Still probably the finest wine region in New South Wales, although there is certainly plenty more healthy competition of late, the Hunter Valley has built an enviable reputation for its long-lived semillons and shiraz. Since the work of Maurice O’Shea in the 1940’s and 1950’s the last seventy years have seen the area blossom with legendary names such as Lake’s Folly, Tyrrell’s, Mount Pleasant and Brokenwood having cemented the region’s reputation. The Hunter is also a repository for some remarkably old vines that help to create outstanding wines, including plantings of shiraz in 1867, semillon in 1899, chardonnay in 1908 and pinot noir in 1921.
Many a thirst for wine has been ignited through drives along the Broke and McDonalds roads visiting local cellar doors, much of which was driven by the constant praise bestowed on it by the likes of Len Evans. Len certainly did much to bring visitors to the Hunter Valley and it would surely be a very different place had he not settled here.
Today there is now so much more, though, than simply wine that brings visitors to the Hunter so that partners not interested in a vinous pilgrimage can be entertained while the rest of us get onto the much more serious task of tasting wines, scoffing cheese and chinking glasses. Skydiving, jet fighter flights, Fleetwood Mac, stinky cheese shops, chocolate factories and plenty of finely manicured Championship golf course greens all help to make a trip to the Hunter Valley an entertaining journey for all.
Perhaps the most exciting of recent additions to the local scene have been in the food department. While the Hunter Valley Cheese company has certainly been a pivotal place to enjoy a mid-tasting lunch for some time, the last decade in particular has seen the quality and style of the local offerings come ahead in leaps and bounds with two stunning restaurants now serving gastronomic delights of the highest quality. Andrew Clarke of Rock Restaurant regularly tantalizes the taste buds with French-inspired gems all beautifully presented in a fine dinning setting.
Quite different although equally superb is Bistro Molines, a new edition to the Hunter from local icons, Robert and Sally Molines. This serene venue is nestled in a pretty setting on Mount View Road with sweeping views across the valley serving elegant and refined fare from the best of local ingredients. Other restaurants worth checking out include Esca Bimbadgen, Margan, Roberts and Il Cacciatore at Hermitage Lodge. Coffee is a must for any serious wine traveller and there are numerous outlets where you can find a decent cup such as The Wine House and Kitchen on Broke Road, The Food Hall at Tempus Two and Ballabourneen.
At the core, though, of every visit to the Hunter Valley is vineyards and quality wine. Since the 1820’s wine has been crafted in the Hunter Valley with the semillons and shiraz particularly known for their thoroughly unique style. There is no other wine globally that matches the low alcohol (normally around 11%), fresh zesty style of semillon that can age remarkably well due largely to its balance of flavour and high acidity. So much so that there are many wines from the 1970’s and 1980’s still drinking well. If only they had been bottled in screwcap, then some would almost be immortal. In a market that is in some places moving towards lower alcohol levels, Hunter Valley semillon is a very neat fit for aging as well as drinking relatively young. The local shiraz is a wine that divides with its more moderate body and alcohol combined with earthy, gamey notes. For many years known as Hunter River Burgundy for its relatively silky texture and earthy complexity, these are wines that can age remarkably well as illustrated by some of the Lindemans releases from the 1960’s plus those from Maurice O’Shea during the 1940’s and 1950’s making these bottles some of the longest lived dry reds to be crafted in Australia. Even more remarkable is that the wines from Maurice O’Shea were made under harsh conditions including without electricity and, in some cases, during the last years of the Second World War. Chardonnay is also a local strength driven largely by the wines of Max Lake and Murray Tyrrell as well as some of Australia’s oldest plantings. Despite the warm Hunter climate both wines can age magnificently well with the modern style much leaner and fresher than some of the heavily oaked and worked examples of the past. And then there is Cabernet Sauvignon – one wine grown on a South-Easterly facing red volcanic hill that many locals believe is the area’s best piece of dirt. I am, of course, talking about Lake’s Folly. Max Lake was always bucking trends and thumbing his nose at the establishment. No better place is this illustrated than in an old bottle of Folly such as a recently shared 1985 Lake’s Folly Cabernet at 12% alcohol from a good but not great vintage that is still singing its varietal and regional origins.
While there is certainly great history to the Hunter, perhaps its strongest suit, for the moment, is a new generation of winemakers exerting greater influence over the local styles, which will continue for some time to come. While not the youngest of winemakers, Andrew Thomas has made a significant mark not only with his classic semillons from the Braemore vineyard, but more recently with an off-dry and very untraditional semillon that stylistically is closer to riesling from the Mosel valley in Germany than the usual Hunter offering. This very well could become a popular and ageworthy Hunter staple. But Thommo is far from alone with the likes of Chris Tyrrell, Scott McWilliam, PJ Marsh, Michael De Iuliis, Dan Binet, Sarah Crowe, Liz Jackson and Andrew Leembruggen also doing much to reinvigorate the Hunter Scene.
Day 1
A very pleasant drive two hours North from Hornsby, off the F3, winding up past Freeman’s Waterhole, through Cessnock and North along Wine Country Drive takes us to the centre of wine country in the Hunter Valley. Off to the right is the Lovedale road, at the base of which on the left-hand-side is the famed Mount Pleasant Lovedale Vineyard sitting in silty, clay soils. Driving past and then turning left onto Broke Road gets us on track for a visit at what is reportedly the first boutique vineyard in Australia, Lake’s Folly. (02 4998 7507 www.lakesfolly.com.au ). The gate is closed, as it is most of the year round as total production usually sells out in a couple of months but really no tour of the Hunter is quite complete without checking out these remarkable wines. At the winery winemaker Rod Kempe is racking the 2009 red, which is looking like quite the classic release showing a little bit more savoury shiraz character from some newly acquired vines included in this vintage. This year’s vintage release, due in April, is of a credible Folly Red from the difficult 2008 vintage plus the outstanding 2009 Chardonnay which while very young now, under screwcap will improve over 10 years without a problem. For fans of the style, buy up quickly as the wine will not last long at all. Next stop was just up Broke Road at Ballabourneen (www.ballabourneen.com.au 02 4998 6505) on the old site of the Evans Wine Company. Here Dan Binet, formerly of Capercaillie, and Alex Stuart have recently opened a welcoming cellar door with significant charm through which some very interesting parcels are sold. One of these is Gamay, a grape that Len Evans always thought might work in the tricky Hunter climate. Dan has made a very handy example from the 2009 vintage with a dry spicy Verdelho also from 2009 lifted by just a little sweetness also sure to please. After a tasting of the cellar door range there are also a couple of tables to sit back with a plate of cheese and a reviving coffee to watch the sun set over the Brokenback range, which is not a bad way to end a day tripping through the vineyards. The last and welcome stop for a short day was the Hermitage Lodge (www.hermitagelodge.com.au 02 4998 7639). Situated close to the intersection of Broke and McDonalds roads these bungalows are ideally located within walking distance for concerts at Hope Estate or Tempus Two as well as a variety of cellar doors. The rooms are modern and spacious overlooking vineyards with the Vineyard Suite having an outdoor spa for those looking for a little bit of luxury. Dinner was at the associated La Cacciatore Restaurant with its generous serves of hearty Italian food welcome relief for the long days ahead. Day 2 The day began with breakfast at Hermtiage Lodge, which consisted of some gently toasted muffins and, best of all, a bowl of cracking local toasted muesli. Then off to see Rhys Eather to check out the Meerea Park wines (www.meereapark.com.au 02 4998-7474 ), at The Boutique Wine Centre on Broke Road. Rhys and his brother Garth’s venture has quickly earned a reputation for some classically styled, ageworthy semillons as well as richly textured and deeply flavored reds winning them many fans. In particular the Alexander Munro wines, named after their great great grandfather who was a much admired Hunter Valley winemaker in the 1850’s, are superb, the 2004 semillon in particular just looking like it could go another twenty years, and cheap for its level of quality. Next stop was a catch up with Bruce Tyrrell at his hill top cellar door on the road towards Broke (www.tyrrells.com.au 02 4993 7000). Bruce and his family have probably done more for the Hunter Valley than anyone else in bringing quality Hunter wines to the world with the Vat 1 semillon, Vat 47 chardonnay, Vat 9 shiraz as well as Tyrrell’s 4 Acres Shiraz, from fruit planted in 1879, all among the very top Hunter wines. Other standouts in the range have always been the Stevens semillon and shiraz with current 2005 semillon just beginning the flesh out and displays a little toasty complexity although still with a long life ahead. The 2007 Stevens shiraz is a shade better showing all the quality of the vineyard with some almost tarry/spicy aromas although finishing with more traditional mid-weight and mouth coating tannins. A tip here is to get on the mailing list so you can pick up Vat 1 semillon on release at a bargain basement price. Lunch on Day 2 began with a scenic helicopter ride over the Lower Hunter Valley including a climb up and over the Brokenback Range provided by Slattery Helicopter Charter (02 4028 0000 www.helicharter.com.au ) before arriving at Bistro Molines. For a relaxed yet elegant meal in the Hunter, you just can’t go past this establishment with the freshest of ingredients and exquisite touch visible in each and every dish. An absolute standout was the sweet green asparagus topped with parmesan. quail egg and truffle with a cold tomato soup with tomato jelly, chopped onion and carrot with a little fried pancetta not far behind. After lunch I headed to the Pokolbin foothills to check out the two vastly different cellar doors of Mount Pleasant and Tinkler’s. At the impressive Mount Pleasant (www.mountpleasantwines.com.au 02 4998 7505), there is plenty to taste including iconic wines such as the Rosehill shiraz, Old Paddock and Old Hill Shiraz as well as numerous vintages of Lovedale Semillon. The everdependable 2004 Elizabeth Semillon and 2007 Philip shiraz are well priced introductions to the local styles, the 2007 Philip coming up trumps on this occasion with ripe tarry fruit and attractive length. But stepping up to the single vineyard range provides a