Moorooduc Estate
Mornington Peninsula,Victoria
The McIntyre family are a hard working talented clan. Dr Richard McIntyre (surgeon) and superlative winemaker is ably assisted by daughter, Kate , Master of Wine (of 300 MWs currently in the world, Kate is the third Australian woman). They were among the first to plant in the Mornington Peninsula in 1982.
On their 12-acre vineyard, Moorooduc specialise in simple natural winemaking, working with small batches; everything has a natural yeast ferment and is lovingly hand-crafted, using low impact wine making, with an attention to detail, that produces beautiful wines with balance and finesse. The fruit comes from four vineyards in the Moorooduc sub region, their own, the McIntyre vineyard, the leased Garden vineyard, and the neighbouring Robinson vineyard.
A broad selection of clones, including a number of highly regarded Dijon clones (777, 115, 95, 96), contribute to the complexity of the wines, as does whole bunch pressing and barrel fermentation for the white wines, and experimentation with whole bunch fermentation in the reds.
Plush, beautifully fragrant, and consistently energising, Moorooduc Estate encapsulates Mornington Peninsula wines at their most multifaceted, complex, and textural.
2021 Moorooduc Estate Robinson Vineyard Chardonnay – 95 Points James Halliday, March 2024 The Australian
Whole bunch-pressed, wild fermented and 100% malolactic fermentation (mlf), matured in used French oak for 10 months. Bright quartz-green colour; crisp green apple and citrus drive the bouquet and palate alike, the mlf inputs subtle, the finish lively and long.
Straight from the glass, the Moorooduc McIntyre Pinot Noir 2019 has an intensity of fruit yet delicacy of fragrance that sets it apart. Alongside typical cranberry and cherry aromas comes an already complex herbal nose recalling crushed herbs wafting up from underfoot. The palate has a self-assured firmness that is more brooding than the prevailing style of Australian Pinot, which favours light body, imperceptible tannins and prominent acidity. – Richard Hemming MW – February 2023
Huon Hooke, The Real Review
“Bright, medium to full salmon-pink colour, like a darker rosé, and viscous in the glass. There are vibrant strawberry, raspberry fruity aromas, with a smoky patina. Very pinoty and quite charming. A hint of acetone. The wine is light to medium-bodied and softly-rounded, ample and spicy and berry-ish, like a rosé Champagne without the bubbles. It finishes very dry and appetising, a trace of tannin on the aftertaste adds backbone to accompany food.”
97 Points, McIntyre Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018
Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Ranked 1/70 – Best Pinot Noir 2018 – Mornington Peninsula
“Medium to full red colour with a tinge of purple, and a bouquet that reflects savoury oak- matured nuances and concentrated fruit, the latter even more evident on the palate… A mighty pinot of grand cru proportions.”
