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Mornington Peninsula

Australia

About Mornington Peninsula

Mornington Peninsula is a thumb of land an hour south-east of Melbourne, surrounded by water on three sides. Cool, maritime, even-tempered - the kind of climate that grows Burgundy. Pinot Noir is the calling card, with Chardonnay a close second and a serious side game in Pinot Gris. The region took off in the early 1970s when Nat and Rosalie White planted Main Ridge Estate, and it's still a region of small family producers rather than industrial wineries. Three elevated 'ridges' (Red Hill, Main Ridge, Merricks) sit at the top of the peninsula on red volcanic soils and grow most of the best Pinot. Names to know: Yabby Lake, Ten Minutes by Tractor, Kooyong, Paringa, Stonier, Moorooduc, Crittenden.

Vintage Ratings

Rating:
95+
90-94
85-89
80-84
<80
PeakReadyHold
Year20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005
Red
White

Outstanding Mornington Peninsula Vintages

The best recent vintages rated excellent or exceptional.

Red

2024

Ready
95Exceptional

Early reports point to a high-quality vintage with a mild, dry summer after a cooler start. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay look fragrant and well balanced.

2023

Ready
94Excellent

Cool, late vintage with a long, drawn-out ripening. Pinot Noir is perfumed and medium-bodied, Chardonnay shows bright acid drive and citrus lift.

2022

Ready
95Exceptional

Excellent across the board. Even ripening, low disease pressure and ideal autumn weather produced concentrated, age-worthy Pinot and structured Chardonnay.

2021

Ready
96Exceptional

Widely seen as one of the great recent Mornington vintages. Long, even season produced Pinot Noir with depth, length and classic red-fruit aromatics.

2020

Ready
92Excellent

Smaller crop after a difficult flowering and a dry season. Wines are concentrated and pure; the best are excellent but yields were well down.

2019

Ready
91Excellent

Warm, dry growing season. Pinot Noir is riper and more generous than the regional norm; the best producers managed extraction carefully.

2018

Ready
95Exceptional

Outstanding vintage. Long, even ripening produced fragrant, balanced Pinot Noir and taut, mineral Chardonnay with strong ageing potential.

2017

Ready
94Excellent

Cool, late vintage. Elegant, perfumed Pinot Noir with lower alcohols and bright acidity; a traditionalist's favourite.

2016

Ready
93Excellent

Warm, generous vintage. Pinot Noir shows ripe red fruit and plush tannins, drinking earlier than the cooler 2017 or 2018s.

2015

Ready
95Exceptional

Smaller crop, very high quality. Pinot Noir is concentrated with classic cherry-strawberry lift and Chardonnay is taut and long.

White

2024

Ready
95Exceptional

Early reports point to a high-quality vintage with a mild, dry summer after a cooler start. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay look fragrant and well balanced.

2023

Ready
94Excellent

Cool, late vintage with a long, drawn-out ripening. Pinot Noir is perfumed and medium-bodied, Chardonnay shows bright acid drive and citrus lift.

2022

Ready
95Exceptional

Excellent across the board. Even ripening, low disease pressure and ideal autumn weather produced concentrated, age-worthy Pinot and structured Chardonnay.

2021

Ready
96Exceptional

Widely seen as one of the great recent Mornington vintages. Long, even season produced Pinot Noir with depth, length and classic red-fruit aromatics.

2020

Ready
92Excellent

Smaller crop after a difficult flowering and a dry season. Wines are concentrated and pure; the best are excellent but yields were well down.

2019

Ready
91Excellent

Warm, dry growing season. Pinot Noir is riper and more generous than the regional norm; the best producers managed extraction carefully.

2018

Ready
95Exceptional

Outstanding vintage. Long, even ripening produced fragrant, balanced Pinot Noir and taut, mineral Chardonnay with strong ageing potential.

2017

Ready
94Excellent

Cool, late vintage. Elegant, perfumed Pinot Noir with lower alcohols and bright acidity; a traditionalist's favourite.

2016

Ready
93Excellent

Warm, generous vintage. Pinot Noir shows ripe red fruit and plush tannins, drinking earlier than the cooler 2017 or 2018s.

2015

Ready
95Exceptional

Smaller crop, very high quality. Pinot Noir is concentrated with classic cherry-strawberry lift and Chardonnay is taut and long.

Curious about Mornington Peninsula? Save it to your Discoveries and tick it off when you taste your first wine.

On the map

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Terroir & Character

Climate

CoolMaritimeEven temperatureLong ripening

Terroir

Volcanic basaltBrown loamMaritimeCoastal

Typical Aromas

Red cherryStrawberrySea sprayCitrusHazelnutForest floor
Explore the aroma wheel

Map data: Wine Australia GI Register (CC BY 4.0)