significant leap in quality. The pick of the Lovedales was from 2003; young, bright, lanolin scented fruit – not a classic year but pretty damn good nonetheless. Of the reds, both the perennially underpiried Rosehill and Old Block and Old Hill shiraz from 2005 are standouts - chocolately, blackberry, earthy flavours backed by toasty oak and all in a powerful and mouthfilling package. From the one of the biggest names in the valley to one of the smallest, my next stop was at TInkler’s on Pokolbin Mountains road (www.tinklers.com.au 02 4998 7435). The first Tinkler arrived in the Hunter Valley in 1844 and today the family have grown to be one of the region’s largest growers whom also keep a little fruit back from themselves that is crafted into some quite distinctive wines by Usher Tinkler, winemaker at nearby Poole’s Rock. The wines are all marked by their varietal character and value, a 2009 viognier having peach blossom and apricot aromas followed by a richly textured, creamy palate. The U & I 2007 shiraz is a little more serious with sustained, powerful dark fruit flavours and well worth the $32 asking price. The Tinklers also do a side business in selling mouthwateringly fresh fruit stone fruit, table grapes, avocadoes and figs which the family grow in the hills behind the cellar door. These tasty morsels alone make a stop at TInklers well worthwhile. After a long day of talking and tasting, Rock Restaurant presents the perfect opportunity to unwind, especially on a Saturday night when the 8-course degustation menu is on offer accompanied by a modest glass of wine per course (www.rockrestaurant.com.au 02 4998 6968). Overlooking the 90 year old vineyard and lagoon, the setting is distinctly upmarket as is the service with detailed multi-layered dishes that marry complex flavours with moreish texture. A smoked Petuna trout with pickled artichoke, cucumber noodles, anchovy mousse and mushroom broth almost evaporated off the plate as did the soft venison with Qunioa, golden beetroot, pear jelly, parsley oil and Madeira sauce. Overall a very fine dining experience and one that would effortlessly fit in any capital city. Day 3 An early start today for the long drive out to Broke to see Rod Windrim at Krinklewood and taste his wines made from biodynamically grown fruit. Despite the problems you’d expect in a region as wet as the Hunter Valley, Rod has managed to stick to his biodynamic guns even in the washout 2008 vintage to make some excellent wines. Broke is significantly cooler than the Lower Hunter Valley which gives the wines from Krinklewood a little more freshness as displayed in the 2009 verdelho. However, the current standout is a tempranillo from 2005 with some quite authentic cherry fruit flavours supported by characteristic rustic tannins suggesting the Hunter may have some potential with this Spanish varietal. Back to the lower Hunter for a visit with Michael De Iuliis at the impressive De Iuliis cellar door on Broke Road (www.dewine.com.au 02 4993 8000). In a short seven years since opening Michael De Iuliis has managed to bag a handful of trophies at the Hunter Valley and Small Winemakers Shows for his exceptional Shiraz, wines that show dense fruit concentration backed by sweet powdery tannins. Michael is also clearly handy with chardonnay as well with the 2009 vintage in particular showing good balance between fresh, zesty fruit flavours combined with wild yeasts characters and well-handled oak. In comparison the De Iuliis style of shiraz is muscular and powerful with deeply coloured and full-bodied wines showing intense dark fruit flavours enhanced by toasty oak, sweet tannins and genuine fruit length. On the home stretch now and heading towards a modern Hunter legend, Brokenwood (www.brokenwood.com.au 02 4998 7559). While now sourcing fruit from many regions around the country, their home is still the Hunter Valley, and the source for two of their finest wines. Semillon, unsurprisingly, has always been a stalwart with the vintage releases well worth a look. While the 2004 ILR semillon is a fine wine, I reckon the 2004 Oakey Creek pips it with some lovely fresh acid lines and a touch of lanolin complexity. Then there is the 2007 Graveyard Shiraz which has already gained legendary status. An absolute Hunter classic in the making with the unique local fingerprint of power combined with a seductive texture and silky tannins that will see it drink beautifully for at least a decade if not two. Definitely one for the cellar. The weekend, though, could not have been finished any better than with quick afternoon stroll through the Braemore vineyard on Hermitage road with Andrew Thomas of Thomas wines (www.thomaswines.com.au 02 6574 7371) and an ice-cold beer. Here an ancient riverbed snakes through the vineyard providing the much-desired sandy soils, and more importantly, a perfect home for some of the regions most distinctive semillon. The 2009 Braemore semillon is just a baby all tightly focused lemon juice aromas with great minerality and tension on the palate. The Thomas Kiss is a more modern style of Hunter shiraz with greater fruit sweetness than the norm yet still retains a degree of softness and earthy, leathery complexity. 2007 is probably the best vintage yet, and that is saying something, with beautifully defined dark fruit flaovours encased in fine yet muscular tannins with a tremendous finish. I was also fortunate enough to taste a barrel sample of a new, yet to be named, red wine from the 2009 vintage sourced from a gnarled old vineyard that Thommo calls the Motel block to which he has added 8% of old vine trebbiano. It will be fascinating to see how this novel blend matures although there is no reason why it can not join the other Thomas wines as modern regional benchmarks. Great long-lived semillon and characterful, individual shiraz – what else would you expect from the Hunter Valley? Events There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
Next stop was just up Broke Road at Ballabourneen (www.ballabourneen.com.au 02 4998 6505) on the old site of the Evans Wine Company. Here Dan Binet, formerly of Capercaillie, and Alex Stuart have recently opened a welcoming cellar door with significant charm through which some very interesting parcels are sold. One of these is Gamay, a grape that Len Evans always thought might work in the tricky Hunter climate. Dan has made a very handy example from the 2009 vintage with a dry spicy Verdelho also from 2009 lifted by just a little sweetness also sure to please. After a tasting of the cellar door range there are also a couple of tables to sit back with a plate of cheese and a reviving coffee to watch the sun set over the Brokenback range, which is not a bad way to end a day tripping through the vineyards. The last and welcome stop for a short day was the Hermitage Lodge (www.hermitagelodge.com.au 02 4998 7639). Situated close to the intersection of Broke and McDonalds roads these bungalows are ideally located within walking distance for concerts at Hope Estate or Tempus Two as well as a variety of cellar doors. The rooms are modern and spacious overlooking vineyards with the Vineyard Suite having an outdoor spa for those looking for a little bit of luxury. Dinner was at the associated La Cacciatore Restaurant with its generous serves of hearty Italian food welcome relief for the long days ahead. Day 2 The day began with breakfast at Hermtiage Lodge, which consisted of some gently toasted muffins and, best of all, a bowl of cracking local toasted muesli. Then off to see Rhys Eather to check out the Meerea Park wines (www.meereapark.com.au 02 4998-7474 ), at The Boutique Wine Centre on Broke Road. Rhys and his brother Garth’s venture has quickly earned a reputation for some classically styled, ageworthy semillons as well as richly textured and deeply flavored reds winning them many fans. In particular the Alexander Munro wines, named after their great great grandfather who was a much admired Hunter Valley winemaker in the 1850’s, are superb, the 2004 semillon in particular just looking like it could go another twenty years, and cheap for its level of quality. Next stop was a catch up with Bruce Tyrrell at his hill top cellar door on the road towards Broke (www.tyrrells.com.au 02 4993 7000). Bruce and his family have probably done more for the Hunter Valley than anyone else in bringing quality Hunter wines to the world with the Vat 1 semillon, Vat 47 chardonnay, Vat 9 shiraz as well as Tyrrell’s 4 Acres Shiraz, from fruit planted in 1879, all among the very top Hunter wines. Other standouts in the range have always been the Stevens semillon and shiraz with current 2005 semillon just beginning the flesh out and displays a little toasty complexity although still with a long life ahead. The 2007 Stevens shiraz is a shade better showing all the quality of the vineyard with some almost tarry/spicy aromas although finishing with more traditional mid-weight and mouth coating tannins. A tip here is to get on the mailing list so you can pick up Vat 1 semillon on release at a bargain basement price. Lunch on Day 2 began with a scenic helicopter ride over the Lower Hunter Valley including a climb up and over the Brokenback Range provided by Slattery Helicopter Charter (02 4028 0000 www.helicharter.com.au ) before arriving at Bistro Molines. For a relaxed yet elegant meal in the Hunter, you just can’t go past this establishment with the freshest of ingredients and exquisite touch visible in each and every dish. An absolute standout was the sweet green asparagus topped with parmesan. quail egg and truffle with a cold tomato soup with tomato jelly, chopped onion and carrot with a little fried pancetta not far behind. After lunch I headed to the Pokolbin foothills to check out the two vastly different cellar doors of Mount Pleasant and Tinkler’s. At the impressive Mount Pleasant (www.mountpleasantwines.com.au 02 4998 7505), there is plenty to taste including iconic wines such as the Rosehill shiraz, Old Paddock and Old Hill Shiraz as well as numerous vintages of Lovedale Semillon. The everdependable 2004 Elizabeth Semillon and 2007 Philip shiraz are well priced introductions to the local styles, the 2007 Philip coming up trumps on this occasion with ripe tarry fruit and attractive length. But stepping up to the single vineyard range provides a significant leap in quality. The pick of the Lovedales was from 2003; young, bright, lanolin scented fruit – not a classic year but pretty damn good nonetheless. Of the reds, both the perennially underpiried Rosehill and Old Block and Old Hill shiraz from 2005 are standouts - chocolately, blackberry, earthy flavours backed by toasty oak and all in a powerful and mouthfilling package. From the one of the biggest names in the valley to one of the smallest, my next stop was at TInkler’s on Pokolbin Mountains road (www.tinklers.com.au 02 4998 7435). The first Tinkler arrived in the Hunter Valley in 1844 and today the family have grown to be one of the region’s largest growers whom also keep a little fruit back from themselves that is crafted into some quite distinctive wines by Usher Tinkler, winemaker at nearby Poole’s Rock. The wines are all marked by their varietal character and value, a 2009 viognier having peach blossom and apricot aromas followed by a richly textured, creamy palate. The U & I 2007 shiraz is a little more serious with sustained, powerful dark fruit flavours and well