Paringa Estate PE Peninsula Pinot Noir 2019

"The wines have an unmatched level of success in the wine shows and competitions that Paringa Estate enter."  James Halliday

Lindsay McCall purchased a derelict north-facing orchard in Red Hill South on the Mornington Peninsula in 1984. A year later he began planting the ten-acre property with vines and the first commercial vintage was released in 1988. It wasn't until 1996 that Lindsay was able to quit his job as a schoolteacher and become a full-time winemaker. In 2007, Paringa Estate was awarded the 'Best Winery in Australia' by James Halliday in his Wine Companion. Lindsay likens it to being chosen as captain of the Australian cricket team! The 2019 Paringa Estate PE Peninsula Pinot Noir is a full-flavoured, fruit driven style with considerable finesse and style.

"We're in business here. This sets off the value meter straight away. Cherry-plum flavours with licks of spice, a slight toastiness, excellent fruit purity and a decent sling to the finish. Fresh, complex-enough and more. Delicious drinking."  Campbell Mattinson

Expert reviews

"This is a fresh, perfumed cherry style of pinot that is quite plush. The fine, firm tannins provide perfect balance. Excellent drinking."  Lester Jesberg, Winewise – 93/96 points

"We're in business here. This sets off the value meter straight away. Cherry-plum flavours with licks of spice, a slight toastiness, excellent fruit purity and a decent sling to the finish. Fresh, complex-enough and more. Delicious drinking. Drink by: 2025."  Campbell Mattinson, James Halliday Wine Companion - 93 points

"Deepish red/purple colour, bright and youthful. The bouquet is fresh and alive, dark fruits and blackcurrant jubes, some lifted spice notes. The wine is again very bright and bold on the palate, youthfully vigorous and gently firm in its tannins, but balanced and very agreeable already, while it appears to have a good cellaring future. Excellent value. Drink: 2021-2031."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 92 points

"It seems like a good year for this wine. It's vigorous, has light but positive grip and sappy acidity, bright red fruits, along with some spice and undergowthy kinds of things. Finish is tight and long, crunchy cranberry and maybe something like pomegranate. Great drinking. Drink: 2020-2025+."  Gary Walsh, The Wine Front - 92 points

About the winery

Having a 'wine epiphany' has become something of a cliché, but for geography teacher Lindsay McCall it led to the establishment of Paringa Estate on the Mornington Peninsula. The wine he tasted was a 1980 Seville Estate shiraz, which he ordered in a restaurant one night in 1983. Until that moment, he hadn’t realized that Victoria could produce a wine of such calibre.

In 1984, Lindsay purchased a derelict north facing orchard set in rolling, green hills in Paringa Road, Red Hill South. A year later, he began planting the ten-acre (4.2 ha) property with vines. He sought advice on planting shiraz in the region, but was told by a local vigneron that it wouldn’t ripen in the cool maritime climate of the Peninsula.  Not to be deterred, he planted shiraz in the warmest spot. Planting of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris on the 'Home' vineyard followed and was completed by 1990.

The early years at Paringa were tough. The first vintage in 1987 didn’t win any awards, but was enjoyed by family and friends. The first commercial vintage at Paringa was a year later. With the three tonnes of fruit he picked, Lindsay made around 200 dozen bottles. 

The early vintages had to be organized around his teaching career. Picking would be scheduled for weekends, and Lindsay was often up all night pressing grapes. It wasn't until 1996 that Lindsay was able to quit his job as a schoolteacher and become a full-time winemaker.

His first medal was at the Yarra Valley Wine Show where he took out gold for his 1990 shiraz, and over the ensuing years, numerous awards followed and is now one of the most awarded wineries in Australia. In 2007, Paringa Estate was awarded the 'Best Winery in Australia' by James Halliday in his Wine Companion. Lindsay likens it to being chosen as captain of the Australian cricket team!

Paringa Estate is particularly known for its dense and rich Pinot Noir and spicy Shiraz. Today, Lindsay also sources fruit from three estate vineyards in Red Hill in addition to the 'Home' vineyard and also has a leased vineyard on Callanan's Road. The red clay soils are quite vigorous, so vines are trellised on a lyre system. "I tried Scott Henry, and then eventually saw this lyre system being trialled by Garry Crittenden at Dromana Estate.' says Lindsay. It's more expensive to manage, but it gives better results.

"Lindsay McCall has shown an absolutely exceptional gift for winemaking across a range of styles, but with immensely complex Pinot Noir and Shiraz leading the way. The wines have an unmatched level of success in the wine shows and competitions Paringa Estate is able to enter, the limitation being the relatively small production of the top wines in the portfolio."  James Halliday