Meerea Park Any Shiraz and Blends Wines

This aged release wine from Meerea Park is not for the faint hearted. It's big and ballsy and merits a special occasion and a slab of venison to do it justice. It's power-packed with brooding dark fruits, earthy spices, anise and chocolate. The palate is rich and lush with some fruit sweetness, savoury tannins and a long finish. There's a few years left in this tight-chested boy, so you can bang some in the cellar. But if you can't keep your hands off it, give it a quick decant before drinking or serve in some big glasses.

Not the most attractive name for a wine but it refers to the original Hungarian migrants who were shocked by the hot conditions in the Hunter and called it “Pokolbin” which roughly translates as hell-hole. This style of Shiraz typifies the Hunter in that there’s sweet fruit, savoury elements and an attractive, medium bodied palate. As always it’s full of character, regional flavour and super soft tannins that cascade across the mouth. One to put away in the cellar as defined acids ensure this will last a decade or more.

Not the most attractive name for a wine but it refers to the original Hungarian migrants who were shocked by the hot conditions in the Hunter and called it “Pokolbin” which roughly translates as hell-hole. This style of Shiraz typifies the Hunter in that there’s sweet fruit, savoury elements and an attractive, medium bodied palate. As always it’s full of character, regional flavour and super soft tannins that cascade across the mouth. One to put away in the cellar as defined acids ensure this will last a decade or more.

Colour: Dark crimson in colour, the nose has the dark fruit spectrum characters we were expecting from 2007. Palate: There is no real effect on the nose from the viognier, but it reveals itself in a restrained manner on the palate where it is in harmony with the blackberry fruit, where there is also a slight hint of liquorice. Tannins are ripe and silky.

Hunter Shiraz has a cult standing around the world, thanks to the fact that it’s generally lighter bodied, savoury and has the ability to age. No one understands that better than Rhys and Garth Eather who continue to carve a niche making Hunter Shiraz of real distinction. This wine is a blend of Hilltops and Hunter Shiraz and it shows what multi-regional blending can achieve. It’s one of those wines that you can easily get lost in, light bodied, fragrant, textured and complete. So much so that you won’t believe you paid so little for a wine that seriously over-delivers in every way.

Nose:The nose shows plum, mulberry and dark fruits which are accompanied by subtle vanilla oak aromas. Palate:The medium bodied palate is packed with dark fruit and chocolate and shows considerable length of flavour. The tannins are plush and fully ripe and in great balance with the acid and fruit.

The numbers on the front of this bottle are the only indication of where it’s from. In this case 2582 is the postcode for Murrumbateman in the Canberra District where some of the finest cool climate Shiraz grapes are grown in NSW. The winemaking duo Rhys and Garth Eather from Meerea Park are responsible for this label, allowing them to work with more than just Hunter fruit. So typical of the region you’ll find a nose of plum, spice and black pepper before unleashing a powerful display of dark berries, plush fruit and supple tannins. A really attractive style that is great with food including mild curry dishes.

Here is a wine for serious lovers of Shiraz. Sourced from 40-year old vines, this richly fruited wine shows ripe, luscious black fruits with anise spice on the nose. The palate is deep, dark and mysterious with black cherries, vanillian oak and a food-friendly savoury edge. This is a dudes wine and is best served with hearty 'dudes food'. However, if you can stick it in the cellar (or in the cupboard) and wait a few years, it will only get better.

A glossy vibrant crimson colour in the glass; the small additions of stalks and Viognier has added a lifted fragrance to the nose above the red berry fruits. The palate is medium-bodied with a hint of fruit sweetness. Suggested Food Match: Beef, lamb and cheeses

Here's a wine that even your Aunt would love, and you may get brownie points for the name. The fruit is sourced from vines planted in 1968, so we are talking about a bit of history here. This deeply coloured wine shows abundant black fruits with a lick of ripe plum and hints of vanilla from the oak. The palate is more medium-bodied with spiced dark cherries, some chalky tannins and a decent finish. This one is ready to drink now or over the next 3-4 years, and is for lovers of the more svelte rather than busty style. It would go particularly well with a lamb ragout.

The brothers Eather like to experiment a fair bit with their wines and this Shiraz not only saw a splash of Viognier in the ferment but 10% of the Shiraz fruit was left on stems in open fermenters to lend complexity. Technical wizardry aside, the end result is a fabulous regional Shiraz. The addition of Viognier has added tremendous perfume and the palate is nicely rounded with sweet berry fruit and a soft finish. Go to the butcher and order a nice cut of steak for this one.

Bright crimson hue in the glass; aromas of red fruits, spice and black pepper on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied and juicy. Tannins are fine and well managed in a wine that over-delivers in all respects. Serving Suggestion: Red meat dishes

Hunter Shiraz has a cult standing around the world, thanks to the fact that it’s generally lighter bodied, savoury and has the ability to age. No one understands that better than Rhys and Garth Eather who continue to carve a niche making Hunter Shiraz of real distinction. This wine is a blend of Hilltops and Hunter Shiraz and it shows what multi-regional blending can achieve. It’s one of those wines that you can easily get lost in, light bodied, fragrant, textured and complete. So much so that you won’t believe you paid so little for a wine that seriously over-delivers in every way.

Colour: Bright iridescent crimson in the glass, the nose has a floral lift underpinned by red berry fruits and there are also hints of spice and earth. Palate: The palate is medium-bodied with raspberry and cherry characters. Tannins are fine and supple giving a silky long finish. Already wonderfully balanced.

A bright crimson hue in the glass, the stalks addition has given a lifted fragrance to the nose above the dark berry fruits. The palate is medium-bodied with a little fruit sweetness, but finishes long and dry.

Deep crimson in colour; aromas of blackberries, plums, liquorice, earth and spice on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied but very flavoursome with a core of plum fruit. Ripe, silky tannins combine with the fruit for a very long finish. Suggested food match: Medium rare scotch fillet Meerea Park Wine Accolades & Reviews "Blackberries and raspberries, spice and a little sappiness with latent liquorice richness and quality vanilla oak.It’s rich and spicy but only just medium bodied, lithe rather than heavy with firm fine tannins and no shortage of length. Classic Hunter Shiraz from a top vintage." - 95 Points. - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front - September 2009 "Meerea Park ‘Hell...

A powerful nose of dark cherry, plum, liquorice and black pepper with a hint of oak visible. The medium-full bodied palate has fresh sweet fruit, fine tannins, length and structure. Serving Suggestion: Red meat dishes and aged cheeses Meerea Park Wine Reviews & Accolades "Meerea Park’s Hilltops/Hunter Valley shiraz blend has proven enormously popular in recent years. Rightly so. 2009 was a fantastic year in Hilltops. Sweet, violetty, jube-like fragrance bursts from the glass. It’s alive and kicking right from the get-go. It tastes of liqueured cherries and blackberries, subtle spice and subtle, toasty oak. Really though it’s about pure, essence-like fruit flavour, served fresh and me...

This is a massive wine, as big as Hunter shiraz gets! The colour is dark and blackish; the nose shows dominant oak at present but it's a long way from its drinking window. It's hard to read at present, so gargantuan are the fruit, tannin, acid and oak components, but we feel certain it has a great future. Just be patient!

Medium to full red-purple; there is lots of power and extract to the bouquet, with deep, dark plum fruit flavour. The palate, too, has considerable length and flavour, with very good back palate tannins countered by a touch of sweet American oak.

A well-inserted, quality cork has done its job well, carrying the wine through to the start of its plateau of maturity, with earthy Hunter flavours running through the black fruits, the tannins present but fine; has a particularly long finish.