worth the $32 asking price. The Tinklers also do a side business in selling mouthwateringly fresh fruit stone fruit, table grapes, avocadoes and figs which the family grow in the hills behind the cellar door. These tasty morsels alone make a stop at TInklers well worthwhile. After a long day of talking and tasting, Rock Restaurant presents the perfect opportunity to unwind, especially on a Saturday night when the 8-course degustation menu is on offer accompanied by a modest glass of wine per course (www.rockrestaurant.com.au 02 4998 6968). Overlooking the 90 year old vineyard and lagoon, the setting is distinctly upmarket as is the service with detailed multi-layered dishes that marry complex flavours with moreish texture. A smoked Petuna trout with pickled artichoke, cucumber noodles, anchovy mousse and mushroom broth almost evaporated off the plate as did the soft venison with Qunioa, golden beetroot, pear jelly, parsley oil and Madeira sauce. Overall a very fine dining experience and one that would effortlessly fit in any capital city. Day 3 An early start today for the long drive out to Broke to see Rod Windrim at Krinklewood and taste his wines made from biodynamically grown fruit. Despite the problems you’d expect in a region as wet as the Hunter Valley, Rod has managed to stick to his biodynamic guns even in the washout 2008 vintage to make some excellent wines. Broke is significantly cooler than the Lower Hunter Valley which gives the wines from Krinklewood a little more freshness as displayed in the 2009 verdelho. However, the current standout is a tempranillo from 2005 with some quite authentic cherry fruit flavours supported by characteristic rustic tannins suggesting the Hunter may have some potential with this Spanish varietal. Back to the lower Hunter for a visit with Michael De Iuliis at the impressive De Iuliis cellar door on Broke Road (www.dewine.com.au 02 4993 8000). In a short seven years since opening Michael De Iuliis has managed to bag a handful of trophies at the Hunter Valley and Small Winemakers Shows for his exceptional Shiraz, wines that show dense fruit concentration backed by sweet powdery tannins. Michael is also clearly handy with chardonnay as well with the 2009 vintage in particular showing good balance between fresh, zesty fruit flavours combined with wild yeasts characters and well-handled oak. In comparison the De Iuliis style of shiraz is muscular and powerful with deeply coloured and full-bodied wines showing intense dark fruit flavours enhanced by toasty oak, sweet tannins and genuine fruit length. On the home stretch now and heading towards a modern Hunter legend, Brokenwood (www.brokenwood.com.au 02 4998 7559). While now sourcing fruit from many regions around the country, their home is still the Hunter Valley, and the source for two of their finest wines. Semillon, unsurprisingly, has always been a stalwart with the vintage releases well worth a look. While the 2004 ILR semillon is a fine wine, I reckon the 2004 Oakey Creek pips it with some lovely fresh acid lines and a touch of lanolin complexity. Then there is the 2007 Graveyard Shiraz which has already gained legendary status. An absolute Hunter classic in the making with the unique local fingerprint of power combined with a seductive texture and silky tannins that will see it drink beautifully for at least a decade if not two. Definitely one for the cellar. The weekend, though, could not have been finished any better than with quick afternoon stroll through the Braemore vineyard on Hermitage road with Andrew Thomas of Thomas wines (www.thomaswines.com.au 02 6574 7371) and an ice-cold beer. Here an ancient riverbed snakes through the vineyard providing the much-desired sandy soils, and more importantly, a perfect home for some of the regions most distinctive semillon. The 2009 Braemore semillon is just a baby all tightly focused lemon juice aromas with great minerality and tension on the palate. The Thomas Kiss is a more modern style of Hunter shiraz with greater fruit sweetness than the norm yet still retains a degree of softness and earthy, leathery complexity. 2007 is probably the best vintage yet, and that is saying something, with beautifully defined dark fruit flaovours encased in fine yet muscular tannins with a tremendous finish. I was also fortunate enough to taste a barrel sample of a new, yet to be named, red wine from the 2009 vintage sourced from a gnarled old vineyard that Thommo calls the Motel block to which he has added 8% of old vine trebbiano. It will be fascinating to see how this novel blend matures although there is no reason why it can not join the other Thomas wines as modern regional benchmarks. Great long-lived semillon and characterful, individual shiraz – what else would you expect from the Hunter Valley? Events There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
The last and welcome stop for a short day was the Hermitage Lodge (www.hermitagelodge.com.au 02 4998 7639). Situated close to the intersection of Broke and McDonalds roads these bungalows are ideally located within walking distance for concerts at Hope Estate or Tempus Two as well as a variety of cellar doors. The rooms are modern and spacious overlooking vineyards with the Vineyard Suite having an outdoor spa for those looking for a little bit of luxury. Dinner was at the associated La Cacciatore Restaurant with its generous serves of hearty Italian food welcome relief for the long days ahead. Day 2 The day began with breakfast at Hermtiage Lodge, which consisted of some gently toasted muffins and, best of all, a bowl of cracking local toasted muesli. Then off to see Rhys Eather to check out the Meerea Park wines (www.meereapark.com.au 02 4998-7474 ), at The Boutique Wine Centre on Broke Road. Rhys and his brother Garth’s venture has quickly earned a reputation for some classically styled, ageworthy semillons as well as richly textured and deeply flavored reds winning them many fans. In particular the Alexander Munro wines, named after their great great grandfather who was a much admired Hunter Valley winemaker in the 1850’s, are superb, the 2004 semillon in particular just looking like it could go another twenty years, and cheap for its level of quality. Next stop was a catch up with Bruce Tyrrell at his hill top cellar door on the road towards Broke (www.tyrrells.com.au 02 4993 7000). Bruce and his family have probably done more for the Hunter Valley than anyone else in bringing quality Hunter wines to the world with the Vat 1 semillon, Vat 47 chardonnay, Vat 9 shiraz as well as Tyrrell’s 4 Acres Shiraz, from fruit planted in 1879, all among the very top Hunter wines. Other standouts in the range have always been the Stevens semillon and shiraz with current 2005 semillon just beginning the flesh out and displays a little toasty complexity although still with a long life ahead. The 2007 Stevens shiraz is a shade better showing all the quality of the vineyard with some almost tarry/spicy aromas although finishing with more traditional mid-weight and mouth coating tannins. A tip here is to get on the mailing list so you can pick up Vat 1 semillon on release at a bargain basement price. Lunch on Day 2 began with a scenic helicopter ride over the Lower Hunter Valley including a climb up and over the Brokenback Range provided by Slattery Helicopter Charter (02 4028 0000 www.helicharter.com.au ) before arriving at Bistro Molines. For a relaxed yet elegant meal in the Hunter, you just can’t go past this establishment with the freshest of ingredients and exquisite touch visible in each and every dish. An absolute standout was the sweet green asparagus topped with parmesan. quail egg and truffle with a cold tomato soup with tomato jelly, chopped onion and carrot with a little fried pancetta not far behind. After lunch I headed to the Pokolbin foothills to check out the two vastly different cellar doors of Mount Pleasant and Tinkler’s. At the impressive Mount Pleasant (www.mountpleasantwines.com.au 02 4998 7505), there is plenty to taste including iconic wines such as the Rosehill shiraz, Old Paddock and Old Hill Shiraz as well as numerous vintages of Lovedale Semillon. The everdependable 2004 Elizabeth Semillon and 2007 Philip shiraz are well priced introductions to the local styles, the 2007 Philip coming up trumps on this occasion with ripe tarry fruit and attractive length. But stepping up to the single vineyard range provides a significant leap in quality. The pick of the Lovedales was from 2003; young, bright, lanolin scented fruit – not a classic year but pretty damn good nonetheless. Of the reds, both the perennially underpiried Rosehill and Old Block and Old Hill shiraz from 2005 are standouts - chocolately, blackberry, earthy flavours backed by toasty oak and all in a powerful and mouthfilling package. From the one of the biggest names in the valley to one of the smallest, my next stop was at TInkler’s on Pokolbin Mountains road (www.tinklers.com.au 02 4998 7435). The first Tinkler arrived in the Hunter Valley in 1844 and today the family have grown to be one of the region’s largest growers whom also keep a little fruit back from themselves that is crafted into some quite distinctive wines by Usher Tinkler, winemaker at nearby Poole’s Rock. The wines are all marked by their varietal character and value, a 2009 viognier having peach blossom and apricot aromas followed by a richly textured, creamy palate. The U & I 2007 shiraz is a little more serious with sustained, powerful dark fruit flavours and well worth the $32 asking price. The Tinklers also do a side business in selling mouthwateringly fresh fruit stone fruit, table grapes, avocadoes and figs which the family grow in the hills behind the cellar door. These tasty morsels alone make a stop at TInklers well worthwhile. After a long day of talking and tasting, Rock Restaurant presents the perfect opportunity to unwind, especially on a Saturday night when the 8-course degustation menu is on offer accompanied by a modest glass of wine per course (www.rockrestaurant.com.au 02 4998 6968). Overlooking the 90 year old vineyard and lagoon, the setting is distinctly upmarket as is the service with detailed multi-layered dishes that marry complex flavours with moreish texture. A smoked Petuna trout with pickled artichoke, cucumber noodles, anchovy mousse and mushroom broth almost evaporated off the plate as did the soft venison with Qunioa, golden beetroot, pear jelly, parsley oil and Madeira sauce. Overall a very fine dining experience and one that would effortlessly fit in any capital city. Day 3 An early start today for the long drive out to Broke to see Rod Windrim at Krinklewood and taste his wines made from biodynamically grown fruit. Despite the problems you’d expect in a region as wet as the Hunter Valley, Rod has managed to stick to his biodynamic guns even in the washout 2008 vintage to make some excellent wines. Broke is significantly cooler than the Lower Hunter Valley which gives the wines from Krinklewood a little more freshness as displayed in the 2009 verdelho. However, the current standout is a tempranillo from 2005 with some quite authentic cherry fruit flavours supported by characteristic rustic tannins suggesting the Hunter may have some potential with this Spanish varietal. Back to the lower Hunter for a visit with Michael De Iuliis at the impressive De Iuliis cellar door on Broke Road (www.dewine.com.au 02 4993 