“Beautiful spot for wine tasting - and lovely wines. We had an excellent time with Ben who taught us a lot about their wines and made the experience fun. Great value getting the premium wine tasting selection.”
ANISHA, May 2022
24 January 2024 | Zoe Crittenden
Crittenden's Eccentric Savagnins
To read the full article, go to: Crittenden's Eccentric Savagnins.
Down on the Mornington Peninsula, chardonnay and pinot noir reign supreme. But if you’re a winemaker who wants to set himself apart from everyone else, you probably wouldn’t do it with those grapes. If you’re Rollo Crittenden, of Crittenden Estate at Dromana, you’d choose the relatively obscure grape savagnin, native to France’s Jura region. And you’d make two very eccentric wines from it, also inspired by traditional Jura wines.
They are Crittenden Cri de Coeur Sous Voile Savagnin and Crittenden Macvin.
The first is made the same way as the Jura’s most famous wine, Vin Jaune, which reaches its zenith with Château Chalon. It’s aged in ullaged barrels under a film-forming yeast, much the same as in southern Spain where they make fino sherry and Manzanilla, aged under the ‘flor’ yeast. The difference is that sherry is a fortified wine, Vin Jaune is not.
The second wine is a sweet fortified wine also produced from the savagnin grape, a non-vintage wine aged in oak barrels and blended from several vintages. They call it Macvin, the same name it goes by in the Jura.
While the Sous Voile began as co-winemaker Matt Campbell’s baby, the Macvin is Rollo’s.
It’s great to sip after dinner or chilled as an aperitif. Macvin No 4 is AUD $95. It goes well with various cheeses including blues, and also sweet pastries.
Read more online at The Real Review.
24/01/2024 at 8:00 PM
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23 November 2023 | Zoe Crittenden
Wine News & Reviews, November 2023
2021 Crittenden Cri de Coeur Chardonnay
Indigenous yeasts, whole bunch pressing and matured on gross lees in new and used French barriques with half going through malolactic fermentation. Yellow peach, lemon oil and cultured butter. Baked madeleines and shortcrust pastry. This wine, like all of Crittenden wines, has a deep well of flavour. The further down you peer the more the wine reveals. There is cracked marble, grated nutmeg and glace ginger and all the components work gracefully together like a harmonious symphony. This is for the true Chardonnay lovers, the loyalists that love the grape for its flesh, its longevity and for echoing sounds of nut brittle, camomile and peppery olive oil. This is so succinct and present. Drink with Dover Sole a la Meunière and bathe in bliss.
98 Points | Reviewed by Shanteh Wale on Wine Pilot.
2021 Crittenden Cri de Coeur Pinot Noir
This wine has been made at Crittenden for as long as I have been on this earth and it displays its earthy wisdom far far better than I do. Clonal separation, micro-fermentation and whole cluster vary between 20%-70% depending on the batch. 11 months maturation in new and seasoned oak barriques before the wine slumbers for 18 months in bottle. That resting time results in a potpourri of delicate rose buds, violets and angelica. Ripe hawthorn, redcurrants and rambutans. A forest floor of autumn leaves and nutmeg. The palate has a succulence with ripe stalky tannins, the pureness of red berries shining through with each sip. The caress of careful winemaking, vine age and clonal diversity means this wine is drinking superbly now and will cellar like a dream upwards of 8-10 years. Drink with Quail and roasted root vegetables.
96 Points | Reviewed by Shanteh Wale on Wine Pilot.
2018 Crittenden Cri de Coeur Savagnin Sous Voile
The sixth release of, what was at first, a mistake that evolved to an experiment to what is now one of Australia’s most celebrated, coveted and most delicious wines period. Absolutely impossible not to swoon and fall head over heels with the aromas that waft from the glass in this flor aged Savagnin. The 2018 aged under flor for 4 years and another year in bottle prior to release. Paraffin oil, yellow jasmine and preserved lemon. Crème brulée, roasted pine nuts and candied kumquat. The wine is energetic on the palate with a hint of Picholine olive brine salinity and a savoury Chanterelle mushroom finish. It’s utterly superb. For all of you that don’t love this style of wine I say, “Thank goodness, there isn’t enough to go around anyway”. A hard wine to pair, for the reason the cooking needs to be of elite level. Go with classic Comté cheese or if a chef is at the helm, roast spatchcock with a chanterelle and morel mushroom sauce. Next level yum.
98 Points | Reviewed by Shanteh Wale on Wine Pilot.
Crittenden Cri de Coeur Macvin #4
It’s total indulgence to make Macvin when your Savagnin Sous Voile is in such high demand and so is the experience of tasting it. Unmitigated indulgence. The 2018 Savagnin flor wine is blended with the fresh 2022 juice and then fortified to 17%. To finish a meal, this is as close as it gets to losing yourself into the glass, forgetting where you are, who you are with and floating away on a vinous cloud to beverage heaven. Well it is for me. Pineapple jam, baked quince pie, dried orange and kombucha. Grated candlenut, swaying kelp and shards of hazelnut brittle. Popped mustard seeds, honeysuckle and a palate of baked parsnips, lemon curd and fresh guava. I could go on and on. This is world class Macvin and a celebration of wine. Drink on its own or with homemade bitter honeycomb and ice cream.
97 Points | Reviewed by Shanteh Wale on Wine Pilot.
23/11/2023 at 12:27 PM
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23 November 2023 | Zoe Crittenden
Trophy Win For Pinot Gris
The Mornington Peninsula Wine Show was held on 27 October 2023 and it was a wonderful surprise to discover we had won the trophy for the Best Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio Trophy for the third time!
At this year's show, the wine scored Top Gold with 95 points.
Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio is very much at home on the Mornington Peninsula and we couldn't be happier to be able to secure this trophy once again with the Crittenden Peninsula Pinot Gris.
We will be releasing the 2023 Peninsula Pinot Gris in January 2024, but you can still access the trophy winning 2022 Peninsula Pinot Gris at the Wine Centre or online here.
23/11/2023 at 9:06 AM
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