Scorpo - Six outstanding wines from this Mornington Superstar!

November 14, 2021 4 min read

It's Sunday folks and we're featuring a winery we should have featured a long time ago, Scorpo.  They're one of Mornington Peninsula's most outstanding, yet understated producers.  And if you need evidence take a look at their current releases. Collectively, they're equal to any producer I've come across in recent times. Scorpo is considered a pioneer of Mornington, having been established in 1997.  While they hit the ground running early with what many to be considered Australia's best Pinot Gris, their range today is outstanding and their light is shining brighter than most in the region. What I really like about Scorpo is they take a very low key approach to marketing and hype, despite been a leader in the industry.  You won't see press releases or Facebook adds, but you will see wine reviewers urging you to consider Scorpo.

"Scorpo’s wines are always impressive"  Campbell Mattinson, WineFront "World class in every sense"  Halliday Wine Companion "Paul Scorpo brings a deep and intuitive affiliation with his vineyard and wines - all of which shows in the glass"  Nick Stock

Sure thing, Scorpo have ticked all the boxes with the classic Mornington Peninsula varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, but their Rosé and Shiraz are some of the Peninsula's best. The wines we offer have received excellent reviews and top notch scores as well.  You won't find another Mornington producer with such a diverse and highly rated rated range.

Scorpo Chardonnay 2019 - 95pts Wine Companion, 94pts WineFront Scorpo Aubaine Chardonnay 2020 - 93pts WineFront Scorpo Pinot Gris 2018 - 94pts WineFront, 92pts Wine Companion Scorpo Rosé 2020 - 94pts WineFront Scorpo Pinot Noir 2019 - 94pts WineFront Scorpo Shiraz 2019 - 95pts Wine Companion, 94pts WineFront

Scorpo Chardonnay 2019 "A very smart wine" Huon Hooke, The Real Review Excellent. A lot of energy and coiled power here."  Gary Walsh, WineFront "Estate-grown clones P58, I10V1, 76, 95, hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed to French oak (20% new), wild-fermented, no stirring, no mlf, matured for 12 months. The fresh, vibrant palate supports my suspicion that Mornington Peninsula chardonnay would be better without mlf in most instances. Grapefruit provides the javelin of the fruit expression, nothing more."  95pts, James Halliday, Wine Companion "Struck match, pink grapefruit, pear skin, a wee bit of caramel butter, fennel and spice. It’s tight, tangy, all the citrus fruits, juicy and tangy, fresh and chalky, some pithy bitterness, and a long firm finish offering plenty of zing and zest. Excellent. A lot of energy and coiled power here."  94pts, Gary Walsh, WineFront "Buttery, nutty aromas, spicy too, a generous oak input, but balanced. It’s very tight, nervy and intense in the mouth, with a long carry and aftertaste driven by the refined acidity. Lots of spice. Mouth-watering acidity drives it, and there is fruit intensity there to balance it. A very smart wine."  94pts, Huon Hooke, The Real Review

Scorpo Aubaine Chardonnay 2020 50% of the fruit is 95 clone and the other 50% 76 clone, all from the Scorpo Stanleys Road vineyard.  "Pear, honey, citrus, a little flint and struck match. Pulls tight with juicy grapefruit, tang of orange and preserved lemon, and offers a firm chalky texture. Good finish. Takes the middle-path of Chardonnay. Nicely done."  93pts, Gary Walsh, WineFront

Scorpo Pinot Gris 2018 "This is rich with full-on gris flavours all out on display"  Jane Faulkner "Floral, honey, pear, apple. Juicy green apple and grapefruit kicks some zip into the palate, weighty yet fresh, texture is all chalky, the finish clean and long with a ginger and more savoury aftertaste. Such balance. Full-flavour delivered assuredly."  94pts, Gary Walsh, WineFront "This is rich with full-on gris flavours all out on display. Poached pears, clotted cream with ginger spice, baked apples and crème brûlée and of course, the slippery texture. I wouldn't hold this much longer: ready now."  92pts, Jane Faulkner, Wine Companion

Scorpo Rosé 2021 "Well, this is very good. This is how you do it." Gary Walsh    Vibrant salmon pink in colour this wine exhibits musk, raspberry, strawberry and rose petals on the nose.  The palate is generous yet focused with musk, truffles and wild berries.  Clean, crisp acid finish, with a hint of fine tannin. "Well, this is very good. This is how you do it. Red cherry, earthy, spicy, blood orange and fennel. It has flesh, and chew, and texture, and freshness and tang, and stony chalky grip on a long and zesty finish. Wonderful. Charismatic."  94pts, Gary Walsh, WineFront

Scorpo Pinot Noir 2019 "Hard to imagine anyone not enjoying this."  Gary Walsh "94 Points. Ripe raspberry, cherry, a fair bit spice and a subtle sweet soil earthiness, and maybe a little orange zest. It’s flavoursome, soft and plush, but keeps itself pretty fresh, and offers a fine sweep of emery tannin. Finish is long and has something of a ‘mineral’ character too. It’s a great thing to drink, and yes, you don’t notice any alcohol warmth here. Hard to imagine anyone not enjoying this.  Drink: 2021 - 2026+" Gary Walsh, The Wine Front.

Scorpo 'Old Vine' Shiraz 2019 "Smells great, tastes even better" Jane Faulkner  "Excellent. So excellent, in fact" Gary Walsh "This is almost black, with a shot of red/purple. It's not a wallflower. There are plenty of steadfast grainy tannins reined in by a ribbon of acidity. Smells great, tastes even better: black cherries, exotic spices plus sumac, the flavours are intense and satisfying. It opens up more and more, revealing a gloss across the full-bodied palate."  95pts, Jane Faulkner, Wine Companion "Grilled meat, spice, truffle, blackcurrant and fresh blackberry, toasted hazelnuts. Medium-bodied, distinctly meaty and spicy, with fresh acidity, small dark berries, a pleasing chicory bitterness, graphite tannin, and all the dried herb perfume and charred meat running on a long and spicy finish. I’m not sure I’d pick it as Australian Shiraz, if I tasted it blind, aside a minor amount of gum leaf perfume. Excellent. So excellent, in fact."  94pts, Gary Walsh, WineFront