Tasting Notes - Bellvale Wines (Vic)
Wines by John Ellis
Bellvale Wine, Victoria
Pioneering winemaker John Ellis has just won Gold and Bronze awards at The International Wine Challenge - London for his The Quercus Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008 and Athena's Vineyard Chardonnary 2008. Currently on the shelves are his equally fine 07 Pinot along with the 08 Chardonnay.
John is a fascinating man who has seen his wine and his ancestry come full circle, as he now supplies his Gippsland Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to the very region where his ancestors settled in America in 1690 establishing the Bellvale estate in New York. John began planting vines on Long Island in the 1960’s - a true pioneer of that wine region. His American fans are bemused by the full circle he and his wines have taken - they are now drinking award winning wines from 14,000 kilometres away, by a pioneer of their very own region.
The Querus Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007
was produced from a single, 10 year old vineyard and ‘dry grown’ with high density plantings and low yields resulting in wines with restrained silky tannins, powerful expressions of flavour, lively and bright with a seductive aroma leading to strong spicy overtones of red fruits. It also thrilled and surprised him, by changing quite dramatically in the bottle across this year, resulting in an outstanding wine.
RRP A$35 bottle
Athena's Vineyard Chardonnay 2008
The 08 Athena’s Vineyard Chardonnay is crisp and tightly structured, with a well defined balance between fruit - white peach and melon, with secondary characters and finely integrated spicy oak. There is extraordinary length to the palate where rich concentration is balanced by the fine acidity, producing a delicious wine.
RRP A$35 bottle
Regions
- Gippsland (VIC)
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Bellvale Wine produces fine wine for the Australian and international markets from its boutique winery situated in Berrys Creek, in cool-climate South Gippsland ... read more
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