Australian Wine Companion 2009 Listing

Prancing Horse Estate

Anthony & Catherine Hancy acquired the Lavendar Bay Vineyard in early 2002, renaming it the Prancing Horse Estate and embarking on a radical upgrade of the existing plantings of 1ha each of chardonnay and pinot noir. They will progressively extend the plantings by 2.5ha, planted equally to chardonnay, pinot gris and pinot noir, using selected clones. The Hancys also made a decision to avoid the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. Having appointed Sergio Carlei as winemaker, the following year they became joint owners with Sergio in Carlei Wines. Exports to the US and France.

Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2006

Very lively, intense and fresh: lovely citrus and stone fruit. Diam. 13.5° alc.
Rating 95, Drink 2016

Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2006

Bright and clear colour: fresh, lively and pure pinot, with great elegance: made for maximum enjoyment over the next few years. Diam. 13.5° alc.
Rating 92, Drink 2011

Page 516, James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2009 Edition.

Prancing Horse Estate
Chardonnay 2004
Australian Gourmet Traveller WINE, 100 Top New Releases
August/September 2006


94/100

“Restrained nutty, sur lie aromas, soft and light on the tongue, quite complex with layered but not oaky flavours and a feral hint, perhaps due to a wild ferment. Interest-packed wine.”
Huon Hooke

Prancing Horse Estate
Chardonnay 2004
ABC Delicious Magazine
August 2006

Fancy and expensive chardonnay seems to be made by just about everyone nowadays, but only a few producers get something more characterful into the wine. This Prancing Horse is made by an extreme winemaker by the name of Serge Carlei and it has something of his unmissable personality about it. Nutty, complex and just the odd loud note. Good stuff.
Ben Canaider

Prancing Horse Estate
Chardonnay 2004
The Age, Epicure Winter Wine Guide
27th June 2006

“Poncy name but good wine. Then again, for 40 bucks you’d probably want the extra ponceforth factor. This is a complex yet restrained chardonnay from the Mornington Peninsula. Nutty, a little leesy, with a tad of butterscotch poking through, it is another sophisticated yet character-filled white wine made by Sergio Carlei.”
Ben Canaider & Greg Duncan Powell

Prancing Horse Estate
Chardonnay 2004
The Age, Epicure Uncorked
16th May 2006


“First class, a wine of distinction
This Mornington Peninsula wine has benefited from winemaking by Sergio Carlei, one of our leading lights when it comes to chardonnay. It’s nicely restrained, with a complex nose reminiscent of figs, oatmeal, nuts and barley sugar. The buttery-rich palate is smooth with juicy fruit flavour and subtle oak, finishing long and fragrant.”
Ralph Kyte-Powell

Prancing Horse Estate
Pinot Noir 2004
Sydney Morning Herald - Good Living
6th June 2006

“A promising new Mornington Producer. Great colour; clean, subdued dark-cherry aromas; clean and ripe, very deep palate; firm acid and tannin.”
Huon Hooke

Prancing Horse Estate
Pinot Noir 2004
The Weekend Australian - Edition 5: Travel
8th April 2006

“...has fine structure and texture, intense black cherry, plum and spice, and a touch of forest floor.”
James Halliday

Prancing Horse Estate
Chardonnay 2004
Australian Wine Companion
2007 Edition

"Medium straw-green; distinctly richer, sweeter, riper fruit, more to tropical peach than the ’03; supple and mouthfilling. Rating 94 Drink 2010"
James Halliday

REVIEWS

Paddington, NSW - Five Way Cellars (Ian Cook)

Prancing Horse Estate Pinot Noir 2005
One year ago we unearthed the 2004 Prancing Horse Estate Pinot Noir from a serious Pinot tasting. The 2005 has shown extremely well at a recent tasting and we recommend it to you . Sergio Carlei is the winemaker crafting a classic pinot from Mornington Peninsula fruit. Stewed dark cherry and perfume of lavender, violets and glacé cherry all add to a tight and fine, yet supple palate that is at once smooth but intense. The fruit is more elegant than the 2004, the acid finer and more subtle. A wine of great precision and finesse.

Prancing Horse Estate Chardonnay 2005
Good fruit richness – yet understated – melon, nectarine and a touch of grapefruit. The wine is tight and precise (excellent for a Mornington), with less use of malolactic fermentation. The result ? A wine of great complexity and length. Fruit sweetness on the front palate – nectarine and melon – then the grapefruity acid and balance kicks in. Oak is understated. Well done Sergio!

North Melbourne, Victoria – Parkhill Cellars (Cory Parkhill)

Prancing Horse Estate Chardonnay 2005
Inspired both in name and spirit by one of the worlds best car makers Prancing Horse Estate owners Tony and Cathie Hancy have set about making the best wines. Located on the Mornington Peninsula and employing gun Victorian Sergio Carlei as chief winemaker, no expense has been spared to create these extraordinary wines. The 2005 Chardonnay is a big full-bodied style. Seeing 100% French oak in fermentation and another year in maturation. The wine has loads of ripe peach and melon fruit, exotic spices and a rich lingering texture chock full of toasty oak notes. This is a big Chardonnay at its best; generous without being overblown, perfectly balanced fruit and oak make this one of the Peninsula’s finest. Drink now with chicken risotto or cellar confidently for three to five years.

Rye, Victoria – The Wine Lounge (Rob Vosjan)

Prancing Horse Estate Pinot Noir 2005
The 2005 has an enticing nose of cherry, plum, mushroom and damp pine needles. The palate is wonderfully savoury with sweet and sour cherries, stewed plums and a lick of quality charry oak. With a lovely acid structure and fine grained tannins, this impressive wine will keep for another 4-6 years.

Prancing Horse Estate Chardonnay 2005
This is one of the Mornington Peninsula’s best chardonnays – multi-layered and all class. With flavours of grapefruit and lemon, lovely hazelnut undertones and the merest buttery hint, this chardonnay is simply delicious.

Carlton, Victoria – Rathdowne Cellars (Cameron Kidd)

Prancing Horse Estate Pinot Noir 2005 & Chardonnay 2005
Grown on the Mornington Peninsula using organic and bio-dynamic principles. The grapes from Prancing Horse Estate are then given to Sergio Carlei to make excellent examples of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Both the current 2005 wines were scored in the mid 90’s in James Halliday’s latest book. Come along and meet owner Tony Hancy and taste his fantastic wines.

And finally from Huon Hooke – Sydney Morning Herald,
January 2007

Other “new” labels that impressed me in the past year were... Prancing Horse Estate (Mornington Peninsula) made by the increasingly influential Sergio Carlei.