strong spicy character with aeration and appears to be balanced for cellaring.
2005 Kooyong Chardonnay Farrago Mornington Peninsula
($55) Bright straw. Highly expressive nose combines vibrant pit and orchard fruits, deep musky lees and a mineral element. Vibrant pear and quince flavors turn uncompromisingly dry on the back, picking up hints of quinine and anise. This has real clarity and thrust on the bracing, mineral-driven finish. A grown-up style of chardonnay with no excess fat.
2006 Kooyong Pinot Noir Massale Mornington Peninsula
($25) Bright red. Tangy red berry aromas are a touch primal but precise. The palate offers crisp redcurrant and rhubarb flavors on a lithe frame, with zesty acidity adding energy to the finish. Seems a touch hard-edged today but the fruit boasts impressive clarity.
2005 Kooyong Pinot Noir Estate Mornington Peninsula
($40) Medium red. Spicy cherry and licorice on the nose, with a sharp jolt of white pepper adding vibrancy. Crisp red berry flavors display admirable brightness and a light touch, with fine-grained tannins lending lift. Finishes clean, brisk, spicy and long, picking up a bitter cherry skin note on the end.
2005 Kooyong Pinot Noir Meres Mornington Peninsula
($55) Light red. Spicy redcurrant, strawberry and rhubarb aromas display excellent clarity and verve. The tangy, concentrated red fruit flavors show excellent concentration but the wine's tangy acids and minerality give it a clenched quality. Unwinds a bit on the finish but this will require some time for the fruit to sweeten and the structure to soften.
2005 Kooyong Pinot Noir Haven Mornington Peninsula
($55) Dark red. Explosively perfumed aromas of vibrant red and dark berries, fresh rose and musky underbrush. A dead ringer for a Vosne-Romanee, showing sweet but focused raspberry and wild strawberry flavors complicated by licorice and roasted coffee. This suave, silky midweight boasts outstanding finishing sweetness and precision, not to mention length.
2005 Kooyong Pinot Noir Ferrous Mornington Peninsula
($55) Medium red. Vibrant, scented nose offers fresh cherry, raspberry, licorice, flowers and minerals. Tightly wound initially but unwinds to display fresh red fruit flavors on a light, almost delicate frame. This is all about minerals. The crisp, focused, pure finish is impressively persistent. (Vine Street Imports, Philadelphia, PA)
