Wine Reviews Archive /

2020

94 Points – Australian Wine Review, Andrew Graham

“This is Australian Sauvignon taken seriously. Sourced from the Landaviddy Lane Vineyard, the mode is closer to one of the great Polperro Chardonnay releases rather than something ‘typical’. Handpicked whole bunches go straight to tank, the juice drained off to barrel over a nine month period, with minimal additions, no pressing, the wine finally bottled without filtering or fining. So natural wine, but not carrying the badge. It’s seriously complex too – a huge mouthful of sweaty passionfruit, oatmeal, lemon barley sugar, nutty bits, a little creamed asparagus, biscotti too. Lots to grab hold of. What a mouthful too – bold, richly layered and phenolic. It’s a heavyweight, so thick and drying. Its like a NEIIPA! Is it too much? I don’t know. But I love that every sip gives layers of flavour. It’s varietal, but takes more cues from the wilder end of the Loire than most Australian or Kiwi Sauv. Maybe not an easy drink, but an involving wine”.

93 Points – Q Wine Reviews

“This is where a Hawaiian shirt meets linen pants – a playful side with a little sophistication and a dash of high brow. Sauv Blanc done well. Fermented in barrel and Sauvignon Blanc goes from a simple drink to something a little sassy. A medley of glace pineapple, pineapple husk, guava, gooseberry and papaya with the smarts coming from a creamy mouth feel and an uber cool swagger. It’s long and soft as those tropical fruits tap away. Golden straw in the glass, kick off the Birkenstocks and squeeze the sand between your toes as you soak up the sun. A clever wine hands down. Drink now to three years”. 

2020

94 Points – The Wine Front, Campbell Mattinson

“This is a wine of a distinctive style. You need to bear this in mind. The style is reductive, smoky and spice-laden, which may or may not be your thing. In this context though it’s a fantastic wine, complex, wild, as-intense-as-it-needs-to-be, structured and sustained. It’s ripped with strawberry and forest floor flavours, earth and dry spice, sweet cedar and overt reductive/smoky aspects. It’s dry, it’s tannic, it has presence and power. It’s the kind of wine I file mentally under Do You Dare? This wine doesn’t sit on the fence. It stakes its claim boldly and well”.

94 Points – Australian Wine Review, Andrew Graham

“Gee the 2020 vintage in Victoria and South Australia throws a few curveballs. Yeah, vintage generalisations are junk and all that, but no doubting that ’20 in certain regions is irregular. In the Yarra and Mornington, for example, low yields, poor flowering, disease pressure and rain events during the growing season has translated into lots of variabilities. For some vignerons, it has just delivered lighter, lower alcohol wines (and delicacy). For others, that means thin wines, mixed ripeness and junk. Different sides of the same coin (aka who’d want to be a grapegrower?). I wager Sam Coverdale at Polperro had more of the previous, judging by this super Polperro Pinot Noir 2020. I didn’t think I’d see such lovely ripe fruit for under 13%. What a delight. Lucid, red raspberry pastille fruit, the barest hint of sapling, the perfectly ripe and generous palate not anything to do with the alcohol, hints of mushroom Pinotosity, maybe a bit of vanilla on the back palate. Plenty of acidity, gentle fruit. Such an unforced wine. I don’t think everyone is going to love it, but for loveliness alone, it gets my vote. Best drinking: now and for the next five at least. Would I buy it? Yes.”

92 Points – Q Wine Reviews

“A cuddle in a glass. A wonderfully enjoyable and inviting Pinot Noir from Polperro. You could get very comfortable here. It’s more earthy than fruit-driven, though there is a density from plums that drive long. Fennel and clove add to the savoury appeal as do lovely spices. Fine tannins draw out to a long and persistent finish that tickles your interest bone. I’d have another glass easy”.

2019

92 Points – The Wine Front, Campbell Mattinson

“It took me a while to work this wine out. It’s cards are closer to its chest than its sleeve. There’s undergrowth here. There’s black cherry, meaty, a touch smoky; the word peat came to mind. There are tobacco and twiggy herb notes, and longstrings of tannin, and an appropriate flush of acidity. It’s of medium intensity; it’s not light and ethereal but nor is it pushy and powerful. There are chur notes to the aftertaste but they don’t ride alone; everything which came before continues into the finish. I’m scoring it 92/100 but I could have easily gone higher; I’m sure of it’s quality, I’m just not sure how high.”

2017

2016

95 POINTS – Huon Hooke

“Medium to full red with a tinge of purple. The bouquet has marvellous intensity of dark cherry fruit with sappy, stemmy embellishments. It’s medium to full in the mouth, with abundant tannins, a lovely wine indeed. It has a core of sweet and lush black cherry fruit. Beautiful pinot” 

2015

94 POINTS – Qwine

“I feel a bit stylish and fancy as I sip away at this. Smart Pinot indeed. Whilst it presents with a little more masculine grunt than a few other Pinots, there’s a his and hers delivery about it which appeals the most. Classy sophistication and sleek presentation comes with depth and complexity. Dark berry and strawberry aromas. Forrest floor characters and supported by more fruit in the form of dark plum skins. A spicy edge finishes with a chalky/powdery like tannin. Classy stuff.”

93 POINTS – Mike Bennie , WBM

“Arguably one of the producers to watch from Mornington Peninsula at present, Polperro has delighted drinkers over past vintages with cooler, more restrained Pinot Noir, and continues the theme in 2015. This is lithe in texture and weight, hewn from grapey, chalky tannins, bold in cherry and spice perfume. Super.”

92 Points – James Halliday, Wine Companion

“A blend of 7 clones, whole berries wild yeast open-fermented, hand-plunged for 15 days, matured in French oak (30% new) for 16 months. Very light colour, albeit with a bright crimson hue; notwithstanding the expansive use of oak, and the extractive vinification techniques, the red berry fruits emerge on top of the light to medium-bodied (in pinot terms) palate. Good wine.” 

91 Points – Ken Gargett, tasting.com

“Everywhere one looks, the evidence for the sheer quality of the 2015 vintage in Mornington Peninsula is nearly overwhelming. No less so, here. An attractive floral, fragrant style of pinot. Nicely balanced with a little grip on the finish. Woodsmoke and animal skin notes with some red cherry flavours. Offers reasonable length.” 

2016

 Mike Bennie- Gourmet Traveller WINE

Polperro is increasingly a producer to watch from Mornington with year-on-year refinement of its style. This has often impressed, but it’s this release that stunned. It’s a compact wine that feels inwardly concentrated and sheathed in silky tannins. Flavours are drawn long, set to sweet and sour cherry, layered gently with malty oak. Tightly wound, it drinks superbly now, but needs time to unfurl and reveal its best. Five to 15 years is recommended drinking. 

2015

95 POINTS – Ken Gargett – tastingbook.com

“Only five barrels of this wine were made with the red volcanic clay vineyard yielding at a meagre 1.5 tonnes/acre.The result is a great success. Spices, raspberries, red fruits. A wine with depth, concentration and impressive length, it maintains its intensity throughout. My favourite of the three single vineyard pinots.” 

92 POINTS – Halliday Wine Companion , Jane Faulkner

“A curious wine as the heady aromas of red fruits, wild strawberries, cloves, licorice, wood spice, menthol and charcoal sets up the impression of a rich full-bodied wine. Not at all. Barely medium-bodied, supple and silky fine tannins, oak seamless and finishes long.”

93 POINTS – Qwines 

“Lots of savoury love here. It’s earthy and precise. Spiced plums and dark cherry fruit are partnered by a dash of pepper, a kick of earth and raspberries. The tasting notes suggest gun smoke and it’s certainly there. The mouth is brushed with pillows of fine tannins – a soft, long and delectable finish. Take a bow Sam Coverdale.”

2014

94 POINTS – Huon Hooke

“Full red colour with a strong tint of purple; vanilla, chocolate, plummy aromas, ripe and warm-grown. Discreet vegetal, whole-bunchy and minty notes. The wine is full-bodied and rich, generously flavoured and solidly structured. Good wine and it has potential. Lots of character.”

