Margan White Label Semillon 2017

Margan White Label Semillon 2017

  16:30    Stu.

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Lime and lemon butter, hints of lemon grass. Initially some menthol - but that had dissipated with some time. 

Soft and rounded, initially the acid quite flacid, again with time the energy gains. Soft and fleshy, has texture and width - enough meat about the bones, so to speak. 

More akin to something like a Roussanne. I'd hazard this will grow in stature with time. 91 

Tasted on: Sunday 30th September 

Source: Sample
Price: $30
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: https://www.margan.com.au

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Hart & Hunter Dr B's Fiano 2015

Hart & Hunter Dr B's Fiano 2015

  16:30    Stu.

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A pre-Christmas trip to the Hunter Valley afforded an opportunity to explore some of the emerging varieties that are making a name for themselves in the land of Shiraz and Semillon.

Opens with a fresh, citrus, brine/sea spray, aroma - indicative of a little calcium/chalky/powdery aroma. 

Extended skin contact sees a substantive wine in the mouth, plenty of feel, a textural beauty, plenty of curves to wrap your tongue around. There's a little honeyed touch, citrus and a bitey touch of ground ginger bringing up the back end.

Natural acidity in abundance, length from spice and acid. A winner. 92 

Tasted on: Saturday 9th January
Source: Cellar Door
Price: $28
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.hartandhunter.com.au/

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Little Wine Co Vermentino 2014

Little Wine Co Vermentino 2014

  18:15    Stu.

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Self described dynamic wine duo, Ian and Suzanne Little, between them have more than 50 years winemaking experience, mainly for large corporate wineries. The Little Wine Co is very much the anti-thesis of that corporate experience, with its first vintage back in 1984.

Here we have an aromatic little kitty: jasmine, woody herbs - a little Rosemary perhaps - dried citrus peel.

Voluptuous, fleshy, kinda rolls around the palate; pear, suggestion of vanilla, spice. Complex, full, flavoursome. 90 

Tasted on: Saturday 9th January
Source: Cellar Door
Price: $22
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: www.thelittlewinecompany.com.au

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Bimbadgen Estate Shiraz 2010

Bimbadgen Estate Shiraz 2010

  20:35    Stu.

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Bimbadgen Estate is a rather striking winery, with a Campanile that wouldn't look out of place in Tuscany.  This Shiraz offers leathery and earthen notes with supporting fruit of cherry and plum.  You've got to appreciate a Shiraz weighing in at a modest 13.5%, and this medium bodied example is pleasingly smooth on entry into the mouth.

Chalky tannin there provides further interest, there's little structure to speak of, but the pleasure derived from consumption is heightened through the presence of coconut and some resurgent fruit.  Moderate length, sweet coconut dominant on the finish, a good wine - easy going.  89 - Good

Source: Sample

Price: $23

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Website: http://www.bimbadgen.com.au/

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Triple Shot: Hunter Valley 2010 Chardonnay

Triple Shot: Hunter Valley 2010 Chardonnay

  10:30    Stu.

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Hunter Valley Chardonnay is a bit of an unknown for me, so what better way to learn than to have a look at a few, side-by-side?  When I think of the Hunter I immediately think of Semillon and Shiraz, in whites and reds respectively.  So maybe the variety has some way to go if someone with my elevated levels of thirst wouldn't necessarily associate the region and variety together.  

Drayton's Family Vineyard Reserve 2010

Barrel Ferment character immediately apparent, toasty peach and grapefruit in support.  In the mouth the wine is textural, with stonefruit and citrus further in the mix - a hint of lemon sherbet for a little extra excitement.  Fair spike of acid on the finish, sticks out a little like a sore thumb at this current juncture.  Ticks the right boxes, plenty of interest - over time the fruit is drawn out a little more, with the lemon sherbet more pronounced.  90+ - Good.

Price: $?

Alcohol:12.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Website: http://www.draytonswines.com.au/

Margan Limited Release White Label 2010

A little austere on approach, faint citrus and almon, a hint of peach - rather clean.  On entry, citrus presents itself - but that word again: clean.  Balanced, but quite tight and closed, lacking somewhat in true Chardonnay character for me.  Finishes with some mineral and stonefruit, and the finish shows length.  Too closed to reveal anything.  Would love to see where it goes.  87/88+ - Good.

