T'Gallant Cellar Door

T'Gallant cellar door is situated in the heart of the Red Hill area in the Mornington Peninsula. This is the first time I have visited the area so I wasn't sure what to expect so when I saw rolling hills and extremely narrow roads with large tree overhanging, I was pleasantly surprised. 

The cellar door is open seven days a week with a gorgeous restaurant and pizza bar attached. The staff at cellar door are very friendly and seem to be able to pick what sort of service they need to deliver to achieve the best outcome for them and for the patron.

The restaurant uses their own or local produce when producing any of their wonderful meals

T'Gallant Ophelia 2006 Sparkling White

The bottle is marketed towards working women, who just want to go out and have some fun but the quality of the bubbles inside is a little more serious than that. There are lovely nutty notes with creamed grapefruit and spice rolling on through with a mouthfeel that feels like it is a mixture between silk and cotton. The texture sort of coats my tongue before the bubbles releases another wave of flavours.   For the money this is rather impressive.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $29
Rated: 88
Drink: Whenever

T'Gallant Grace Pinot Grigio 2011

T'Gallant focus on all things Pinot G and this wine comes from the vines just outside the cellar door. The wine is light and fresh but still packs a punch with flavour. I noted flavours of smoked pears, lime and honeysuckle which filled the mouth before a nice acid wedge finished me off. True to the variety is this little number but it did need just a touch extra brightness and nervy acidity to move into the Italian end of the spectrum. This is one of the best Aussie versions of this variety that I have tried.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $29
Rated: 89
Drink: Now - 2016

T'Gallant Tribute Pinot Gris 2010

These guys are brilliant as they have a Pinot G spectrum on the back of the bottle which tell you how far along the luscious or zesty spectrum this wine is. The one I tasted here was towards the end of the richness scale. There are some lovely poached pears and spice before a sugar coated wave of warmth hits my mouth. The alcohol sticks out a bit which blurs the enjoyment lines for me but it does add a bit of extra texture. You win some and you loose some with the 10 days extra this spent on the vine when compared to the Grace Pinot Grigio.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $39
Rated: 85
Drink: Now - 2017

T'Gallant Claudius 2008

This wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Moscato Giallo and Gewurztraminer and it spent 7 months on skins before being pressed off and put back into barrel. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. The nose is beguiling in its delivery of sweet summer flowers and spice. One could almost just sit back and smell this without taking it to the next level. Alas I want to take it all the way so I let the fine nectar touch my lips. On the palate the wine texture and vibrancy is mesmerising. The taste is not at all like the smell, rather the palate is bone dry with notes of peach and flint taking hold. The wine has massive mouthfeel with a chalkiness that kicks in as the flavours start to fade. What stand out is the length of the palate which seems build in depth as it sits in the glass. 

Alcohol: 12.5%

Price: $45

Rated: 92

Drink: In 5 to 10 years

T'Gallant Tribute Pinot Noir 2010

In the Mornington they pride themselves on making beautiful Pinot Noir. The flavours of this wine are big and new world but it does have a little old world dirt in the mix to keep things real. On the palate there is baked raspberries and cherries mixed with cinnamon, earth and a drop of spice. The entrance of the flavour is good but the alcohol kicks in from about the mid-palate on. I would expect that the alcohol would be better masked if this was paired with a nice fat duck dish. 

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $69

Rated: 91

Drink:  Now - 2017