2012

94 POINTS – Huon Hooke

“Medium to light red colour with a purple rim. The bouquet is rich and ripe, with plum and dark cherry notes, the palate rich and full and smooth, with ample soft tannins and lovely texture. This is a real contrast to the Mill Hill bottling, the richer, fuller, fleshier style reflecting the warmer site, 100-metres lower in altitude. It’s generous, fruit-sweet, but still restrained and very elegant. The style would probably be understood better by most pinot drinkers than the Mill Hill. Like that wine, it expands superbly on the finish and has a very long aftertaste.”

95 POINTS – Andrew Graham, Oz Wine Review

“This is perhaps the most generous of Sam’s Pinots, with that delicious Mornington red fruit and redcurrant juiciness on nose and palate that is ultra seductive. For all that flashiness, however, this is no show pony, with firm acid and a back end is serious indeed, the tannins quite full and ensuring a seriously long finish.The very model of a Mornington Pinot, without losing structure, this is a mighty fine wine. Detailed too. Big yes.”

VIC100 Wine Awards, 2014
92 Points – James Halliday, Wine Companion

“Bright crimson; a particularly complex, albeit light-bodied, pinot, with unusual nuances of char and licorice threaded through the fresh red berry fruits that have an attractive sweet flavour.”

2011

93 POINTS – Mike Bennie , WBM

“Moody kind of bouquet with red cherry, briar, game characters rolling around. A savoury intro before it hits the palate. More grunt and density than expected, chewy, dusty tannins trim the wine, red fruit flavours set to more animale than fruitiness and a long, chalky finish. It’s the kind of wine destined for a huge glass and big swirls, super drinkable, but a quiet complexity too. Light on through the finish, but the scene was set for that. Delicious.”

92 POINTS – Huon Hooke

“Light red colour with purple tinges. Dark and red fruit aromas, spicy and stemmy, a sweeter nose than the Mill Hill and more ample palate, softer and rounder, too (it’s from a warmer site), but still a light-bodied pinot. Ripe tannins and clean finish. More structure than the Mill Hill. A very attractive wine, with good length and balance. Don’t judge pinot by its colour!”

2010

95 POINTS – Ray Jordan , The West Australian August 2012

“Great fruity purity, which comes from the sheltered site. It’s juicy and supple, reflecting the warmer climes. Lovely texture and mouthfeel, excellent structure and richness. It has a minerally character, but the bigger middle palate tends to dominate.”

Clive Hartley, author of The Australian Wine Guide – “Highly Recommended”

“Focused red fruits – redcurrants – with well integrated savoury oak. Fruit driven palate showing all the attributes of a sheltered, warmer vineyard site. Firm yet smooth with velvet tannins, well knitted together.  Attractive, well-made pinot from Sam Coverdale.”

2009

92 POINTS – Nick Stock, The Age Good Wine Guide 2012 

“This fresh and ripe Mornington Peninsula pinot shows a wealth of the ripe dark-cherry fruit that defines this region’s offering; there’s a thread of leafy, sappy aromas too. It looks really bright and there’s inherent complexity that will unfold with more time. The palate has an engaging mix of ripeness and freshness: red- and purple- cherry flavours, some crunchy acid and a neat, juicy finish.”

2018

93 Points – Nick Stock

“Pure & fragrant red cherries on the nose with underlying spices. The palate has a quite crisp, vivid feel with sappy red-cherry flavours and some blueberry to close. Sturdy pinot. Drink or hold

2017

96 POINTS – The Real Review

Pale red colour and transparent. The bouquet shows great concentration – ripe cherries, strawberry topping and oak-spice. Red plums on the palate lead an ethereal expression of the variety. It’s plush and balanced. Tannins are refined. Excellent .

2016

96 POINTS – Huon Hooke

“Sam Coverdale is making some of the peninsula’s best pinot at Polperro. With a medium red/purple colour, this single-vineyard wine has a bouquet loaded with dark cherry, liqueur cherry aromas of charm and complexity. It’s at the fuller bodied end of the pinot spectrum, deliciously succulent and extraverted.”

2015

91 POINTS – Halliday Wine Companion – Jane Faulkner 

“Part The lightest colour of the three single vineyard Pinots but not a wimp. Red and dark cherries and pips, sweeter plum fruit with charry oak poking out at the moment, still succulent with the Polperro trademark of a silky texture and a lighter frame.” 

94 POINTS – Ken Gargett- tastingbook.com  

“Part of an impressive trio.Sam Coverdale makes three single vineyard pinots and in a vintage like 2015, you’ll want to try the lot. What is especially interesting is that he uses a different cooper for each plot, though quantities are necessarily limited. There were just seven barrels of this wine, given the yield of just one tonne/acre, from the north facing vineyard at 270 metres above sea-level. Lovely aromatics and an elegant supple texture. Red fruits dominate, as one would expect from a Red Hill vineyard, with spices and rose petal notes.Excellent.” 

91 POINTS – Mike Bennie, The Wine Front

“Rhubarb, rose hip, flint and red cherry. Ripe and soft to taste, broad and fleshy, generous, broader style with ripeness and personality on their side. Good drinking here.” 

93 POINTS – Huon Hooke

“Medium to light red/brick-red with a faint tint of purple. The bouquet is forward-developed and foresty, with sousbois, tobacco-like nuances dominating. The palate follows on from the nose, and is light, lean and forward-developed but intense. The flavours are complex and the aftertaste fine and harmonious. An ethereal style of pinot” 

92 POINTS – Qwines 

” What jumps out for me is the earthy and peppery characters. Cherries and red berries tick away and dense undergrowth seems to gain momentum. Clove and pine needle type aromas peel off with more time in the glass. There’s some restrained power here but the finish is fine and long. Good stuff.” 

2014

★★★★★  95 POINTS – Huon Hooke, Gourmet Traveller Wine Top 100 Wines  

“Excellent deep red-purple hue and a rich, foresty bouquet with lavish oak and black cherry to dark plum fruit aromas. The palate is rich and full, soft and broad, showing more character the longer it was aired. It will age well. A top pinot.” 

★★★★  92 POINTS – Rob Geddes, The Gold Book 

“Very good colour leads a fruit complex wine; aromas of rose, raspberry with a balanced toasty oak adding to the overall richness and complexity. The palate is well built, nice fruit weight, fruit wrapped in stemmy tannin structure and length, raw red fruit flavours, fresh raspberry and red cherry with toasty oak adding a dimension to the finish. Needs food.

2013

93 POINTS- Mike Bennie, Wine Front 

“What’s this red cherry, rose petal, leather, undergrowth, dried herbs thing going on? Nebbiolo via pinot noir? Gosh. It’s all about savouriness and briar to taste too – firm, slender ropes of tannin, brisk acidity, a clench of texture, fruit comes second through the breathy finish. Certainly wild and wooly, but has a charisma that drags you back to the glass. Intriguing wine.”

91 POINTS – Huon Hooke

“The colour is forward, medium to full red to brick-red and the bouquet is slightly muffled and indistinct, with a slight volatile lift. It is a forward, complex style, which has had some whole-bunch fermentation, and the palate is sinewy and intense, refined and slightly nervy, thanks to the subtle VA (volatile acidity), which is not a problem for me. A finer-boned, more ethereal style.”

2012

Max Allen 

“The wine stopped me dead in my sips. I’d already tasted 50 Australian pinot noirs that morning. But this pinot 
I now had in my mouth was different: so deliciously unlike anything else I’d tried. There were plenty of fragrant red berries, as you’d expect in many Aussie pinots, but also a thrilling, sinuous line of tannin running along the tongue.”

92 POINTS – Huon Hooke

“Light tile-red colour, with a faint trace of purple. The bouquet is very complex in a foresty style, with lots of spice and some herby, sousbois notes. In the mouth, it’s lean and nervy, tight and intense and very long, with an aftertaste that expands and lingers for a long time. The tannin is persuasive and firm adding very good structure to the fruit. It’s an ethereal, delicate, almost sinewy style of pinot and would be very good with the right foods, eg, tuna, beef carpaccio, or veal scalloppine.”