8000). In a short seven years since opening Michael De Iuliis has managed to bag a handful of trophies at the Hunter Valley and Small Winemakers Shows for his exceptional Shiraz, wines that show dense fruit concentration backed by sweet powdery tannins. Michael is also clearly handy with chardonnay as well with the 2009 vintage in particular showing good balance between fresh, zesty fruit flavours combined with wild yeasts characters and well-handled oak. In comparison the De Iuliis style of shiraz is muscular and powerful with deeply coloured and full-bodied wines showing intense dark fruit flavours enhanced by toasty oak, sweet tannins and genuine fruit length. On the home stretch now and heading towards a modern Hunter legend, Brokenwood (www.brokenwood.com.au 02 4998 7559). While now sourcing fruit from many regions around the country, their home is still the Hunter Valley, and the source for two of their finest wines. Semillon, unsurprisingly, has always been a stalwart with the vintage releases well worth a look. While the 2004 ILR semillon is a fine wine, I reckon the 2004 Oakey Creek pips it with some lovely fresh acid lines and a touch of lanolin complexity. Then there is the 2007 Graveyard Shiraz which has already gained legendary status. An absolute Hunter classic in the making with the unique local fingerprint of power combined with a seductive texture and silky tannins that will see it drink beautifully for at least a decade if not two. Definitely one for the cellar. The weekend, though, could not have been finished any better than with quick afternoon stroll through the Braemore vineyard on Hermitage road with Andrew Thomas of Thomas wines (www.thomaswines.com.au 02 6574 7371) and an ice-cold beer. Here an ancient riverbed snakes through the vineyard providing the much-desired sandy soils, and more importantly, a perfect home for some of the regions most distinctive semillon. The 2009 Braemore semillon is just a baby all tightly focused lemon juice aromas with great minerality and tension on the palate. The Thomas Kiss is a more modern style of Hunter shiraz with greater fruit sweetness than the norm yet still retains a degree of softness and earthy, leathery complexity. 2007 is probably the best vintage yet, and that is saying something, with beautifully defined dark fruit flaovours encased in fine yet muscular tannins with a tremendous finish. I was also fortunate enough to taste a barrel sample of a new, yet to be named, red wine from the 2009 vintage sourced from a gnarled old vineyard that Thommo calls the Motel block to which he has added 8% of old vine trebbiano. It will be fascinating to see how this novel blend matures although there is no reason why it can not join the other Thomas wines as modern regional benchmarks. Great long-lived semillon and characterful, individual shiraz – what else would you expect from the Hunter Valley? Events There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
Day 2
The day began with breakfast at Hermtiage Lodge, which consisted of some gently toasted muffins and, best of all, a bowl of cracking local toasted muesli. Then off to see Rhys Eather to check out the Meerea Park wines (www.meereapark.com.au 02 4998-7474 ), at The Boutique Wine Centre on Broke Road. Rhys and his brother Garth’s venture has quickly earned a reputation for some classically styled, ageworthy semillons as well as richly textured and deeply flavored reds winning them many fans. In particular the Alexander Munro wines, named after their great great grandfather who was a much admired Hunter Valley winemaker in the 1850’s, are superb, the 2004 semillon in particular just looking like it could go another twenty years, and cheap for its level of quality. Next stop was a catch up with Bruce Tyrrell at his hill top cellar door on the road towards Broke (www.tyrrells.com.au 02 4993 7000). Bruce and his family have probably done more for the Hunter Valley than anyone else in bringing quality Hunter wines to the world with the Vat 1 semillon, Vat 47 chardonnay, Vat 9 shiraz as well as Tyrrell’s 4 Acres Shiraz, from fruit planted in 1879, all among the very top Hunter wines. Other standouts in the range have always been the Stevens semillon and shiraz with current 2005 semillon just beginning the flesh out and displays a little toasty complexity although still with a long life ahead. The 2007 Stevens shiraz is a shade better showing all the quality of the vineyard with some almost tarry/spicy aromas although finishing with more traditional mid-weight and mouth coating tannins. A tip here is to get on the mailing list so you can pick up Vat 1 semillon on release at a bargain basement price. Lunch on Day 2 began with a scenic helicopter ride over the Lower Hunter Valley including a climb up and over the Brokenback Range provided by Slattery Helicopter Charter (02 4028 0000 www.helicharter.com.au ) before arriving at Bistro Molines. For a relaxed yet elegant meal in the Hunter, you just can’t go past this establishment with the freshest of ingredients and exquisite touch visible in each and every dish. An absolute standout was the sweet green asparagus topped with parmesan. quail egg and truffle with a cold tomato soup with tomato jelly, chopped onion and carrot with a little fried pancetta not far behind. After lunch I headed to the Pokolbin foothills to check out the two vastly different cellar doors of Mount Pleasant and Tinkler’s. At the impressive Mount Pleasant (www.mountpleasantwines.com.au 02 4998 7505), there is plenty to taste including iconic wines such as the Rosehill shiraz, Old Paddock and Old Hill Shiraz as well as numerous vintages of Lovedale Semillon. The everdependable 2004 Elizabeth Semillon and 2007 Philip shiraz are well priced introductions to the local styles, the 2007 Philip coming up trumps on this occasion with ripe tarry fruit and attractive length. But stepping up to the single vineyard range provides a significant leap in quality. The pick of the Lovedales was from 2003; young, bright, lanolin scented fruit – not a classic year but pretty damn good nonetheless. Of the reds, both the perennially underpiried Rosehill and Old Block and Old Hill shiraz from 2005 are standouts - chocolately, blackberry, earthy flavours backed by toasty oak and all in a powerful and mouthfilling package. From the one of the biggest names in the valley to one of the smallest, my next stop was at TInkler’s on Pokolbin Mountains road (www.tinklers.com.au 02 4998 7435). The first Tinkler arrived in the Hunter Valley in 1844 and today the family have grown to be one of the region’s largest growers whom also keep a little fruit back from themselves that is crafted into some quite distinctive wines by Usher Tinkler, winemaker at nearby Poole’s Rock. The wines are all marked by their varietal character and value, a 2009 viognier having peach blossom and apricot aromas followed by a richly textured, creamy palate. The U & I 2007 shiraz is a little more serious with sustained, powerful dark fruit flavours and well worth the $32 asking price. The Tinklers also do a side business in selling mouthwateringly fresh fruit stone fruit, table grapes, avocadoes and figs which the family grow in the hills behind the cellar door. These tasty morsels alone make a stop at TInklers well worthwhile. After a long day of talking and tasting, Rock Restaurant presents the perfect opportunity to unwind, especially on a Saturday night when the 8-course degustation menu is on offer accompanied by a modest glass of wine per course (www.rockrestaurant.com.au 02 4998 6968). Overlooking the 90 year old vineyard and lagoon, the setting is distinctly upmarket as is the service with detailed multi-layered dishes that marry complex flavours with moreish texture. A smoked Petuna trout with pickled artichoke, cucumber noodles, anchovy mousse and mushroom broth almost evaporated off the plate as did the soft venison with Qunioa, golden beetroot, pear jelly, parsley oil and Madeira sauce. Overall a very fine dining experience and one that would effortlessly fit in any capital city. Day 3 An early start today for the long drive out to Broke to see Rod Windrim at Krinklewood and taste his wines made from biodynamically grown fruit. Despite the problems you’d expect in a region as wet as the Hunter Valley, Rod has managed to stick to his biodynamic guns even in the washout 2008 vintage to make some excellent wines. Broke is significantly cooler than the Lower Hunter Valley which gives the wines from Krinklewood a little more freshness as displayed in the 2009 verdelho. However, the current standout is a tempranillo from 2005 with some quite authentic cherry fruit flavours supported by characteristic rustic tannins suggesting the Hunter may have some potential with this Spanish varietal. Back to the lower Hunter for a visit with Michael De Iuliis at the impressive De Iuliis cellar door on Broke Road (www.dewine.com.au 02 4993 8000). In a short seven years since opening Michael De Iuliis has managed to bag a handful of trophies at the Hunter Valley and Small Winemakers Shows for his exceptional Shiraz, wines that show dense fruit concentration backed by sweet powdery tannins. Michael is also clearly handy with chardonnay as well with the 2009 vintage in particular showing good balance between fresh, zesty fruit flavours combined with wild yeasts characters and well-handled oak. In comparison the De Iuliis style of shiraz is muscular and powerful with deeply coloured and full-bodied wines showing intense dark fruit flavours enhanced by toasty oak, sweet tannins and genuine fruit length. On the home stretch now and heading towards a modern Hunter legend, Brokenwood (www.brokenwood.com.au 02 4998 7559). While now sourcing fruit from many regions around the country, their home is still the Hunter Valley, and the source for two of their finest wines. Semillon, unsurprisingly, has always been a stalwart with the vintage releases well worth a look. While the 2004 ILR semillon is a fine wine, I reckon the 2004 Oakey Creek pips it with some lovely fresh acid lines and a touch of lanolin complexity. Then there is the 2007 Graveyard Shiraz which has already gained legendary status. An absolute Hunter classic in the making with the unique local fingerprint of power combined with a seductive texture and silky tannins that will see it drink beautifully for at least a decade if not two. Definitely one for the cellar. The weekend, though, could not have been finished any better than with quick afternoon stroll through the Braemore vineyard on Hermitage road with Andrew Thomas of Thomas wines (www.thomaswines.com.au 02 6574 7371) and an ice-cold beer. Here an ancient riverbed snakes through the vineyard providing the much-desired sandy soils, and more importantly, a perfect home for some of the regions most distinctive semillon. The 2009 Braemore semillon is just a baby all tightly focused lemon juice aromas with great minerality and tension on the palate. The Thomas Kiss is a more modern style of Hunter shiraz with greater fruit sweetness than the norm yet still retains a degree of softness and earthy, leathery complexity. 2007 is probably the best vintage yet, and that is saying something, with beautifully defined dark fruit flaovours encased in fine yet muscular tannins with a tremendous finish. I was also fortunate enough to taste a barrel sample of a new, yet to be named, red wine from the 2009 vintage sourced from a gnarled old vineyard that Thommo calls the Motel block to which he has added 8% of old vine trebbiano. It will be fascinating to see how this novel blend matures although there is no reason why it can not join the other Thomas wines as modern regional benchmarks. Great long-lived semillon and characterful, individual shiraz – what else would you expect from the Hunter Valley? Events There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
