1996 Chardonnay
The product of a cold year, this wine is lean and austere, yet has complex flavors and aromas enhanced by being fermented in French oak barrels and aged on yeast lees for twelve months.

1997 Chardonnay
Warmer year than the 1996 vintage. Higher in alcohol giving great mouthfeel. Well balanced, with lingering aftertaste and complex aromas and flavors. Fermented in French oak barrels. Aged on yeast lees for twelve months.  One of the best they have produced. Trophy winner at the '99 & 2000 Macedon Ranges Wine Exhibition. James Halliday 89/100.

1998 Damask
Our Rosé is made from the fragrant Cabernet Franc grape and is named after the Damask family of roses. Served chilled in the warmer months it is a wonderfully refreshing aperitif and an ideal accompaniment to Asian cuisines.

1998 Greenstone
An unoaked Chardonnay, full of uncomplicated, pristine fruit flavors. Crisp, dry and palate cleansing with a fresh, fruity nose. The perfect drink to accompany lunch or to enjoy lightly chilled, whilst lounging in the shade.

1998 Quarry Red
The wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc/Merlot. A medium weight unfiltered red. The vineyard climate has a major influence on the wine with the fruit displaying the intense cherry raspberry flavors found in some of the Loire Valley Chinons.

The wine will comfortably age for up to twelve years - the acidity providing the longevity.
A fresh, elegant, red, for consuming during the warmer months of the year.

1999 Chardonnay - Trophy Daylesford Wine Show 2003
Mature vines thrived in the dry 1998 season and produced a wine with aromas and flavours in the melon, pear and quince spectrum. Enhanced by fermentation in Allier barriques, it has further softened with three years winery maturation. Released in 2001, it has a wonderful cream and nut complexity.
($28.00/bottle and $336.00/dozen.)

1999 Quarry Red
Cabernet Franc/Merlot
Spicy, aromatic, dark cherry and raspberry Cabernet Franc fruit overlies integrated briary vanillan oak characters. This is a soft, elegant wine with many "layers" of flavour culminating with a dry, gently tannic finish.

Although unusual as a varietal wine in Australia, Cabernet Franc has wide appeal in the climatically similar Loire Valley. The wine will age gracefully for up to ten years.

1999 Pinot Noir
This, our first Pinot Noir, from a climate renowned for producing fine wines of this variety. Released at the Region's Budburst Festival in October 2000. The almost "scent-like" aroma, which is becoming a Portree hallmark in other styles, is already present.  Plum, cherry, spice and mocha, combine with some earthy hints to immediately identify the wine as Pinot Noir. The palate is tight at present with lovely fruit tannins which provide the structure for many years of development. The wine was bottled au naturel, (ie without fining or filtration) in order to keep all the flavours in the wine. This wine will blossom over the next five years.

2001 Pinot Noir
Unfiltered - Unirrigated
Portree's third Pinot is from a warm year with sufficient spring and summer rainfall to preclude the need for irrigation.
Plum, spice, cherry and hints of lavender overlie “sweet”, rich, obvious Pinot Noir fruit. Savoury mushroom, earth and mocha characters complete the flavour spectrum. The wine finishes firmly and with a soft tannin structure that will allow it to age and develop complexity.
($25.00/bottle and $300.00/dozen)

2002 Damask
In a bid to make this wine a little more restaurant friendly, I fermented it to complete dryness. It is still fresh and crisp with lovely Cabernet Franc aromatics. As I suspected it has found favour in the warm climate of Hong Kong, so availability may be limited.
($17.00/bottle and $204.00/dozen)

2003 Greenstone
Established in 1983 Portree has developed a reputation for rich, complex, long lived barrel fermented Chardonnay.
Greenstone Chardonnay provides an alternative to that style. It receives little or no oak maturation and is bottled soon after vintage in order to capture the wonderful grapefruit and melon characters produced in the vineyard.
Enjoy its youthful freshness or cellar confidently (4-6 years) for rounder, softer flavours.
($20.00/bottle and $240.00/dozen)

Go to Ken Murchison's Winemaker Notes

Back to top