Product Information:
Mulline have definitely kicked it up a notch with the 2023 release of Drysdale Pinot Noir. Named 'Best Value Winery' in Halliday’s 2025 Wine Companion. This Pinot opens with pungent floral aromas of talc, potpourri, mint and wet twigs. Kind of checks all the boxes as Pinot goes savoury, pretty, and earthy. There’s lovely weight to the palate, with its silken textures and layers of Cherry, blueberry and five spice. Good gear. Highly recommended.
100% Pinot Noir - Clone MV6, Bellarine Peninsula, Geelong Leech Vineyard, Soho Road, Drysdale a flat and lush vineyard planted 1998 over grey sandy loam over yellow light clay. This pinot goes into 50% Second Fill Barriques for 8 months.
Maker:
The sum of each part is greater. The name Mulline is a blend name from two Bens, Ben Mullen + Ben Hine. Their focus is producing premium wines out of Geelong.
Ben Mullen makes the wines. After deciding wine was more fun that marketing, he switched from business and marketing to Viticulture and Oenology at Adelaide University. Armed with a degree, he set off on a whirlwind journey making wine all over the globe. Of note, Ben has worked at Torbreck (Barossa Valley, South Australia), Yarra Yering (Yarra Valley, Victoria), Oakridge (Yarra Valley, Victoria), Domaine Dujac (Burgundy, France), Craggy Range (Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand) and Clyde Park (Bannockburn, Geelong, Victoria). With this start studded background, it wasn't long before Ben Mullen decided to spread his wings and make wine under his own label. Ben Mullen is the Winemaker at Mulline Vintners.
Ben Hine moves the wines. Also born in South Australia, Hine began his working career in hospitality. His passion for food, wine and hospitality has endured since. After finishing study, Ben Hine has worked in law and is now a senior lawyer working in the financial services and risk industry. With that background, he has a head for business and knows a thing or two about drinking wine. Ben Hine is the As the Business Manager at Mulline Vintners.
Halliday notes,"Mulline is a winery built to last." Their dedication to environmentally friendly practices is indicative of their long foresight, and one of the many reasons they were voted top 100 Wineries of 2023. Mulline adopts environmentally friendly practices wherever possible, in their own vineyard they use as few non-organic materials as possible to maximise microbial activity and soil health, and investing in best-in-class fuel efficient vehicles. Partnering with growers who share our viticulture philosophy. Using screwcap closures which have significantly less spoilage than traditional cork and can be recycled through most kerbside recycling systems. Using locally produced, lightweight glass bottles which use less raw materials and require substantially less energy throughout their lifecycle to the point of recycling. Not limited to this and ever improving. They are an assuring presence in the industry. Making good wines the right way, and not at the expense of the planet.
Together 'Mulline's' mission is to craft exceptional structural wines that capture the unique character and freshness of the Geelong Region, both from single sites and broader regional blends. By experimenting with various grape varieties and winemaking styles, Mulline highlights the region’s unique microclimates, soil compositions, and seasonal variations through its Single Vineyard wines. The Geelong Region range features expertly blended fruit from multiple sites, deftly crafted by Ben Mullen to showcase the finest expressions of each variety and the essence of each vintage in the Geelong Region.
The Vineyards:
Since its inception, Mulline has collaborated with local growers and sourced fruit across the region, aiming to create remarkable cool climate wines that enhance appreciation for Geelong’s distinctive subregions: Moorabool Valley, Bellarine Peninsula, and Surf Coast.
Moorabool Valley, between Geelong and Ballarat. The climate is mediterranean and the warmest and driest of the three subregions. There are two vineyard sources, Sutherlands Creek (Pettaval Vineyard) on grey and brown loams and clay loams with granite, planted 1988 to 1998. Low planted, close (1 metre) rows in the French style. Bannockburn (Bannockburn Vineyards) consists of limestone clay with a very shallow topsoil horizon, planted 1990 to 1996. A landmark vineyard.
Bellarine Peninsula South-west of Melbourne surrounded by Port Phillip, Corio Bay and Bass Strait. Maritime climate with views of the You Yangs and Melbourne CBD. Two sources of fruit here, the first is Portarlington (Nurringa Park Vineyard) which is leased by Mulline. Here there is sandy loam with dark clay over iron stone, planted 1994. Gentle slopes, close planted with uninterrupted coastal breeze. Then there's Drysdale (Leech Vineyard) on grey sandy loam over yellow light clay, planted 1998. A flat and lush vineyard.
Surf Coast subregion is home of the iconic Great Ocean Road, spectacular coastline, rainforests and beaches. Higher rainfall, long summer days and cooling ocean winds. Modewarre (Brown Magpie Vineyard) has sandy loam with layers of clay, estuary marl then limestone, planted 2001 to 2002. A protected and lovingly tended patch.
Special mention to the outskirts of Geelong. Barrabool Hills A pocket on the periphery of Geelong with remarkable steep ridges and impressive revegetation and sustainability credentials, sitting outside of the 3 recognised subregions. Barrabool | Barwon Ridge Vineyard. Limestone and basalt base, planted 1999. Recognised sustainability certification from Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, soaring views across Moorabool Valley and Bellarine Peninsula.
Nose - Dried Herbs, Sap, Blue and Red Fruits
Talc, potpourri, mint, boysenberry and the juice of red cherries, the latter strained through a bunch of almost-dry twigs.
Palate - Savoury, Morello Cherries, Asian Spice
Darkly fruited with black raspberries, morello cherries, dark rose and some spice.
Finish - Velvety Impression, Brambled Berries, Complex Florals
This is simultaneously mouth-filling, fleshy and structured, with velvety, long-chained tannins.
From the Leech Vineyard planted in 1998. MV6 clone and fully destemmed. Two barrels, both older French barrique. A bright, quite deep crimson. Quite a step up on last year’s still very good wine. Darkly fruited with black raspberries, morello cherries, dark rose and some spice. This is simultaneously mouth-filling, fleshy and structured, with velvety, long-chained tannins. - Philip Rich, James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion, 97 Points.
Vibrant red in the glass. Pretty aromas of dried herbs, sap, spice, blue and red fruits, blood orange, bramble and anise. There’s lovely weight, texture and mouth-feel here. Long, layered, complex and silken. Cherry, blueberry and Asian spice are all beautifully at play. Sophisticated gear. - Aaron Brasher, The Real Review, 95 Points.
There’s ample flesh on the bones of this Pinot Noir. It’s still in watercolour mode, but the flavours swirl and spread, and the finish is in the territory of the emphatic. Talc, potpourri, mint, boysenberry and the juice of red cherries, the latter strained through a bunch of almost-dry twigs. Yes it’s savoury but the emphasis is more on florals; complex florals. All of these characters are then gathered up by tannin, not unlike a stream or a canal going through an open gate; there’s a squeeze put on, but the flow continues and, indeed, in perception at least, seems to accelerate. This is a fine Pinot Noir. - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, 94+ Points.
The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Pinot Noir
Country - Australia
Region - Geelong, Victoria
Vintage - 2023
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 12.5%