2011

93 POINTS – Rob Geddes, The Gold Book 

“Pale ruby due to a long 7 week maceration post alcohol. Aromas are subliminal oak and floral red fruit with strawberry, red cherry pinot. Lands juicy and generous mid palate, light framed, but filled the palate with a structured fine grained tannin finish that adds length and flavour. For lovers of delicate burgandian styles, not the full and fleshy. A pinot made by a guy who loves chardonnay. 

91 POINTS – Mike Bennie

“Pale coloured wine in glass. Earthy, savoury aromas, touch of meatiness and red fruited charm rises to the fore. Red cherry, touch of cranberry piquancy. There’s a riff of tomato bush leafiness in bouquet and flavour too. Vintage vagaries, ey? Expansive in texture, but acid trims the wine to a pointed finish. It feels a bit muted, but conversely it’s mellow, fleshy and seductive in its looser-knit feel. Touch of crunchiness through the finish too. It’s compelling, in it’s own way. It’s worth a look for sure.”

92 POINTS – Huon Hooke

“Very light red/brick-red colour. This is 2011 Victorian pinot without colour enhancement! The bouquet is smoky, spicy and savoury developed red fruit aromas. Lots of charcuterie and delicatessen smells. Some vestiges of cherry and faded flowers. Light-bodied but deeper and fuller than the Even Keel bottling, with good tannins which are very fine and soft. A very attractive wine, and don’t worry about the pale colour. Quite long finish, too. Needs lighter foods.”

2010

94 POINTS – Tyson Stelzer February 2013 

“Sam Coverdale’s first premium pinot captures the linear focus and cooler expression of Mornington that comes from the lofty position of its highest vineyard. It’s an attractively textural style that harmonises perfumed elegance with well-textured structure. Powerful red fruits and rose hip fragrance are supported by tangy acidity and fine, supple tannins.”

Elie Maalouly, Spit Bucket, posted May 2012

“This is a gentle pinot noir, one that you can enjoy with friends without having to concentrate too much on it, you’re only reminded that it’s there when it pokes at you with subtle and gentle fruits every other second, very Burgundian in style. The wine offers fresh strawberry, cherry and mushroom, ending with a long cherry finish. Lots of acid here and one that will do with a bit of aging. I enjoyed this wine and again bagged two bottles, but if you like big pinots this may not be your cup of tea as it’s elegant and light.”

91 POINTS- James Halliday 

2018 

93 points – Huon Hooke 

Full red colour with a slight purple tint. The bouquet has subtle cherry and plum aromas together with some sousbois, and is boldly full in the mouth with a firm backbone of assertive tannins. The centre is loaded with sweetly ripe, succulent fruit flavour. Very long persistence. Excellent pinot.

2017

95 POINTS – The Real Review

Medium red colour with crimson edges. A brooding, savoury and spicy bouquet – rhubarb and toasty oak. Instantly shows width when sipped. Subtle and self-assured. Soft red berry fruits with length driven by tannins. 

2016

94 POINTS – The Wine Front, Campbell Mattinson

” From a vineyard planted to MV6 Pinot Noir in 1992. It’s one for the structuralists, and for the patient, though there’s s fair amount to enjoy right now too. Indeed this wine has all the hallmarks of excellence. Rakes of dry tannin, splashes of woody spice, glossy fruit and the slippery-spiciness of quality oak. Orange-like tang and foresty characters simply lend it an exotic edge. There’s some (fruit) volume to the palate but spice and tannin are keen participants here. It doesn’t put a foot wrong ” 

2015

91 POINTS – Halliday Wine Companion, Jane Faulkner 

“The richest of the three single vineyard Pinot Noirs, yet at Polperro that is a relative terms. Pale-mid-garnet; awash with dark cherries in kirsch, plums, lavender, wood char; burnt toffee a savoury undertone to this. Fleshier and riper on the palate but not a big wine, supple tannins, just a touch warm.”

95 POINTS – Huon Hooke

“Some development shows in the colour and bouquet, which has strong medicinal herb overtones. The palate is medium to light and complex, with a delicious array of herb, spice and red fruit flavours and a decided twist of herbal bitterness. Long resonant aftertaste. This is a delicious drink, and is in the zone right now. The tannins might mean it’s better with food though.” 

93 POINTS – Ken Gargett- tastingbook.com

“This wine is from the warmest of the three sites, which is at 70 metres above sea-level, north facing. The yield was excruciatingly low – just 300 kgs/acre, meaning that there were only two barrels made. Its the darkest of the three pinots, riper and bolder. The flavours move through florals, a hint of white chocolate and root vegetables. Firm acidity and very fine tannins. Part of an impressive trio.”  

95 POINTS – QWines

“This is all hugs and kisses and seductive caresses – damn Pinot can be extraordinary. Here’s one for that list. Of the three Single Vineyard 2015 Polperro releases, this is well out in front as my favourite. As I go to the website to seek the finer details, the Sold Out sign is clearly fixed. Why am I not surprised? Each of the three Single Vineyards has a different perspective – this Talland Hill sits 170m above and is north facing.Tasting the three releases blind, this certainly got the heart racing from the outset. It’s finer, more elegant and polished in comparison. Just a little tighter, the fruit is a fraction darker and denser. Earthy and mushroom compost mix it with savoury appeal. Coiling around the mouth, it leaves an imprint that’s hard to remove. I suppose that’s why the punters ran to it so quickly.” 

2020

94 Points – The West Australian, Ray Jordan

“Light-bodied pinot noir from Mornington. Aromas of sour cherry and spicy violet with a trace of truffle. It has a grainy texture that sits neatly on the palate. Fine acid and tannin balance with a flavour profile that builds towards a long finish. There’s a slightly rustic appeal about this but at the same time refinement”. 

93+ Points – The Wine Front, Campbell Mattinson

“12.1% alcohol and yet there’s plenty of flavour and indeed colour. There are many ways to skin an apple, so to speak. Straw yellow in colour and gently buttery in flavour but the fruit, it sings as it slings. Grilled peach, nectarine and honeysuckle flavours with sweet-but-slightly-green cedar humming in tandem. Fingers of lime spider their way in among it all. Sprays of herbs too. Much going on, much momentum, much length. In short, it’s much good”.

92 Points – Q Wine Reviews

“Give this Polperro Chardonnay a go. It grows on you. The longer I left it in the glass the more I wanted in. There is plenty of interest to absorb. Think custard apple, yellow flowers and stonefruit early. Some honeyed tones, golden apple and yoghurt all ripple through the mouth. Add some quince, fig and a faint nuttiness and you’ll see what I mean about the interest. There’s a little bit of weight but that just adds to the complexity before a splash of lemon juice on close. It’s a wine to savour. I sure did”.

2019 

94 Points – The Wine Front, Campbell Mattinson

“Polperro makes good wine, This single vineyard expression of the Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay is pitch perfect: grilled peach and nectarine flavours burst through the palate, ushering honeysuckle and cedar-spice along for the ride. Texturally it has just enough girth to make it feel satiny smooth, and nit finishes full of running. It’s a lovely wine. Bodied, fresh and clean but characterful in it’s own way.”

2017

94 POINTS – Qwines

“Crazy good! A blend of two vineyards, it’s a generous wine yet it’s quite tempered at the same time – clearly proud of the skin it’s in. Top stuff. Currently, the vineyard is going through a process to convert over to organic. The work in the winery sees no enzymes or sulphur used except for when the barrel is put to sleep for 12 months and a minor addition of sulphur is slipped in. Clearly, Sam Coverdale wants the vineyard and the fruit to speak for themselves. Whiffs of struck match early. White peach, grapefruit and lemon juice are fleshy and generous filling the mouth with ease. Deft touches of caramel before a fine minerally sits back but makes its presence felt. Finishing long, satisfying is the feeling washing over you as you recline and indulge”

2015

92 POINTS – Mike Bennie

“Rich, mellow lemon butter and lemon curd scents, sniffs of ripe apple, light custard sniff, some nougat. Generous bouquet segues to creamy-textured, full flavoured, light buttery palate. It gives good flavour, is set on crunchy acidity, so you kind of get best both of both worlds. It’s good drinking”

 92 POINTS – Wine Genius

“The 2015 Chardonnay is delicious, showing lifted aromas of Lemon zest, apple and custard with a soft but generous mouth feel.  There are nuances of minerals and spice on the palate blended nicely with the fruits on display.  The acid line of the wine is long and clean so the flavours seem to linger in your mouth for ages.”

