Learned two things at lunch the other day. The event was a group of twelve at Matteo’s in Melbourne, one of this city’s benchmark establishments. Hosted by me, along with winemakers Reg Egan from Wantirna Estate, Wine Network’s Robert Paul and the legendary Mick Morris, it was actually bought as a lot at the 2006 DeafBlind Association’s annual wine auction by Steve Jones. One of the wines I took along was the very first Pierro cabernet blend, vintage 1994. Frankly, I took it more out of optimism than anything else, since the wine had always appeared rather awkward and gangly, and unlikely ever to reach a classic state of balance and maturity. Robert Paul, who had previously tasted it on a couple of occasions in my company, shared my view. All of which goes to show how wrong you can be. Paired against a magnum of Cullen Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1991, a perennial favourite of mine, it looked Francophilic to the Cullen’s more obvious fruit-driven Australian style. It was evolving smoky, cigarboxy complexity, revealing a handsome depth of fruit ably supported by firmish, chalky tannins. It finished long, firm and savoury, with lingering nuances of dark-fruited complexity and hints of dark olives. In short, it was entirely magnificent! You endure the frustrations of keeping wine for the surprises like this! The other thing I learned came straight from the horse’s mouth. I have sat, metaphorically at least, at the feet of Mick Morris on many occasions over the past two and a half decades, yet I never, ever heard the pure, distilled wisdom I am now about to impart to you. From a winemaking perspective, said Morris, tokay is made like a white wine, while muscat, able to carry a little more roughness and imperfection in its fruit, is more akin to a red, which is the best way to understand the differences between them. Tokay, given its extra requirement of additional perfection in its fruit, is therefore ultimately the better wine when fully mature. Got it? Any problems with this, don’t call me. That’s straight from the oracle. Incidentally, the Morris Old Premium Tokay currently available is perhaps the best ever under this label. I have never tasted a commercially available tokay of such perfect lusciousness and power and with such substance and balance. Morris reckons so too, for he suggested he might have to get the lads in the winery to “tone it down a bit”. Get in now, before they do!