Next stop was a catch up with Bruce Tyrrell at his hill top cellar door on the road towards Broke (www.tyrrells.com.au 02 4993 7000). Bruce and his family have probably done more for the Hunter Valley than anyone else in bringing quality Hunter wines to the world with the Vat 1 semillon, Vat 47 chardonnay, Vat 9 shiraz as well as Tyrrell’s 4 Acres Shiraz, from fruit planted in 1879, all among the very top Hunter wines. Other standouts in the range have always been the Stevens semillon and shiraz with current 2005 semillon just beginning the flesh out and displays a little toasty complexity although still with a long life ahead. The 2007 Stevens shiraz is a shade better showing all the quality of the vineyard with some almost tarry/spicy aromas although finishing with more traditional mid-weight and mouth coating tannins. A tip here is to get on the mailing list so you can pick up Vat 1 semillon on release at a bargain basement price. Lunch on Day 2 began with a scenic helicopter ride over the Lower Hunter Valley including a climb up and over the Brokenback Range provided by Slattery Helicopter Charter (02 4028 0000 www.helicharter.com.au ) before arriving at Bistro Molines. For a relaxed yet elegant meal in the Hunter, you just can’t go past this establishment with the freshest of ingredients and exquisite touch visible in each and every dish. An absolute standout was the sweet green asparagus topped with parmesan. quail egg and truffle with a cold tomato soup with tomato jelly, chopped onion and carrot with a little fried pancetta not far behind. After lunch I headed to the Pokolbin foothills to check out the two vastly different cellar doors of Mount Pleasant and Tinkler’s. At the impressive Mount Pleasant (www.mountpleasantwines.com.au 02 4998 7505), there is plenty to taste including iconic wines such as the Rosehill shiraz, Old Paddock and Old Hill Shiraz as well as numerous vintages of Lovedale Semillon. The everdependable 2004 Elizabeth Semillon and 2007 Philip shiraz are well priced introductions to the local styles, the 2007 Philip coming up trumps on this occasion with ripe tarry fruit and attractive length. But stepping up to the single vineyard range provides a significant leap in quality. The pick of the Lovedales was from 2003; young, bright, lanolin scented fruit – not a classic year but pretty damn good nonetheless. Of the reds, both the perennially underpiried Rosehill and Old Block and Old Hill shiraz from 2005 are standouts - chocolately, blackberry, earthy flavours backed by toasty oak and all in a powerful and mouthfilling package. From the one of the biggest names in the valley to one of the smallest, my next stop was at TInkler’s on Pokolbin Mountains road (www.tinklers.com.au 02 4998 7435). The first Tinkler arrived in the Hunter Valley in 1844 and today the family have grown to be one of the region’s largest growers whom also keep a little fruit back from themselves that is crafted into some quite distinctive wines by Usher Tinkler, winemaker at nearby Poole’s Rock. The wines are all marked by their varietal character and value, a 2009 viognier having peach blossom and apricot aromas followed by a richly textured, creamy palate. The U & I 2007 shiraz is a little more serious with sustained, powerful dark fruit flavours and well worth the $32 asking price. The Tinklers also do a side business in selling mouthwateringly fresh fruit stone fruit, table grapes, avocadoes and figs which the family grow in the hills behind the cellar door. These tasty morsels alone make a stop at TInklers well worthwhile. After a long day of talking and tasting, Rock Restaurant presents the perfect opportunity to unwind, especially on a Saturday night when the 8-course degustation menu is on offer accompanied by a modest glass of wine per course (www.rockrestaurant.com.au 02 4998 6968). Overlooking the 90 year old vineyard and lagoon, the setting is distinctly upmarket as is the service with detailed multi-layered dishes that marry complex flavours with moreish texture. A smoked Petuna trout with pickled artichoke, cucumber noodles, anchovy mousse and mushroom broth almost evaporated off the plate as did the soft venison with Qunioa, golden beetroot, pear jelly, parsley oil and Madeira sauce. Overall a very fine dining experience and one that would effortlessly fit in any capital city. Day 3 An early start today for the long drive out to Broke to see Rod Windrim at Krinklewood and taste his wines made from biodynamically grown fruit. Despite the problems you’d expect in a region as wet as the Hunter Valley, Rod has managed to stick to his biodynamic guns even in the washout 2008 vintage to make some excellent wines. Broke is significantly cooler than the Lower Hunter Valley which gives the wines from Krinklewood a little more freshness as displayed in the 2009 verdelho. However, the current standout is a tempranillo from 2005 with some quite authentic cherry fruit flavours supported by characteristic rustic tannins suggesting the Hunter may have some potential with this Spanish varietal. Back to the lower Hunter for a visit with Michael De Iuliis at the impressive De Iuliis cellar door on Broke Road (www.dewine.com.au 02 4993 8000). In a short seven years since opening Michael De Iuliis has managed to bag a handful of trophies at the Hunter Valley and Small Winemakers Shows for his exceptional Shiraz, wines that show dense fruit concentration backed by sweet powdery tannins. Michael is also clearly handy with chardonnay as well with the 2009 vintage in particular showing good balance between fresh, zesty fruit flavours combined with wild yeasts characters and well-handled oak. In comparison the De Iuliis style of shiraz is muscular and powerful with deeply coloured and full-bodied wines showing intense dark fruit flavours enhanced by toasty oak, sweet tannins and genuine fruit length. On the home stretch now and heading towards a modern Hunter legend, Brokenwood (www.brokenwood.com.au 02 4998 7559). While now sourcing fruit from many regions around the country, their home is still the Hunter Valley, and the source for two of their finest wines. Semillon, unsurprisingly, has always been a stalwart with the vintage releases well worth a look. While the 2004 ILR semillon is a fine wine, I reckon the 2004 Oakey Creek pips it with some lovely fresh acid lines and a touch of lanolin complexity. Then there is the 2007 Graveyard Shiraz which has already gained legendary status. An absolute Hunter classic in the making with the unique local fingerprint of power combined with a seductive texture and silky tannins that will see it drink beautifully for at least a decade if not two. Definitely one for the cellar. The weekend, though, could not have been finished any better than with quick afternoon stroll through the Braemore vineyard on Hermitage road with Andrew Thomas of Thomas wines (www.thomaswines.com.au 02 6574 7371) and an ice-cold beer. Here an ancient riverbed snakes through the vineyard providing the much-desired sandy soils, and more importantly, a perfect home for some of the regions most distinctive semillon. The 2009 Braemore semillon is just a baby all tightly focused lemon juice aromas with great minerality and tension on the palate. The Thomas Kiss is a more modern style of Hunter shiraz with greater fruit sweetness than the norm yet still retains a degree of softness and earthy, leathery complexity. 2007 is probably the best vintage yet, and that is saying something, with beautifully defined dark fruit flaovours encased in fine yet muscular tannins with a tremendous finish. I was also fortunate enough to taste a barrel sample of a new, yet to be named, red wine from the 2009 vintage sourced from a gnarled old vineyard that Thommo calls the Motel block to which he has added 8% of old vine trebbiano. It will be fascinating to see how this novel blend matures although there is no reason why it can not join the other Thomas wines as modern regional benchmarks. Great long-lived semillon and characterful, individual shiraz – what else would you expect from the Hunter Valley? Events There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
Lunch on Day 2 began with a scenic helicopter ride over the Lower Hunter Valley including a climb up and over the Brokenback Range provided by Slattery Helicopter Charter (02 4028 0000 www.helicharter.com.au ) before arriving at Bistro Molines. For a relaxed yet elegant meal in the Hunter, you just can’t go past this establishment with the freshest of ingredients and exquisite touch visible in each and every dish. An absolute standout was the sweet green asparagus topped with parmesan. quail egg and truffle with a cold tomato soup with tomato jelly, chopped onion and carrot with a little fried pancetta not far behind. After lunch I headed to the Pokolbin foothills to check out the two vastly different cellar doors of Mount Pleasant and Tinkler’s. At the impressive Mount Pleasant (www.mountpleasantwines.com.au 02 4998 7505), there is plenty to taste including iconic wines such as the Rosehill shiraz, Old Paddock and Old Hill Shiraz as well as numerous vintages of Lovedale Semillon. The everdependable 2004 Elizabeth Semillon and 2007 Philip shiraz are well priced introductions to the local styles, the 2007 Philip coming up trumps on this occasion with ripe tarry fruit and attractive length. But stepping up to the single vineyard range provides a significant leap in quality. The pick of the Lovedales was from 2003; young, bright, lanolin scented fruit – not a classic year but pretty damn good nonetheless. Of the reds, both the perennially underpiried Rosehill and Old Block and Old Hill shiraz from 2005 are standouts - chocolately, blackberry, earthy flavours backed by toasty oak and all in a powerful and mouthfilling package. From the one of the biggest names in the valley to one of the smallest, my next stop was at TInkler’s on Pokolbin Mountains road (www.tinklers.com.au 02 4998 7435). The first Tinkler arrived in the Hunter Valley in 1844 and today the family have grown to be one of the region’s largest growers whom also keep a little fruit back from themselves that is crafted into some quite distinctive wines by Usher Tinkler, winemaker at nearby Poole’s Rock. The wines are all marked by their varietal character and value, a 2009 viognier having peach blossom and apricot aromas followed by a richly textured, creamy palate. The U & I 2007 shiraz is a little more serious with sustained, powerful dark fruit flavours and well worth the $32 asking price. The Tinklers also do a side business in selling mouthwateringly fresh fruit stone fruit, table grapes, avocadoes and figs which the family grow in the hills behind the cellar door. These tasty morsels alone make a stop at TInklers well worthwhile. After a long day of talking and tasting, Rock Restaurant presents the perfect opportunity to unwind, especially on a Saturday night when the 8-course degustation menu is on offer accompanied