 95 POINTS – Ken Gargett – tasting.com

“40% new oak, full malolactic fermentation and native yeasts all contribute to the fabulous complexity to be found in this cracking Mornington Peninsula Chardy. Terrific intensity and yet a supple texture, there are notes of grapefruit and oatmeal. Good acidity. Excellent length. This is a really lovely Chardy that should earn this winery many fans.” 

2014

90 POINTS – Huon Hooke 

“Medium to full yellow colour; the bouquet overt and rich, with developed apricot flavours and aromas. The palate is rich and slightly viscous, but the bright acidity cuts through it all. Some smoky, toasted nut nuances. Good drive and length.”

2018 

95 Points – Mike Bennie

“Polperro very much cemented as one of the great places to visit in the Mornington Peninsula and a winery with strong currency in their mesh of traditional and contemporary wine approaches. Kudos. Very nice chardonnay. Pedigree and class. A purring, scrumptious, fresh and appealing white wine that feels instantly fancy, seamless and good. Smells like nougat, lemon – vanilla cream, apples, mixed citrus peel. Flavours similar, great length, persisitent and quietely complex. settle in, don’t drink too cold, feel the fruit, see the gentle seasoning and bask in a beauty.”

93 Points – Nick Stock

“A bright apple, pear and melon-fruited nose with some fresh bread and pastry in the background. Nice purity on the palate with a very stricking, concentrated core of pear and grpefruit flavour. The acidity holds well. I like the drive here. drink or hold.”

2017

95 Points – Nick Stock

“Attractive flinty, minerally notes across lemon, grapefruit and lime with some hazelnut also in the mix. Complex and fresh. The palate has a striking nectarine, lemon & grapefruit core that wraps tautly into the long, flavourful finish. Drink or hold”

94 POINTS- Mike Bennie, WBM

“Polperro are making excellent regional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but have risen through the pack with their own imprint on the Mornington staples. Expect saline/sea spray character, nougat oak rippling gently through creamy stone fruit character and a core of grapefruity acidity bright through the wine. Classy stuff. Higher end feel through and through.”

2016

93 POINTS- Mike Bennie

“Classy wines coming out of this relatively new producer, with an eye on shifting some of the comfortable styles of Mornington Peninsula just a touch. This is from one of the highest vineyards in the region. Succulent, complex, layered wine of lemon, green apple, faint honey, whiffs of nuttiness and flecks of light, mineral-like charm. Drives across the palate well, softens a little from the initial thrust of leaner fruit flavours, feels interesting and a touch classy. It has drinkability in spades, and a certain elegance.” 

2015 

93 POINTS- Halliday Wine Companion , Jane Faulkner

“Wild yeast ferment, full solids, mlf and 1 year in oak barrels so there’s no shortage of flavour. There’s a voluptuousness to this and loads of flavour from ripe stone fruit and spice, cashews, creamed honey, nougat to some vanillin oak notes. Slippery texture and the right amount of acidity to keep everything lively.” 

95 POINTS- Ken Gargett, tastingbook.com

“A single vineyard chardonnay that will be at its best around the end of the decade. It is a leaner style than the ‘standard’, yet no less intense, with minerals, oystershell and wet granite notes. Now with a pleasingly soft finish. It spent 14 months in 40% new French oak before being returned to its lees, to fatten it a little. This is a really good wine, but left in the cellar at the moment.” 

93 POINTS- Mike Bennie, The Wine Front

” Toasty, gently honeyed, blanched almonds, ripe stone fruit. Lots of character to sniff on. Juicy, fleshy, ripe and full. Touch of oiliness to texture, fine chalky, fresh finish. Like the lemon balm character running through. Quality stuff ” Medium straw-yellow colour with a full, evolved smoky oak and roasted hazelnut bouquet. A hint of milk powder. The bouquet is that of a well-worked wine: creamy, malty, nutty, and smoked charcuterie aspects.”

92 POINTS- Huon Hooke

“The palate is broad and rich, soft and open-knit, very accessible, with slightly shrill acidity running through it. Good wine, tight and nervy and held up well with prolonged airing. In fact, it was better two days later.” 

2013 

Max Allen- The Australian 

“Outstanding, with exquisite purity and clarity of yellow and white nectarine fruit.”

2012 

94 POINTS – James Halliday

“A radically different style to Even Keel, with obvious barrel ferment inputs and what may, or may not be, a contribution from mlf. The texture is more fleshy, the flavours in the white peach/nectarine spectrum, allied with some creamy cashew nuances.”

2011

95 POINTS – James Halliday

It’s an ill wind… while the vintage caused much heartache for pinot noir, it produced wonderfully fragrant and poised chardonnays. These have great length and precision to the fruit flavours of the palate, paying little heed to the French oak in which they were matured. And this wine precisely demonstrates all those attributes.

92 POINTS – Huon Hooke

“From a very high vineyard at 270-metres. 24-months on lees in barrel and then tank; 40% new French oak) Full buttercup yellow hue, and a very rich and complex bouquet reflecting its barrel fermentation with wild yeasts and full malolactic. There’s generous roast hazelnut and malt, butter and stone fruit chardonnay aromas, peanuty brittle also. It all translates well to the palate where it’s full in the mouth, but without any heaviness, with the finish rolling on and on. A quite funky and ‘out-there’ style of chardonnay.”

2010

94 POINTS – Rob Geddes, The Golden Book 

“Classic burgundian aromas with savoury solids, wild doughy yeast, full malo in an elegant mineral Puligny Montrachet style. The palate is refined, intensity long, mixes savoury and lemon mineral stone fruit and fine acid depth with great length and unfolding on the finish with a long tail of flavour that lingers well after swallowing. Rinds and pith style rather than fruit and pulp.” 

95 POINTS – Tyson Stelzer  February 2013

“Taut lemon zest and crunchy white peach meet lifted lemon blossom and spicy fig, pulling into a long, honed tail of lemon zest acidity. The texture is akin to finely ground glass, perhaps because the vines have reached the quartz below?”

95 POINTS – James Halliday, The Australian Wine Companion 2013

“Brilliant straw-green; a long and intense palate, with white peach and grapefruit flavours; the acid balance is immaculate, leaving the mouth fresh and thirsting for the next mouthful.”

95 POINTS – Ray Jordan, The West Australian August 2012

“This is fine and intense, with a deep and lingering mineral line which runs the depth of the wine to a long finish. So well integrated, with a crunchiness of lemon rind and acid that creates such a great mouthfeel and complexity. Delicate, yet with power and length. “

Clive Hartley, author of The Australian Wine Guide – “Outstanding“

“Mineral, gun smoke driven nose with saline, slatey notes. Lovely textured palate with crisp natural acidity (even after receiving 100% MLF). Well balanced with restrained oak and more mineral flavours. Medium plus length. This is produced from an extremely cool climate, high site on the Peninsula and shows great terroir.”

2018

94 Points – The Wine Front, Campbell Mattinson

“It’s a characterful Chardonnay though you get the feeling that it’s still sorting itself out. Hay and toast, swede cedar and grilled peach flavours strut boldly through the palate before fennel-like characters sweep through the finish. Texture plays a key role, as do honeysuckle notes, as does a certain tautness to the finish. It’s a Watch this Space for now but it’s quality is crystal.”

94 POINTS – The Real Review

Green fruits with hints of wet stone. Powerful mid-palate of orchard fruits with supple acid lines. It’s a sleeper wine, doesn’t leap out but lots going on and layers. Unfurls slowly but surely in the glass.

