2005 Moondarra Pinot Noir Conception Gippsland
($75) Medium red. Spicy redcurrant, strawberry and rhubarb on the nose, with pungent herbs and dried flowers adding complexity. Crisp, sharply focused red berry flavors on a lithe frame, with a bright mineral punch on the back adding lift and a late note of bitter cherry skin. Strikingly fresh and long; this is pretty impressive.
2005 Moondarra Pinot Noir Samba Side Gippsland
($100) Deep red. Explosively perfumed nose offers an array of red and dark berry scents complicated by mineral, musky underbrush and fresh rose. Fleshy and sweet, with vivid raspberry and kirsch flavors lifted by zesty minerality. No excess weight here. Finishes on a bright note of redcurrant, with outstanding clarity and persistence. This has rare finesse for New World pinot. (Vine Street Imports, Philadelphia, PA)