by a modest glass of wine per course (www.rockrestaurant.com.au 02 4998 6968). Overlooking the 90 year old vineyard and lagoon, the setting is distinctly upmarket as is the service with detailed multi-layered dishes that marry complex flavours with moreish texture. A smoked Petuna trout with pickled artichoke, cucumber noodles, anchovy mousse and mushroom broth almost evaporated off the plate as did the soft venison with Qunioa, golden beetroot, pear jelly, parsley oil and Madeira sauce. Overall a very fine dining experience and one that would effortlessly fit in any capital city. Day 3 An early start today for the long drive out to Broke to see Rod Windrim at Krinklewood and taste his wines made from biodynamically grown fruit. Despite the problems you’d expect in a region as wet as the Hunter Valley, Rod has managed to stick to his biodynamic guns even in the washout 2008 vintage to make some excellent wines. Broke is significantly cooler than the Lower Hunter Valley which gives the wines from Krinklewood a little more freshness as displayed in the 2009 verdelho. However, the current standout is a tempranillo from 2005 with some quite authentic cherry fruit flavours supported by characteristic rustic tannins suggesting the Hunter may have some potential with this Spanish varietal. Back to the lower Hunter for a visit with Michael De Iuliis at the impressive De Iuliis cellar door on Broke Road (www.dewine.com.au 02 4993 8000). In a short seven years since opening Michael De Iuliis has managed to bag a handful of trophies at the Hunter Valley and Small Winemakers Shows for his exceptional Shiraz, wines that show dense fruit concentration backed by sweet powdery tannins. Michael is also clearly handy with chardonnay as well with the 2009 vintage in particular showing good balance between fresh, zesty fruit flavours combined with wild yeasts characters and well-handled oak. In comparison the De Iuliis style of shiraz is muscular and powerful with deeply coloured and full-bodied wines showing intense dark fruit flavours enhanced by toasty oak, sweet tannins and genuine fruit length. On the home stretch now and heading towards a modern Hunter legend, Brokenwood (www.brokenwood.com.au 02 4998 7559). While now sourcing fruit from many regions around the country, their home is still the Hunter Valley, and the source for two of their finest wines. Semillon, unsurprisingly, has always been a stalwart with the vintage releases well worth a look. While the 2004 ILR semillon is a fine wine, I reckon the 2004 Oakey Creek pips it with some lovely fresh acid lines and a touch of lanolin complexity. Then there is the 2007 Graveyard Shiraz which has already gained legendary status. An absolute Hunter classic in the making with the unique local fingerprint of power combined with a seductive texture and silky tannins that will see it drink beautifully for at least a decade if not two. Definitely one for the cellar. The weekend, though, could not have been finished any better than with quick afternoon stroll through the Braemore vineyard on Hermitage road with Andrew Thomas of Thomas wines (www.thomaswines.com.au 02 6574 7371) and an ice-cold beer. Here an ancient riverbed snakes through the vineyard providing the much-desired sandy soils, and more importantly, a perfect home for some of the regions most distinctive semillon. The 2009 Braemore semillon is just a baby all tightly focused lemon juice aromas with great minerality and tension on the palate. The Thomas Kiss is a more modern style of Hunter shiraz with greater fruit sweetness than the norm yet still retains a degree of softness and earthy, leathery complexity. 2007 is probably the best vintage yet, and that is saying something, with beautifully defined dark fruit flaovours encased in fine yet muscular tannins with a tremendous finish. I was also fortunate enough to taste a barrel sample of a new, yet to be named, red wine from the 2009 vintage sourced from a gnarled old vineyard that Thommo calls the Motel block to which he has added 8% of old vine trebbiano. It will be fascinating to see how this novel blend matures although there is no reason why it can not join the other Thomas wines as modern regional benchmarks. Great long-lived semillon and characterful, individual shiraz – what else would you expect from the Hunter Valley? Events There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
After lunch I headed to the Pokolbin foothills to check out the two vastly different cellar doors of Mount Pleasant and Tinkler’s. At the impressive Mount Pleasant (www.mountpleasantwines.com.au 02 4998 7505), there is plenty to taste including iconic wines such as the Rosehill shiraz, Old Paddock and Old Hill Shiraz as well as numerous vintages of Lovedale Semillon. The everdependable 2004 Elizabeth Semillon and 2007 Philip shiraz are well priced introductions to the local styles, the 2007 Philip coming up trumps on this occasion with ripe tarry fruit and attractive length. But stepping up to the single vineyard range provides a significant leap in quality. The pick of the Lovedales was from 2003; young, bright, lanolin scented fruit – not a classic year but pretty damn good nonetheless. Of the reds, both the perennially underpiried Rosehill and Old Block and Old Hill shiraz from 2005 are standouts - chocolately, blackberry, earthy flavours backed by toasty oak and all in a powerful and mouthfilling package. From the one of the biggest names in the valley to one of the smallest, my next stop was at TInkler’s on Pokolbin Mountains road (www.tinklers.com.au 02 4998 7435). The first Tinkler arrived in the Hunter Valley in 1844 and today the family have grown to be one of the region’s largest growers whom also keep a little fruit back from themselves that is crafted into some quite distinctive wines by Usher Tinkler, winemaker at nearby Poole’s Rock. The wines are all marked by their varietal character and value, a 2009 viognier having peach blossom and apricot aromas followed by a richly textured, creamy palate. The U & I 2007 shiraz is a little more serious with sustained, powerful dark fruit flavours and well worth the $32 asking price. The Tinklers also do a side business in selling mouthwateringly fresh fruit stone fruit, table grapes, avocadoes and figs which the family grow in the hills behind the cellar door. These tasty morsels alone make a stop at TInklers well worthwhile. After a long day of talking and tasting, Rock Restaurant presents the perfect opportunity to unwind, especially on a Saturday night when the 8-course degustation menu is on offer accompanied by a modest glass of wine per course (www.rockrestaurant.com.au 02 4998 6968). Overlooking the 90 year old vineyard and lagoon, the setting is distinctly upmarket as is the service with detailed multi-layered dishes that marry complex flavours with moreish texture. A smoked Petuna trout with pickled artichoke, cucumber noodles, anchovy mousse and mushroom broth almost evaporated off the plate as did the soft venison with Qunioa, golden beetroot, pear jelly, parsley oil and Madeira sauce. Overall a very fine dining experience and one that would effortlessly fit in any capital city. Day 3 An early start today for the long drive out to Broke to see Rod Windrim at Krinklewood and taste his wines made from biodynamically grown fruit. Despite the problems you’d expect in a region as wet as the Hunter Valley, Rod has managed to stick to his biodynamic guns even in the washout 2008 vintage to make some excellent wines. Broke is significantly cooler than the Lower Hunter Valley which gives the wines from Krinklewood a little more freshness as displayed in the 2009 verdelho. However, the current standout is a tempranillo from 2005 with some quite authentic cherry fruit flavours supported by characteristic rustic tannins suggesting the Hunter may have some potential with this Spanish varietal. Back to the lower Hunter for a visit with Michael De Iuliis at the impressive De Iuliis cellar door on Broke Road (www.dewine.com.au 02 4993 8000). In a short seven years since opening Michael De Iuliis has managed to bag a handful of trophies at the Hunter Valley and Small Winemakers Shows for his exceptional Shiraz, wines that show dense fruit concentration backed by sweet powdery tannins. Michael is also clearly handy with chardonnay as well with the 2009 vintage in particular showing good balance between fresh, zesty fruit flavours combined with wild yeasts characters and well-handled oak. In comparison the De Iuliis style of shiraz is muscular and powerful with deeply coloured and full-bodied wines showing intense dark fruit flavours enhanced by toasty oak, sweet tannins and genuine fruit length. On the home stretch now and heading towards a modern Hunter legend, Brokenwood (www.brokenwood.com.au 02 4998 7559). While now sourcing fruit from many regions around the country, their home is still the Hunter Valley, and the source for two of their finest wines. Semillon, unsurprisingly, has always been a stalwart with the vintage releases well worth a look. While the 2004 ILR semillon is a fine wine, I reckon the 2004 Oakey Creek pips it with some lovely fresh acid lines and a touch of lanolin complexity. Then there is the 2007 Graveyard Shiraz which has already gained legendary status. An absolute Hunter classic in the making with the unique local fingerprint of power combined with a seductive texture and silky tannins that will see it drink beautifully for at least a decade if not two. Definitely one for the cellar. The weekend, though, could not have been finished any better than with quick afternoon stroll through the Braemore vineyard on Hermitage road with Andrew Thomas of Thomas wines (www.thomaswines.com.au 02 6574 7371) and an ice-cold beer. Here an ancient riverbed snakes through the vineyard providing the much-desired sandy soils, and more importantly, a perfect home for some of the regions most distinctive semillon. The 2009 Braemore semillon is just a baby all tightly focused lemon juice aromas with great minerality and tension on the palate. The Thomas Kiss is a more modern style of Hunter shiraz with greater fruit sweetness than the norm yet still retains a degree of softness and earthy, leathery complexity. 2007 is probably the best vintage yet, and that is saying something, with beautifully defined dark fruit flaovours encased in fine yet muscular tannins with a tremendous finish. I was also fortunate enough to taste a barrel sample of a new, yet to be named, red wine from the 2009 vintage sourced from a gnarled old vineyard that Thommo calls the Motel block to which he has added 8% of old vine trebbiano. It will be fascinating to see how this novel blend matures although there is no reason why it can not join the other Thomas wines as modern regional benchmarks. Great long-lived semillon and characterful, individual shiraz – what else would you expect from the Hunter Valley? Events There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
But stepping up to the single vineyard range provides a significant leap in quality. The pick of the Lovedales was from 2003; young, bright, lanolin scented fruit – not a classic year but pretty damn good nonetheless. Of the reds, both the perennially underpiried Rosehill and Old Block and Old Hill shiraz from 2005 are standouts - chocolately, blackberry, earthy flavours backed by toasty oak and all in a powerful and mouthfilling package.