2017

94 POINTS – The Real Review

Golden yellow colour – rich. Vanilla custard, nougat, spicy oak and lemon essence. Never judge a book. Supple and fruited palate. Ethereal in its length and mineral glide. Love its trajectory.

2016

94 POINTS – The Wine Front, Campbell Mattinson

” Vines planted 1992. Winemaker Sam Coverdale has these wines singing. Power and style. Pure chardonnay. It has volume and it has finesse. It tastes of white peach, butterscotch, spicy oak and nashi pear, the finish full of running. One for the true chardonnay lovers.  ” 

2020

Balance Wine Co, Peter The Wine Guy

“Really beautiful example of the grape – generous, complex with a hint of spice. One of the few I’ve come across that sees some time in barrel. Gets even better day 2 – Gris wise would have to be the best I’ve had in the country”.

Young Guns of Wine

“Deep Dive: Australia’s Best Pinot Gris. Begins with an unctuous aroma of rich lees, The lees in pinot gris are particularly attractive, the smell of fresh cream and brioche dough. It’s a subtle aroma – not baked, rather just before the proven dough is baked. The aroma continues with spice, freshly milled flour, some ‘salt air’, oyster shell. Bright honey. The palate is fine, refreshing, long and delicate, with excellent integrated acid. The palate has a full a generous sensation rather than any specific flavour, rather carries the aroma.”

2019

94 Points – The Wine Front, Campbell Mattinson

“It has weight & texture galore. When it comes to flavour this is a wine that keeps on giving. It tastes of cedarwood, nectarine, pear, flint, bran and brine; it comes at you with both barrels. If you’re looking for a full- bodiedstyle of white wine, this is the good.”

2018

96 Points- The Real Review

Poached pear, cinnamon and soft oak – subdued and poised. Rounded, textural and compelling, ripe and serious. Classic gris generosity, with complexity that adds serious sophistication. Benchmark 

WBM – 94 POINTS

The words ‘Pinot Gris’ and ‘exceptional’ rarely meet in a sentence, but those that take the variety seriously know that high quality wines are a possibility and a delight – textural detail, complexity of fruit flavours and jubilant perfume are the by-product of considered winemaking. This wine has it all. A benchmark expression, and so delicious.

2017

95 Points- Huon Hooke 

“This is a superb gris at the rich and complex end of the spectrum. Medium to full yellow, showing some development, it has a layered, ‘worked’ bouquet of ripe fruit, honey, spices, buttered toast and roasted nuts. It’s full-bodied, deep and dense with a lasting aftertaste.”

2016 

94 Points-Q wines

“One of those white wines which gives you a sense of prestige as you sip away ever so smugly. Classy stuff. Waves of pear, some green apple, a whisper of musk and something similar to nougat. A shimmer of spice is met by textural feels (powdery at that) which scream for another sip. A minerally drive underpins all this adding another layer of interest and poise. Super long to finish, I could dive into this with pike. Great drinking and then some.”

93 POINTS- Mike Bennie, Wine Front 

” This feels like a serious take of pinot gris, with texture, lees work and additional depth the x-factors at play perhaps. From a couple of energetic winemakers out of Mornington Peninsula. A wine built around lush texture but great freshness, savoury suggestions and concentration of fruit flavoure. The bouquet and palate do a good mimic, with loads of pear juice, pear nectar, lemony acidity, with brown sugar on oatmeal savouriness in the mix too. It’s quite a rich pinot gris, but it retains drinkability and isn’t overloaded with OTT texture. Powerful, might be a good word. It’s good stuff here.”  

Bob Campbell, The Real Review 

“Hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed with the juice handled oxidatively and transferred to barrel with full solids. Fermentation using indigenous yeasts followed by partial or full malolactic fermentation. No fining and minimum filtration. Rich, complex and bone-dry pinot gris with a great texture and an impressively lingering finish.”

91 Points- Jeni Port , Wine Linx 

“…Coverdale blends fruit from two vineyards and searches out ways of maximising the grape’s hugely attractive textural appeal and spice. His 2016 gris plays to these attributes with spiced apple and honeysuckle on the boquet leading to a big mouthful of ripeness and yes, texture.” 

2015 

★★★★★  92 POINTS-Rob Geddes, The Gold Book 

“Very aromatic for a gris with florals, pears herbal, botanicals and a wild yeast note. The palate balances the lush obviousness of gris texture with some restraint, fresh pear spectrum fruits, long flavours firming palate with solid texture, winemaking really understands the variety. Mid way between gris and grigio with freshness and appealing weight.”

★★★★★  95 POINTS-Gourmet Traveller Wine Top 100 Wines  

“A serious gris, perhaps showing its oak a little strongly at this stage, but the complexity and depth are unarguable. Intense, rich aromas and flavours of nutty barrel-ferment coupled with tropical fruit notes. Concentrated and powerful.”

Gary Walsh- The Wine Front 

“Powerful version of Pinot Gris, that would suit fanciers of rich Chardonnay. Flowers, tangerine, pear and butter the main flavours. It’s medium to full bodied, slick and glycerol in texture with a good cut of tangerine acidity, a savoury side of nuts sizzled in butter, and a robust, floral and spicy finish, again drizzled in butter.”

Andrew Graham- Oz Wine Review 

“Blindingly good, a nod to how much more interesting Mornington Gris is than, say, bloody Sauvignon Blanc. Rich, varietal, textural, ‘Oregon’s best’ style Gris, with weight and, you guessed it acidity.”

93 POINTS- Mike Bennie 

“Pear drop, pear nectar, coconut dried apricot scents. Sweet, but that’s the motif here, and gris does it well in good examples. Fleshy textured, drier to taste, pear, quince, apple skins. Good length of flavour, wonderful texture, lick of condensed milk to close. This is very good in its style.”

2014

92 POINTS-Rob Geddes, The Gold Book 

“Plenty of aroma with varietal pears and extra oomph, lychee apricot exotic lucious purfume. The front palate of lucious botrytis adds a pleasing fresh and cooked pear fruit complexity nicely handled fruit weight the flavours run off the reservation on the finish into exotic funky sooty, blue cheese, old oak leather notes looking like Alsace gris this vintage”

2012

Huon Hooke, ★★★★ ½

#1 of 16 Pinot Gris tasted from Mornington Peninsula.

“Light yellow colour and a spicy, ripe gris bouquet with lots of secondary characters from wild barrel fermentation in old wood and full malolactic. Dominant nutty aromas with hints of malt, toast and spices. The palate is rich and fruit-sweet, full and soft, rounded and pillowy, but also fresh and lively thanks to its delicious acidity. Very long carry. A really top-class gris. (only 80 to 100-dozen made each year) “

Ben Thomas, The Weekly Review Melbourne, ★★★★ ½

“Complex and bright aromas of pear, spice, citrus blossom and smoky oak are replicated on a vibrant, zippy palate. The structure is great, with a smooth texture and a line of mineral-flavoured acid that fans out as it crosses the tongue. There’s good intensity and length to the finish of fresh-cut pear and lemon juice.”

93 POINTS – Ray Jordan , The West Australian August 2012

“Distinctive pinot gris from a single, small vineyard at the highest point on the Peninsula. Stone fruit, without being flabby. This had full malolactic fermentation with whole-bunch pressing, before wild yeast ferment in oak. Great palate, with so much fruit and texture showing a long savoury finish.”

Elie Maalouly, Spit Bucket, posted May 2012

“I haven’t been a big fan of many Australian pinot gris, however when I tasted this one, I was pleasantly surprised. On the nose: nuts, nougat, white flower, lemon/mandarin. On the palate: an entry of pear and apple with a hint of ripe mandarin. Really like this wine, liked it so much that I ordered two bottles right there.”

2011

92 POINTS- James Halliday, Wine Companion

“Bright straw-green; the Mornington Peninsula is the heartland of pinot gris territory, with crisp but aromatic and flavoursome apple and nashi pear fruit, the finish lengthened and cleansed by the acidity.”

