Winemaker Notes
The Triolet blend, first produced at Mount Mary in 1987, was inspired by the white wines of Graves, Bordeaux. The vineyard is planted to 75% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon and 5% Muscadelle. Each variety is picked at optimum ripeness, and is fermented separately. The characteristics of optimum ripeness are different for each variety. The winery picks the Sauvignon blanc after the strong herbaceous flavors have disappeared, the Semillon when the acid is not too harsh, and the Muscadelle when the flavor intensity peaks. In the winery we use mostly older barrels for this wine, with the entire production being barrel fermented. Relatively hard pressing is employed to give the wine texture and lees stirring is carried out to add complexity and body. The Triolet is typically barrel aged for 11 months by which time the overt fruity flavors have diminished, and complex aromas are beginning to develop.
Blend: 68% Sauvignon Blanc, 24% Semillon, 8% Muscadelle
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This sits on a reductive edge, so give it some good air. It flexes into a minerally, wet-stony mode and has aromas of pear blossom, sliced apple, grassy elements, sliced cucumber and lemon pith. The palate has a very sleek, contained and linear shape with quite intense green-apple and green-pear flavors. Some grassy notes, too. Concentrated and pinned in tight with vibrant acidity.
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Australian Wine Companion
An estate-grown blend of 68% sauvignon blanc, 24% semillon and 8% muscadelle, matured for 11 months in barrel. Has exceptional drive, complexity and balance, its longevity proved by multi-vintage vertical tastings. Its backbone of acidity has ample lemon/lemon curd/fresh-cut grass to encourage a second glass.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
As the most important area of wine production in Victoria today, the Yarra Valley is most popular for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which account for over half of vineyard acreage. A gentle, rolling and rural region alongside the Margaret River, the Yarra Valley has a cool maritime climate with a lengthy growing season, perfect for these cool-climate varieties.
Two styles of Pinot Noir are possible here. The warmer Lower Yarra Valley with sandy, loam soils, produces plush and fruity Pinot Noir while the cooler, higher-elevation Upper Yarra Valley with soils of young red basalt, produces more angular and mineral-driven Pinot Noir.
Yarra Valley Chardonnay is among the best in Australia. To preserve the floral aromatics and fresh citrus flavors for which this area’s Chardonnay is so appreciated, time in barrel is restrained (though barrel fermentation is common). The best Yarra Valley Chardonnays display brilliant acidity, leesy characteristics, citrus, stone fruit and flavors of ginger and spice.
Shiraz and Cabernet find success in parts of this region as well.