From the one of the biggest names in the valley to one of the smallest, my next stop was at TInkler’s on Pokolbin Mountains road (www.tinklers.com.au 02 4998 7435). The first Tinkler arrived in the Hunter Valley in 1844 and today the family have grown to be one of the region’s largest growers whom also keep a little fruit back from themselves that is crafted into some quite distinctive wines by Usher Tinkler, winemaker at nearby Poole’s Rock. The wines are all marked by their varietal character and value, a 2009 viognier having peach blossom and apricot aromas followed by a richly textured, creamy palate. The U & I 2007 shiraz is a little more serious with sustained, powerful dark fruit flavours and well worth the $32 asking price. The Tinklers also do a side business in selling mouthwateringly fresh fruit stone fruit, table grapes, avocadoes and figs which the family grow in the hills behind the cellar door. These tasty morsels alone make a stop at TInklers well worthwhile. After a long day of talking and tasting, Rock Restaurant presents the perfect opportunity to unwind, especially on a Saturday night when the 8-course degustation menu is on offer accompanied by a modest glass of wine per course (www.rockrestaurant.com.au 02 4998 6968). Overlooking the 90 year old vineyard and lagoon, the setting is distinctly upmarket as is the service with detailed multi-layered dishes that marry complex flavours with moreish texture. A smoked Petuna trout with pickled artichoke, cucumber noodles, anchovy mousse and mushroom broth almost evaporated off the plate as did the soft venison with Qunioa, golden beetroot, pear jelly, parsley oil and Madeira sauce. Overall a very fine dining experience and one that would effortlessly fit in any capital city. Day 3 An early start today for the long drive out to Broke to see Rod Windrim at Krinklewood and taste his wines made from biodynamically grown fruit. Despite the problems you’d expect in a region as wet as the Hunter Valley, Rod has managed to stick to his biodynamic guns even in the washout 2008 vintage to make some excellent wines. Broke is significantly cooler than the Lower Hunter Valley which gives the wines from Krinklewood a little more freshness as displayed in the 2009 verdelho. However, the current standout is a tempranillo from 2005 with some quite authentic cherry fruit flavours supported by characteristic rustic tannins suggesting the Hunter may have some potential with this Spanish varietal. Back to the lower Hunter for a visit with Michael De Iuliis at the impressive De Iuliis cellar door on Broke Road (www.dewine.com.au 02 4993 8000). In a short seven years since opening Michael De Iuliis has managed to bag a handful of trophies at the Hunter Valley and Small Winemakers Shows for his exceptional Shiraz, wines that show dense fruit concentration backed by sweet powdery tannins. Michael is also clearly handy with chardonnay as well with the 2009 vintage in particular showing good balance between fresh, zesty fruit flavours combined with wild yeasts characters and well-handled oak. In comparison the De Iuliis style of shiraz is muscular and powerful with deeply coloured and full-bodied wines showing intense dark fruit flavours enhanced by toasty oak, sweet tannins and genuine fruit length. On the home stretch now and heading towards a modern Hunter legend, Brokenwood (www.brokenwood.com.au 02 4998 7559). While now sourcing fruit from many regions around the country, their home is still the Hunter Valley, and the source for two of their finest wines. Semillon, unsurprisingly, has always been a stalwart with the vintage releases well worth a look. While the 2004 ILR semillon is a fine wine, I reckon the 2004 Oakey Creek pips it with some lovely fresh acid lines and a touch of lanolin complexity. Then there is the 2007 Graveyard Shiraz which has already gained legendary status. An absolute Hunter classic in the making with the unique local fingerprint of power combined with a seductive texture and silky tannins that will see it drink beautifully for at least a decade if not two. Definitely one for the cellar. The weekend, though, could not have been finished any better than with quick afternoon stroll through the Braemore vineyard on Hermitage road with Andrew Thomas of Thomas wines (www.thomaswines.com.au 02 6574 7371) and an ice-cold beer. Here an ancient riverbed snakes through the vineyard providing the much-desired sandy soils, and more importantly, a perfect home for some of the regions most distinctive semillon. The 2009 Braemore semillon is just a baby all tightly focused lemon juice aromas with great minerality and tension on the palate. The Thomas Kiss is a more modern style of Hunter shiraz with greater fruit sweetness than the norm yet still retains a degree of softness and earthy, leathery complexity. 2007 is probably the best vintage yet, and that is saying something, with beautifully defined dark fruit flaovours encased in fine yet muscular tannins with a tremendous finish. I was also fortunate enough to taste a barrel sample of a new, yet to be named, red wine from the 2009 vintage sourced from a gnarled old vineyard that Thommo calls the Motel block to which he has added 8% of old vine trebbiano. It will be fascinating to see how this novel blend matures although there is no reason why it can not join the other Thomas wines as modern regional benchmarks. Great long-lived semillon and characterful, individual shiraz – what else would you expect from the Hunter Valley? Events There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
After a long day of talking and tasting, Rock Restaurant presents the perfect opportunity to unwind, especially on a Saturday night when the 8-course degustation menu is on offer accompanied by a modest glass of wine per course (www.rockrestaurant.com.au 02 4998 6968). Overlooking the 90 year old vineyard and lagoon, the setting is distinctly upmarket as is the service with detailed multi-layered dishes that marry complex flavours with moreish texture. A smoked Petuna trout with pickled artichoke, cucumber noodles, anchovy mousse and mushroom broth almost evaporated off the plate as did the soft venison with Qunioa, golden beetroot, pear jelly, parsley oil and Madeira sauce. Overall a very fine dining experience and one that would effortlessly fit in any capital city. Day 3 An early start today for the long drive out to Broke to see Rod Windrim at Krinklewood and taste his wines made from biodynamically grown fruit. Despite the problems you’d expect in a region as wet as the Hunter Valley, Rod has managed to stick to his biodynamic guns even in the washout 2008 vintage to make some excellent wines. Broke is significantly cooler than the Lower Hunter Valley which gives the wines from Krinklewood a little more freshness as displayed in the 2009 verdelho. However, the current standout is a tempranillo from 2005 with some quite authentic cherry fruit flavours supported by characteristic rustic tannins suggesting the Hunter may have some potential with this Spanish varietal. Back to the lower Hunter for a visit with Michael De Iuliis at the impressive De Iuliis cellar door on Broke Road (www.dewine.com.au 02 4993 8000). In a short seven years since opening Michael De Iuliis has managed to bag a handful of trophies at the Hunter Valley and Small Winemakers Shows for his exceptional Shiraz, wines that show dense fruit concentration backed by sweet powdery tannins. Michael is also clearly handy with chardonnay as well with the 2009 vintage in particular showing good balance between fresh, zesty fruit flavours combined with wild yeasts characters and well-handled oak. In comparison the De Iuliis style of shiraz is muscular and powerful with deeply coloured and full-bodied wines showing intense dark fruit flavours enhanced by toasty oak, sweet tannins and genuine fruit length. On the home stretch now and heading towards a modern Hunter legend, Brokenwood (www.brokenwood.com.au 02 4998 7559). While now sourcing fruit from many regions around the country, their home is still the Hunter Valley, and the source for two of their finest wines. Semillon, unsurprisingly, has always been a stalwart with the vintage releases well worth a look. While the 2004 ILR semillon is a fine wine, I reckon the 2004 Oakey Creek pips it with some lovely fresh acid lines and a touch of lanolin complexity. Then there is the 2007 Graveyard Shiraz which has already gained legendary status. An absolute Hunter classic in the making with the unique local fingerprint of power combined with a seductive texture and silky tannins that will see it drink beautifully for at least a decade if not two. Definitely one for the cellar. The weekend, though, could not have been finished any better than with quick afternoon stroll through the Braemore vineyard on Hermitage road with Andrew Thomas of Thomas wines (www.thomaswines.com.au 02 6574 7371) and an ice-cold beer. Here an ancient riverbed snakes through the vineyard providing the much-desired sandy soils, and more importantly, a perfect home for some of the regions most distinctive semillon. The 2009 Braemore semillon is just a baby all tightly focused lemon juice aromas with great minerality and tension on the palate. The Thomas Kiss is a more modern style of Hunter shiraz with greater fruit sweetness than the norm yet still retains a degree of softness and earthy, leathery complexity. 2007 is probably the best vintage yet, and that is saying something, with beautifully defined dark fruit flaovours encased in fine yet muscular tannins with a tremendous finish. I was also fortunate enough to taste a barrel sample of a new, yet to be named, red wine from the 2009 vintage sourced from a gnarled old vineyard that Thommo calls the Motel block to which he has added 8% of old vine trebbiano. It will be fascinating to see how this novel blend matures although there is no reason why it can not join the other Thomas wines as modern regional benchmarks. Great long-lived semillon and characterful, individual shiraz – what else would you expect from the Hunter Valley? Events There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
Day 3
An early start today for the long drive out to Broke to see Rod Windrim at Krinklewood and taste his wines made from biodynamically grown fruit. Despite the problems you’d expect in a region as wet as the Hunter Valley, Rod has managed to stick to his biodynamic guns even in the washout 2008 vintage to make some excellent wines. Broke is significantly cooler than the Lower Hunter Valley which gives the wines from Krinklewood a little more freshness as displayed in the 2009 verdelho.