2010

92 POINTS – Nick Stock, The Age Good Wine Guide 2012

“A nice ripe Mornington Peninsula pinot gris that has all the trademark pears and apples, with pear candy and a gentle creamy element too. The palate’s supple and soft, showing some citrus too. With solid texture and balance, this is certainly sitting well in the regional mix.” 

2020

93 POINTS – Q Wine Review

“Hello pretty. What a beauty we have here. If Pinot Gris is your thing, head over this way. White flowers, some yellow flowers, white stonefruit – a very impressive introduction. Pears are prominent as you’d expect with the variety. A suggestion of quince and nuttiness slides in too. Quite soothing, there is some depth and texture to amuse plus a little weight. A most impressive wine”.

93 POINTS – Australian Wine Review, Andrew Graham

“Even Keel is Sam Coverdale’s second label behind Polperro, yet that often reflects the non-estate vineyard sourcing rather than quality. This Mornington Gris is a win too. It just feels better thought out. Alsace in the headlights, except with a little more fruit ripeness. Pear. Oatmeal, ripeish fruir, integrated acidity and then some phenolic crunch. It’s maybe a smidgen raw to finish, but the push pull acid-texture is bang on. A win”.

Winsor Dobbin

“One of the best Pinot gris/grigios of the year. Beautifully balanced and spot on for summer enjoyment”.

2019

90 POINTS – The Real Review 

Gardenia flowers and ripe pears. The palate has a richness and weight that makes you sit up and take note. Good length and drive, acid holding it mostly in check.

2018

95 Points – QWine

“Sensational Pinot Gris. This is on the dance floor and everyone is watching. It’s such a focused wine. There’s a delightful fruit purity walking hand in hand with textural feels. White fleshed nectarine, poached pears and flint before superfine ginger spices caress the finish. Dig a little deeper to find lemon juice with a delicate creamy presence. The minerally drive is the clincher for me though – brilliant stuff and then some. Pour this large and kick back with friends who laugh lots.”

2017

 92 POINTS- Halliday Wine Companion, Campbell Mattinson

“Friendly gris with texture and flavour well on its side. Pear and fresh cream with spice and seaspray characters as treble. Not too simple, not too complex; balanced; drinks like a charm as a result.”

90 POINTS – Huon Hooke 

“Light, bright yellow hue and a toasty, smoky barrel-fermented bouquet. There is also richness and amplitude in the mouth that lifts this wine to a higher level than most of its peers. Good intensity, concentration and richness, with a little phenolic grip on the finish and after-palate. On the other hand, the barrel-ferment does tend to dominate the fruit character.”

2016

92 POINTS- Halliday Wine Companion, Jane Faulkner

“There’s plenty of appeal with this textural, richly flavoured wine – bolstered by being on its lees for 6 months in barrel but certainly not heavy. Wild herbs, blossom and ginger spice mingle with fresh and poached pears with clotted cream. The texture’s the thing and it’s a really good drink.”

93 POINTS- Winsor Dobbin, Wine of the week

“Winemaker Sam Coverdale is producing some excellent Mornington Peninsula wines under both the Polperro and Even Keel labels. While this is labelled as gris, rather than grigio, I found the 2015 Polperro release much more in the gris spectrum than this younger wine, which has an appealing vibrancy and freshness with a crisp acid finish in the Italian grigio style. Wild yeast ferment, malo and barrel ageing add complexity but the bright natural acid and ripe pear and zingy citrus zest notes make this extremely refreshing. Well worth.”

93 POINTS- QWines

“It’s almost as though this Pinot Gris reflects Sam’s persona – generous, creative and welcoming.I could just smell this and feel content. A faint touch of nutmeg wafts by as does under ripe pear and a sliver of lemon peel. There’s creamy appeal too. Delivery is plentiful – some citrus flecks, more cream and pear fruit plus a gentle ginger spice holding it together. I just want to drink it.” 

91 POINTS – Mike Bennie

“Like this perfume. White pear, sniff of nougat and cashews, touch of slate-like mineral character. The palate has lots going on too, best of all a little chalkiness to texture. Pushes pear and lime flavours long, tight, through to its fine finish. Charisma. Great drinking.”

2015

★★★★  93 POINTS-Gourmet Traveller Wine Top 100 Wines  

“This has a bright yellow hue and a rich, nutty, spicy aroma which suggest some barrel fermentation, while the palate has more depth and presence than most Aussie gris. Lovely texture and drinkability. From Polperro winemaker Sam Coverdale.”

2013

91 POINTS – Mike Bennie

“I am looking to clear apple green, looking for a bit of fruit weight, but still conscious of alcohol levels, finding a fine line, natural acidity but some body in the wines. I want the wines to tell the story of the vineyard, looking for transparency of the variety, not too much fiddling in the winery’. It’s left on lees for about five months though and some residual sugar is left in this wine to balance out the higher than usual, for Coverdale, acid levels in the wine.Kicks off with floral and slate-like mineral aromas, shy in a way, but attractive, and possibly a hint of savoury lees stuff going on too. It’s light, simple and pristine to taste; a tight, tugging line of lightly waxed fruit, and lemony tang, that drags like a sleek dart across the palate. It’s very refreshing, and lovely in restraint. Finishes with neat briny twang. Nice drinking to be had here.”

94 POINTS – James Halliday, Wine Companion 2015

“Bright, light straw-green; the complex bouquet has lime, lemon and apple blossom aromas, the palate with an impressive balance between citrus fruit and lingering, minerally acidity.”

2016

96 POINTS – Huon Hooke, The Real Review

“Medium to light colour with a butterscotch malo-positive bouquet, while the palate is soft, round and almost fluffy-textured. Lovely wine, fruit-sweet, generous, a classic ample-bodied chardonnay. Long, long carry. A very satisfying mouthful.” 

91+ POINTS – Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front 

“Tumbarumba Chardonnay. Say it again. In an excellent drinking zone. It’s not overly characterful but nor is it simple: it delivers grapefruit, peach and pear flavours and does so impeccably. The finish rings with citrus. You can rely on it. Build a meal around it. It’s nicely done.” 

2014

93 POINTS – Mike Bennie, WBM

“Tumbarumba seems fertile ground for an increasing number of indie producers,and here the Polperro/Even Keel team have released a squeaky-textured, tightly wound, green apple-meets-grapefruit-andflint-mineral-character Chardonnay of high drinkability and great future.”

2013

93 POINTS – Mike Bennie, WBM

92 POINTS – James Halliday, Wine Companion

2009

94 POINTS – James Halliday, Wine Companion

“Bright, pale quartz-green; shows Tumbarumba to full advantage with its ability to put a subtly sweet edge on grapefruit flavours, gossamer oak doing the rest.”

2008

93 POINTS – James Halliday, Wine Companion

“Glowing yellow-green; fashioned from biodynamically-grown grapes and wild yeast-fermented; a powerful and intense wine is the outcome, with a lifted finish.”

91 POINTS – Campbell Mattinson, Winefront

91 POINTS – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

2006

93 POINTS – James Halliday, Wine Companion

Nick Stock, The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2009

Campbell Mattinson, Winefront – 93 points

2018 

95 Points – Stuart Knox

“Lemon thyme and lime pith. Fine and subtle style with such noise and precision. Not a brusier but there’s intensity and drive subtly making itslef known. Goes long and gently to an open knit finish of night blossoms and wet stones.”

2016 

92 POINTS – Halliday Wine Companion, Campbell Mattinson

” It’s a ‘just enough’ wine. Just enough flint, just enough stone fruit, just enough oak. It makes for balanced, enjoyable drinking, no real fireworks but excellent swing, flow, whatever you want to call it, while avoiding the tag of simple. It’s nicely done.”  

2015

91 POINTS – QWines

“Morning sunrise gold in the glass, Werther’s butterscotch, jersey caramel, and vanilla pod aromas. I’m hooked. Rich in delivery, it’s a bit creamy. That butterscotch and jersey caramel tighten the noose and reign supreme. The mouth is coated evenly, a thick layer at that. A few drops of lemon juice plus a squeeze of grapefruit slips through on the finish showing its class. A Chardy which offers the soul comfort.”  

