The Blind Spot Yarra Valley Pinot Meunier 2021 view 1

The Blind Spot Pinot Meunier 2021 view 2

The Blind Spot Yarra Valley Pinot Meunier 2021 view 3

The Blind Spot Yarra Valley Pinot Meunier 2021

The Blind Spot Yarra Valley Pinot Meunier 2021

Red Wine from Australia - Victoria

2 Reviews

You may be most familiar with this grape for the part it plays in the classic Champagne blend, however as demonstrated here it can make incredibly drinkable red-fruit-driven red wines too. This comes from 20 year old vines in the cool Yarra Valley, which have been made into sparkling wine for most of their lives! This wine is very light red, almost bordering a dark rosé and is an outstanding pick-me-up aperitif and perfectly smashable! The incredible perfume has been given extra lift thanks to a little whole bunch bringing a hint of peppery herbaceousness. The nose is overflowing with freshly crushed strawberry and raspberry, with a light, crisp palate, reminiscent of raspberry sorbet. Lightly chill and drink instead of an Aperol spritz or cold beer for a glass of fun and rewarding refreshment. Please note that this wine is unfiltered and may be cloudy or contain a little sediment, which is perfectly normal and part of its charm.

£12.95 Bottle

£155.00 Case of 12

In Stock

Code: AU23971

Wine characteristics

Red Wine
Meunier
75cl
Now to 2024
11% Alcohol
no oak influence
Cork, diam

Blind Spot

The Blind spot range of wines is made exclusively for us by renowned Australian winemaker, Mac Forbes. The way we work with Mac has evolved over time. For the last decade or so Mac had been seeking out parcels of wines from his extensive book of contacts and choosing those that showed delicious potential to bottle for us rather than seeing them disappear into the obscurity of big brand blends. They were far too good for that and the popularity of the range proved time and again that Mac’s judgements were spot on.

Now, the situation has evolved, and we have taken advantage of Mac’s unique position, knowledge on the ground, contacts books, and his undoubted and enviable talents to seek out great grapes for him to make wine from rather than sourcing wines that are already made. We fund the purchase of the grapes, often paying for them more than 12 months in advance of the wine being available, which is a first for The Wine Society and gives Mac the opportunity to be first in line to select fruit from vineyards he is excited about. The advantages are manifold. We get the winemaking of a talented, indeed renowned, winemaker; we have greater involvement in what gets made and how; there is better traceability of the fruit and how it is grown; and the wines can express their terroir when appropriate. It’s a win-win-win, and dare we say it, win, situation!

We have reduced the range size too, giving us greater and clearer focus, and allowing Mac to highlight the...

The Blind spot range of wines is made exclusively for us by renowned Australian winemaker, Mac Forbes. The way we work with Mac has evolved over time. For the last decade or so Mac had been seeking out parcels of wines from his extensive book of contacts and choosing those that showed delicious potential to bottle for us rather than seeing them disappear into the obscurity of big brand blends. They were far too good for that and the popularity of the range proved time and again that Mac’s judgements were spot on.

Now, the situation has evolved, and we have taken advantage of Mac’s unique position, knowledge on the ground, contacts books, and his undoubted and enviable talents to seek out great grapes for him to make wine from rather than sourcing wines that are already made. We fund the purchase of the grapes, often paying for them more than 12 months in advance of the wine being available, which is a first for The Wine Society and gives Mac the opportunity to be first in line to select fruit from vineyards he is excited about. The advantages are manifold. We get the winemaking of a talented, indeed renowned, winemaker; we have greater involvement in what gets made and how; there is better traceability of the fruit and how it is grown; and the wines can express their terroir when appropriate. It’s a win-win-win, and dare we say it, win, situation!

We have reduced the range size too, giving us greater and clearer focus, and allowing Mac to highlight the progressive and innovative approach of the best Australian winemaking as appropriate, while nodding to the heritage of the country and its history of creative blends and classic varieties.

You don’t have to be eagle-eyed to notice, too, that we are taking a fresh, and perhaps ‘funkier’ approach to our labelling of these wines, with the info and story upfront. It’s a striking departure and one that celebrates the future without losing sight of the past. This is a range we’re excited about, one that will offer some deliciously intriguing variety from Down Under.

Must-try red: Yarra winemaker Mac Forbes scours Australia for top parcels of grapes and the bespoke bottlings are offered exclusively to Wine Society members. From 20-year-old vines formerly used for...

Must-try red: Yarra winemaker Mac Forbes scours Australia for top parcels of grapes and the bespoke bottlings are offered exclusively to Wine Society members. From 20-year-old vines formerly used for sparkling wine, this pale, unoaked, unfiltered red shows lifted strawberry puree, grenadine, rose and tangy rhubarb and raspberry pip notes with vibrant spritzy acidity. Enjoy cool but not cold to ensure all that perfume shines. Buy up before it sells out!

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Tina Gellie

Wednesday 2nd Mar 2022

joannasimon.com

Wine of the Week: It's no exaggeration to say I've never had a wine quite like this. Usually I can say a wine reminds me of so-and-so, or it's a bit like something else, but this pinot meunier, which...

Wine of the Week: It's no exaggeration to say I've never had a wine quite like this. Usually I can say a wine reminds me of so-and-so, or it's a bit like something else, but this pinot meunier, which hardly knows whether it's red or pink, is entirely itself – low in alcohol, big on personality and absolutely delicious. The Wine Society lists it as a red wine, but it's deep pink and makes an excellent aperitif, served lightly chilled, if not colder. Mind you, it also goes well with food, sashaying across the palate with exuberant strawberry fruit, a sprinkling of baking spices and pomegranate seeds, gently crunchy acidity and a spicy final flourish. It's a useful match for curries: I had it with four Sri Lankan vegetarian dishes. It also went well with pork cutlets flavoured with black garlic, rosemary and juniper, accompanied by caraway-spiced roast cauliflower and wilted spinach. The meunier is one of the four completely new wines that now make up The Blind Spot Australian range. In a new departure, The Society is providing the funds for winemaker Mac Forbes to buy the grapes for this range, rather than buying parcels of wine, as in the past. The meunier grapes previously went into sparkling wines (the grape variety's main claim to fame is as one of the famous Champagne trio).

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Joanna Simon

Thursday 10th Feb 2022

Midweek Wines

Australian take on a champagne grape to create (almost) rosé wine with gentle raspberry and red currant flavours.

Brian Elliott

Wednesday 23rd Feb 2022

The Guardian

The striking graphics highlight the unconventional use of a grape more normally found in champagne. A gloriously fragrant, light red – or is it a rosé? You decide.

Fiona Beckett

Saturday 26th Feb 2022

Lynn News

Pinot meunier is a black grape that's associated with Champagne, where it adds fruitiness. Light in colour, yet packing a raspberry and cherry punch, this is a gently intense wine that would be wonderful...

Pinot meunier is a black grape that's associated with Champagne, where it adds fruitiness. Light in colour, yet packing a raspberry and cherry punch, this is a gently intense wine that would be wonderful with spring lamb.

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Giles Luckett

Tuesday 25th Jan 2022

joannasimon.com

This is being offered as a red wine, but it's deep pink, should be served lightly chilled, or even colder, and works beautifully as an aperitif. It also goes well with food, but I'm going to say more...

This is being offered as a red wine, but it's deep pink, should be served lightly chilled, or even colder, and works beautifully as an aperitif. It also goes well with food, but I'm going to say more about its deliciousness and food pairing when (very soon) it's my Wine of the Week.

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Joanna Simon

Friday 28th Jan 2022