However, the current standout is a tempranillo from 2005 with some quite authentic cherry fruit flavours supported by characteristic rustic tannins suggesting the Hunter may have some potential with this Spanish varietal.
Back to the lower Hunter for a visit with Michael De Iuliis at the impressive De Iuliis cellar door on Broke Road (www.dewine.com.au 02 4993 8000). In a short seven years since opening Michael De Iuliis has managed to bag a handful of trophies at the Hunter Valley and Small Winemakers Shows for his exceptional Shiraz, wines that show dense fruit concentration backed by sweet powdery tannins. Michael is also clearly handy with chardonnay as well with the 2009 vintage in particular showing good balance between fresh, zesty fruit flavours combined with wild yeasts characters and well-handled oak. In comparison the De Iuliis style of shiraz is muscular and powerful with deeply coloured and full-bodied wines showing intense dark fruit flavours enhanced by toasty oak, sweet tannins and genuine fruit length. On the home stretch now and heading towards a modern Hunter legend, Brokenwood (www.brokenwood.com.au 02 4998 7559). While now sourcing fruit from many regions around the country, their home is still the Hunter Valley, and the source for two of their finest wines. Semillon, unsurprisingly, has always been a stalwart with the vintage releases well worth a look. While the 2004 ILR semillon is a fine wine, I reckon the 2004 Oakey Creek pips it with some lovely fresh acid lines and a touch of lanolin complexity. Then there is the 2007 Graveyard Shiraz which has already gained legendary status. An absolute Hunter classic in the making with the unique local fingerprint of power combined with a seductive texture and silky tannins that will see it drink beautifully for at least a decade if not two. Definitely one for the cellar. The weekend, though, could not have been finished any better than with quick afternoon stroll through the Braemore vineyard on Hermitage road with Andrew Thomas of Thomas wines (www.thomaswines.com.au 02 6574 7371) and an ice-cold beer. Here an ancient riverbed snakes through the vineyard providing the much-desired sandy soils, and more importantly, a perfect home for some of the regions most distinctive semillon. The 2009 Braemore semillon is just a baby all tightly focused lemon juice aromas with great minerality and tension on the palate. The Thomas Kiss is a more modern style of Hunter shiraz with greater fruit sweetness than the norm yet still retains a degree of softness and earthy, leathery complexity. 2007 is probably the best vintage yet, and that is saying something, with beautifully defined dark fruit flaovours encased in fine yet muscular tannins with a tremendous finish. I was also fortunate enough to taste a barrel sample of a new, yet to be named, red wine from the 2009 vintage sourced from a gnarled old vineyard that Thommo calls the Motel block to which he has added 8% of old vine trebbiano. It will be fascinating to see how this novel blend matures although there is no reason why it can not join the other Thomas wines as modern regional benchmarks. Great long-lived semillon and characterful, individual shiraz – what else would you expect from the Hunter Valley? Events There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
On the home stretch now and heading towards a modern Hunter legend, Brokenwood (www.brokenwood.com.au 02 4998 7559). While now sourcing fruit from many regions around the country, their home is still the Hunter Valley, and the source for two of their finest wines. Semillon, unsurprisingly, has always been a stalwart with the vintage releases well worth a look. While the 2004 ILR semillon is a fine wine, I reckon the 2004 Oakey Creek pips it with some lovely fresh acid lines and a touch of lanolin complexity. Then there is the 2007 Graveyard Shiraz which has already gained legendary status. An absolute Hunter classic in the making with the unique local fingerprint of power combined with a seductive texture and silky tannins that will see it drink beautifully for at least a decade if not two. Definitely one for the cellar. The weekend, though, could not have been finished any better than with quick afternoon stroll through the Braemore vineyard on Hermitage road with Andrew Thomas of Thomas wines (www.thomaswines.com.au 02 6574 7371) and an ice-cold beer. Here an ancient riverbed snakes through the vineyard providing the much-desired sandy soils, and more importantly, a perfect home for some of the regions most distinctive semillon. The 2009 Braemore semillon is just a baby all tightly focused lemon juice aromas with great minerality and tension on the palate. The Thomas Kiss is a more modern style of Hunter shiraz with greater fruit sweetness than the norm yet still retains a degree of softness and earthy, leathery complexity. 2007 is probably the best vintage yet, and that is saying something, with beautifully defined dark fruit flaovours encased in fine yet muscular tannins with a tremendous finish. I was also fortunate enough to taste a barrel sample of a new, yet to be named, red wine from the 2009 vintage sourced from a gnarled old vineyard that Thommo calls the Motel block to which he has added 8% of old vine trebbiano. It will be fascinating to see how this novel blend matures although there is no reason why it can not join the other Thomas wines as modern regional benchmarks. Great long-lived semillon and characterful, individual shiraz – what else would you expect from the Hunter Valley? Events There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
The weekend, though, could not have been finished any better than with quick afternoon stroll through the Braemore vineyard on Hermitage road with Andrew Thomas of Thomas wines (www.thomaswines.com.au 02 6574 7371) and an ice-cold beer. Here an ancient riverbed snakes through the vineyard providing the much-desired sandy soils, and more importantly, a perfect home for some of the regions most distinctive semillon. The 2009 Braemore semillon is just a baby all tightly focused lemon juice aromas with great minerality and tension on the palate. The Thomas Kiss is a more modern style of Hunter shiraz with greater fruit sweetness than the norm yet still retains a degree of softness and earthy, leathery complexity. 2007 is probably the best vintage yet, and that is saying something, with beautifully defined dark fruit flaovours encased in fine yet muscular tannins with a tremendous finish. I was also fortunate enough to taste a barrel sample of a new, yet to be named, red wine from the 2009 vintage sourced from a gnarled old vineyard that Thommo calls the Motel block to which he has added 8% of old vine trebbiano. It will be fascinating to see how this novel blend matures although there is no reason why it can not join the other Thomas wines as modern regional benchmarks. Great long-lived semillon and characterful, individual shiraz – what else would you expect from the Hunter Valley? Events There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
Events
There is always something going on in the Hunter Valley with a fine array of events spread throughout the year. In May is the Lovedale Long Lunch in which the wineries along the Lovedale road showcase their wines and local produce in a series of lunches. June is the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month culminating with the Winemakers Table Series where top chefs and vignerons team up to put on some extraordinary dinners matching local food and wine. There is also the Hunter Semillon and Seafood luncheon in October with seafood cooking classes, oyster tastings and over 150 local semillons to taste. On October 23, Opera in the Vineyards returns at Wyndham Estate while October 30 sees Jazz in the vines at Tyrrell’s. And Spring sees the return of concerts at Bimbadgen Estate, Hope Estate and Tempus Two. www.winecountry.com.au has all the information on upcoming events as well as more details about cellar door visits and restaurants. Vintages 2005 An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit. 2006 2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age. 2007 The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons. 2008 A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise. 2009 Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines. Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
Vintages
2005
An excellent vintage punctuated by adequate Spring rains and relatively mild weather has created many fine wines characterised by intense, powerful fruit.
2006
2006 was one of the hottest Summers on record in the Hunter Valley with little rain to speak of. The conditions bought the harvest forward by an average of around two weeks creating many softer, plump wines that are approachable from a young age.
2007
The drought from 2006 continued with very little rain and a hot Summer dramatically lowering yields and serving to create many deeply flavoured and generous red wines plus some fine Semillons.
2008
A very difficult year in the Hunter Valley with a cool Summer and regular rainfall making this vintage the most difficult in recent memory with the odd surprise.
2009
Good winter rains followed by a warm dry Spring had winemakers hoping for the best. A very hot Summer and significant rain before most of the red wines were picked has made for a good vintage with a handful of outstanding red wines.
Get a Free $25 Wine Voucher Plus: Win $5,000 & Weekly Penfolds Grange prizes
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