93 POINTS- Andrew Graham

“I’ve always thought that this label was reserved for non-Mornington fruit (but I was clearly wrong). This isn’t far behind Sam Coverdale’s high quality Polperro wines, either. Green straw coloured, this is a worked modern style of Mornington Chard with s nutty solids character on the nose complete with a golden nougat edge, matched by a palate that has breadth, at first, but tightens up into what is a carefully svelte finish. Clever, with a real modern swishness to the winemaking and a great balance between weight and acid freshness.”

90 POINTS – Campbell Mattinson 

“Straw yellow in colour but a lean, racy style. All lemon curd and custard powder. Plenty of acidity. Plenty of life. Whether or not there’s enough substance is up for debate.”

2012

93 POINTS – James Halliday, Wine Companion 2014

“Pale straw-green; the complex, flinty bouquet is followed by an intense and highly focused palate, grapefruit notes alongside white peach the primary flavour drivers, oak taking a back seat”Some old school appeal here with a bit of new age hip.

2011

90 POINTS – Huon Hooke

“Medium straw-yellow colour. Very attractive, slightly funky bouquet with smoky oak and low-level sulfides dominating. It’s delicate and restrained, but intense, with refinement and a hint of peach which grew as the wine breathed. Very fine, delicate, restrained palate with real tension and finesse. There’s a hint of grapefruit in the acidity.”

90 POINTS – Mike Bennie

“Attractive entry to the wine with almond, oatmeal then stone fruit characters. Bright and shiny, gently savoury. It’s juicy and lightly fleshy across the palate – a great drinking experience without too much intellect required. Finishes fruity and fresh, unadorned and lively. It’s a looser knit expression, but the trim line of acidity, a belt running through the core of the fruit, feels frisky and lifts the tension of the wine. Interesting fine nutty detail through the wine too. Not overly complex, but delicious.” 

93 POINTS- Halliday Wine Companion 

“Fresh, light colour; the bouquet is clean and fresh, but doesn’t warn you of the intensity and length of the palate, with a core of minerally acidity around which is wrapped the grapefruit zest and stone fruit flavours running through to the finish.”

2010

94 POINTS – Tyson Stelzer, TysonStelzer.com.au May2012

“This is a small price to pay for a Mornington Peninsula chardonnay of such fruit integrity of spicy grapefruit, fig and anise, lifted by a bouquet of pretty lemon blossom and mixed spice. A wine of balance and poise drawn out by a long finish of focused fruit definition and perfectly gauged mineral acidity. The price may be explained by an absence of retail and wholesale margins – as far as I can ascertain, it’s only available direct from the estate by the dozen.”

92 POINTS – Ray Jordan, The West Australian 2012

“Lovely flinty, minerally wine, with some light cashew and crisp, fine fruit. Wild yeast influence is profound. All barrel fermentation, with full maloactic fermentation. Lingering palate with a slight cheesy character, which is most appealing. Well textured with excellent structure and line. “

2017

88 POINTS – Huon Hooke, The Real Review

90 POINTS – Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Wine Companion

“Heathcote and Canberra, pinot noir and sangiovese. Pale crimson. It walks to the beat of its own drum. It’s yeasty and savoury with beer-like aromas and fresh garden herb characters on the palate. It gets you salivating but it also gets you thinking. Cranberry and strawberry flavours stroll in but stick to the back row seats. Food will be its best friend.”

2017

88 POINTS – Huon Hooke, The Real Review

90 POINTS – Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Wine Companion

“Heathcote and Canberra, pinot noir and sangiovese. Pale crimson. It walks to the beat of its own drum. It’s yeasty and savoury with beer-like aromas and fresh garden herb characters on the palate. It gets you salivating but it also gets you thinking. Cranberry and strawberry flavours stroll in but stick to the back row seats. Food will be its best friend.”

2014

93 POINTS – Gary Walsh, Wine Front

“Canberra District and Mornington Peninsula. That must be a first for regional blending, right? Has a distinct briny and chamomile top note, not dissimilar to Manzanilla, along with red fruits, roses, almond and dried herb. Cool, lightly flavoured, fleshy almost chalky texture, perfumed and savoury – edgy even, you might say – yet fascinating. Less of an Even Keel, and more of a freshening, wild sea sprayed ride, I’d say.  Finish is cool and composed, and you’re up for another sip pretty fast. Right then.” 

Winsor Dobbin, Ciao

“Sam Coverdale is a very talented Mornington Peninsula winemaker who is behind the Polperro and Even Keel wine labels. For this savoury and very quaffable Italian-style rosé, he sources sangiovese grapes from Heathcote. With several weeks of warm weather still remaining, this is a very good choice for cool and crisp refreshment.Bright fruit, savoury characters and a dry finish.”

2016

91 POINTS – QWine 

“Bone dry, strawberries and cream set the scene here. Cranberries highlight the showcase of red fruits. A dash of savoury action on the finish plus some textural appeal adds another layer of interest. Worth a look for sure.”

2019

92 POINTS – The Western Australian, Ray Jordan’s Top 100 Reds

Beautiful, stylish pinot noir from the Mornington Peninsula. Light cherry and strawbverry notes on the nose with a trace of gaminess. Lovely textre and light-bodied mouthfeel. Seamless and velvety yet there is power and sustaining length. 

2018

Huon Hooke

Medium red/purple colour, with a lovely scented pinoty aroma of rose petals, spices, cherry confectionery and a little smokiness. The wine is light to medium-bodied and easy drinking, soft and savoury at the end, with delicious balance, flavour, texture. A very good entry-level pinot, and great value.

2016 

92 POINTS – Halliday Wine Companion- Campbell Mattinson 

“Brilliant with varietal aroma and eager-to-please on the palate. An excellent result from a season that tested many. Sweet and sour cherries, beetroot, herbs and spices. Both tangy and satiny at once. Smoky oak as seasoning. It all sings in harmony.”

91 POINTS – The Wine Front

“Even Keel is a range of wines put out by Polperro on the Mornington Peninsula. I wouldn’t actually call it a “second label”; the wines are better than that. I like it for its perfume. For its character. For its charm. And for its fresh, honest display of flavour. It’s not lumbered with anything. It’s a pure expression of pinot noir; it tastes of earth, of beet, of cranberry and cherry, though if you look you find herb notes too. Plenty of juice here. Plenty of tang.”

2015

93 POINTS -Qwine

“I tasted this along with a few other Pinots. Similar vintages but varying price points. Compared to the TMBT 10X which shoots for the same money, I like the shape of this that bit more – more meat on the bones so to speak. It’s a bit rustic but a bit refined all at the same time. A delicate spice is interwoven yet it doesn’t wrestle the attention from the fruit. Good weight in the mouth with a persistent fruit drive keeping me keen. Oak is played well but the mid palate interest has me coming back for more.” 

Andrew Graham -Oz Wine review 

“Good modern Pinot this. It’s not the squeaky clean bright style, instead offering complexity and savoury interest. Long too.  Worth a punt, though I’d open it next year personally. ” 17.7 / 20

2011

Andrew Graham-  Oz wine review
Ultimately I rather like the cut of this wines jib. It’s a cool year wine but not an unripe one – an important distinction – that will never woo with its fruit richness, but has real savoury interest. It’s older brother (the 2011 Polperro Mill Hill Pinot Noir) is arguably a better wine, yet this is better drinking now. Both are worthy of attention.

Drink: 2013-2018
Score: 17.7/20, 92/100
Would I buy it? A two glass wine. With duck.

2010

90 POINTS – Ray Jordan, The West Australian 2012

Sour cherry and light raspberry aromas with some forest floor and rhubarb influence. It’s a light- bodied wine, with a delicate, spicy sappiness to it that shows on the nose and the palate. Largely older oak, with just a little new for lift. It’s all wild yeast; nice drinking in the shorter term.”

2009

93 POINTS – Nick Stock, The Age Good Wine Guide 2012

“This wine benefits from some air to enliven it in the glass, opening to reveal ripe, dark cherries and hints of plum; some bracken and spice here too. The palate delivers darker flavours within a juicy, crunchy texture: purple cherry and blood plum here. Smooth, ripe tannins flow through evenly. ” 

92 POINTS – Campbell Mattinson, Winefront, posted on 19 March 2012

“It’s a lovely mix of foresty, woody, undergrowthy character with up-front succulent fruit. The fruit is ripe, but not too sweet; it has a confidence about it. Velvety tannin – and texture throughout. Good length. Smoky/rubbery aftertaste. Beautiful.”

2008

Matt Skinner’s Wine Guide 2011  “one of the finds of the year”

“Armed with a raft of industry experience, Sam Coverdale handcrafts a cracking range of wines sourced from some of Australia’s most prominent regions. One of the finds of the year was Even Keel Pinot Noir 2008. A rich and savoury nose of macerated cherries, blood plums and sweet Middle Eastern spices gives way to a palate that’s soft, sweet and flashy with plenty of broad mouth-filling fruit, edgy acidity, fine tannin and a balanced, drying end. Drink it with Chinese barbecued duck and rice.”

Campbell Mattinson, Winefront

“It smells sweet, almost blueberried or Turkish delight-like. It’s rather simple but rather inviting. In the mouth it’s light and tannic but nicely juicy, with complexing notes of hay and woodsmoke. There’s a lovely, easy-going fruitiness here, matched well to a good tannic backbone. Lovely drinking. An Aussie version of a good village style.”

2019

93 POINTS – Wine Front, Campbell Mattinson

“Syrah from the Canberra District. Yes. This is very good. They’ve nailed this one. Excellent fruit intensity, rounds of spice, fine-grained-and-integrated-tanning and juicy, convincing length. Fruit-driven and polished but with lots of savoury, woodsy spice. Peppercorn notes too. It’s pretty much spot on”.

2018

93 POINTS – The Real Review

Bright aromatic hit of white pepper and red fruits. Darker fruit spectrum on the palate, with that same lovely pepper and wood spices. There are hints of anise and some damp earth savoury as well. Good acid line keeps it a bright example whilst tannins carry the finish.

2017 

89 POINTS- Huon Hooke 

“Medium-depth colour, with a very spicy, meaty, aromatic and fresh nose: peppery and very appealing. The wine is light to medium-weight and soft textured, smooth and balanced. The finish is medium length and harmonious, the drinkability very high.” 

92 POINTS- Qwines 

“What’s not to love about the medium-bodied Syrah deliciousness coming out of Canberra? Black pepper and charred steak aromas hook you in. Some earthy and tilled soil aromas chip in too. Raspberries and dark cherries fold over one another through the mouth building momentum. Medium bodied, it’s not hard to gravitate to its appeal. Raspy tannins seal the deal and urge another sip.”

2016 

89 POINTS – Campbell Mattinson, Wine Companion 

“The wildest wine in the Even Keel stable. This is meaty and gamey with stringy tannin and both peppercorn and black pepper in abundance. It doesn’t scare the horses; it is the horse. There’s a full complement of red/black cherry and boysenberry flavours besides. It’s not the easiest wine to rate and that statement, in itself, may tell you all you need to know. It needs a good decant, the right mood, and a fence to sit on.” 

95 POINTS – James Halliday, Wine Companion

 2015

“Clear, full crimson-purple; a very well made cool climate shiraz with all the vibrancy of the best examples; juicy, bright red berry fruits are set in a wreath of spice and black pepper, with superfine tannins and quality oak in respectful support on the long palate.”

92 POINTS – Gary Walsh, Wine Front 

“I reckon the amount of Canberra Shiraz I taste these days is roughly equivalent to the amount of Coonawarra Cabernet; bugger all.Cracked pepper and five spice, charred meat and sappy herbal notes, cherry and chocolate. Medium bodied, crackles with spice, hazelnut and meaty flavours mix with mixed berries, it’s fresh and punctuated by sappy acidity, tannin is very fine and controlling, and the finish is lively and long. Savoury, briary Canberra Shiraz in full flight.”  

92 POINTS – Huon Hooke, Good Food & Sydney Morning Herald 

“An elegant Canberra shiraz with meaty, spicy, Peppery cool-climate aromas. There are suggestions of whole bunch fermentation in its foresty nuances. Stylish current drinking.”

More and more Canberra wines keep coming across my bench and I’ve got to say the quality and consistency continues to impress. The cool climate Syrah particularly lots of appeal. Here we go again.

93 POINTS – Qwine

“I can’t help but think of a good ragout when I take a whiff of this. Charred meat, red and blue berry fruit, red cherry, tomato bush and some pan juices for good measure too. Deliciously medium bodied, there’s a coil of savoury delights and peppery spice wrapping up the fruit. Acid is cut and running in peak form. Medium bodied depth and density is ready to be devoured yet there’s plenty of energy for dancing around the mouth – a most impressive wine.”

2014

93 POINTS – Ben Thomas, The Weekly Review

“This is a gloriously perfumed and spicy wine and behind the spice are blueberry, violet, dark cherry and cured-meat flavours. There’s a silkiness to the texture and great length.” 

93 POINTS – Mike Bennie, Wine Front 

“Cherry juice, game meat, pepper, herbs, sense of general ‘spiciness’. Nice to sniff on. Cool and clean across the palate, medium weight, good concentration of dark cherry and more of that game meat. Succulent, fine, finishes with leathery flavour but cool freshness of acidity. I really like this wine – good cool climate shiraz (syrah) zone and Canberra District with flair.”

2013

95 POINTS- Awarded a gold ribbon – Huon Hooke

Awarded #3 of 19 2013 Shiraz tasted from Southern New South Wales- Huon Hooke

95 POINTS – James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2012

“Vivid crimson-purple; the bouquet is filled to overflowing with luscious plum and blackberry fruit, with a liberal sprinkling of spice and pepper; the palate carries on where the bouquet leaves off, with a great display of varietal fruit, and a long, perfectly balanced palate; the tannin and oak contributions have been precisely measured.”

2009

94 POINTS – James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2012

 “Bright, clear purple; fresher and more lively and juicy than the Even Keel Shiraz, leading to a search for viognier (there is none); notwithstanding the modest alcohol, the wine has energy and drive to its cascade of red fruits, and there are no green/minty notes.” 

2008

Nick Stock, The Age Good Wine Guide 2012 – 92 points

“This shows some of the Canberra region’s classic pepper and spice, some fragrant dark-plum fruits and a complex swirling lift. The palate’s supple and beautifully balanced, the tannins built up nicely through the middle, with dark-cherry flavour and some dark chocolate to close.” 

2006

NSW Wine Awards 2008 Top 40 Wines

Wine of the Year Awards 2007, Winestate Magazine

Equal Best New Shiraz Blend Release and 5 Stars

“Deep, brooding nose of intense plum and stonefruit with a hint of honeycomb. Big, flavoursome palate with powerful oak tannins atop ripe plum and blueberry fruit”

2020

93 POINTS – Q Wine Reviews

“Sundowner wines. The textural presence and interest on offer is in the zone. The mouth is coated softly with sheets of yellow flowers, subtle honey tones, some white and yellow stonefruit plus a hint of golden apple. A slight show from fennel and an old school lemonade presence adds appeal. That citrusy tang is well handled. A wine that is curious yet humble in its approach, I’d happily have a few glasses of this field blend – a blend of Cortese and Gewurztraminer”.

2020

93 POINTS – Q Wine Reviews

“Classy and delicate with a soft touch, I could see myself cruising on a yacht with a gentle breeze and a generous pour of this. What a beauty! It’s a wine that slides down with absolute ease. Strawberries and red currants feature prominently with a hint of orange peel. It’s moreish and persistent with a gentle creaminess and it is etched with fine spices. I must say, you feel fancy drinking this – it just has that edge of decadence. Give it to me!”.

Australian Wine Review, Andrew Graham

“In a world awash with junk rosé, it’s a pleasure to open this gently textured, coppery coloured Mornington marvel. Nice work Sam”.