Price: $30

Alcohol: 13%

Closure: Screwcap

Website: http://www.margan.com.au/

Tower Estate Chardonnay 2010

Better.  Clean again on approach, with pronounced citrus profile.  Suggestion of barrel ferment employed.  Gentle, rounded, texural in the mouth.  A hint of mineral, toasty feel to things, nougat oak - expensive oak.  Rich, yet reserved.  Finish is moderate.  Quality is there, but again it's a little subdued at this stage.  A step up, but keen to see how it would develop.  91+ - Very Good 

Price: $30

Alcohol: 13%

Closure: Screwcap

Website: http://www.towerestate.com/

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Hunter Valley Valley New Generation

Hunter Valley Valley New Generation

  17:37    Stu.

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New Generation Hunter Valley

The New Generation Hunter Valley crew are hitting the road again for a one month  trip around the Eastern states.  Starting in Melbourne on 19th April, this motley crew - the self-titled “Not Your Usual Suspects Winemakers" – are bringing their unique style and sense of fun to you.

Laughs and jokes aside, do not underestimate the quality of wines that these six gents produce.  

Representing a new breed of producers in Australia’s oldest wine region, this group of friends are blessed to work with some of the oldest and most distinguished vineyard sites in Australia.  To that, they add their own fingerprint, employing contemporary methods to produce wines reflective of place and their own personalities.
 

How to Get Involved?
Brisbane-ites will be able to partake in the NewGen’s Pop-up bar, the exact location is a secret and will be emailed to ticket holders one week before the event:

BRISBANE | POP UP WINE BAR
WHEN: Thursday 17 May TIME: 6pm - 9pm
WHERE: Secret inner-Brisbane location (you'll be sent the venue details one week prior))
MORE INFO: info@newgenerationhuntervalley.com.au

TICKETS: $30 - get them HERE
 

What to Expect?
I’ve had the good fortune to try wines from most of the producers featured, including in 2011 when the Caravan of Courage first rolled into town. 

By and large they specialise, and excel in, what the Hunter does best: Semillon and Shiraz.  If you haven't tried young or aged Hunter Semillon, you're in for a treat.  Considered by many to be Australia's gift to the world of wine, producers such as Meerea Park and Thomas Wines hold back wines so that customers to get to appreciate the benefit of ageing for this variety.  

Others like Mike De Iuliis and the Eather brothers of Meerea Park are exploring techniques such as whole bunch fermentation to give the wines structure, large format oak to explore the benefits that brings to typically earthy wines.  Margan and Hook are pushing the envelope with new emerging varieties like Barbera, a deliciously juicy higher-acid grape variety of Italian origin that works well with rich, saucy foods.  Andrew Thomas has taken the innovation a step further, producing a Semillon with retained residual sugar to create a wine with lovely shape in the mouth, one that can pair nicely with food with a little spice.

So get along on the 17th and explore the wines of this bunch of unusual suspects winemakers.

David Hook | David Hook Wines
Andrew Thomas | Thomas Wines 

Rhys Eather | Meerea Park
Nick Paterson | Mistletoe Wines
Mike De Iuliis | De Iuliis Wines 

A

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Peppertree Coquun Shiraz 2009

Peppertree Coquun Shiraz 2009

  12:52    Stu.

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A wine that benefits from some extended time in glass.  At first generous oak floods the palate and suppresses much of the goodness present.  Be patient, it's firmly rewarded.

Black cherries, touch of Cherry Ripe, primary fruit up front.  Even a detection of Cherry Cola; la-la-lola.  Medium bodied, generous clove accented spice; fine tannin balanced against good acids.

Exquisite you could say.  A keeper.  Sometimes it pays to be virtuous.

Source: Sample

Price: $45

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Screwcap

Website: www.peppertreewines.com.au/

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Scarborough Wine Co. 2007 Shiraz

Scarborough Wine Co. 2007 Shiraz

  12:40    Stu.

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Catching up, rather belatedly, on some enticing Hunter Shiraz received as part of the #HunterWine taste 'n' tweet in March.

Ignoring the hullabaloo that ensued in some parts around that tasting, to the subject in hand.  Garnet in colour, softer edges - exhibiting some signs of development; clear in the glass. Initially notes of tobacco, oak influence - tertiary notes.  Over 2-3 three days red berry fruits shining through.  Altogether a touch denser/ heavier than some Hunter Shiraz I'd been looking at.

That said, it was still medium bodied and showed that confident smoothness of palate that had been fairly consistent through the tasting.  Lacking a touch of acid for me - it settled into a groove over opening.  Exhibiting oak derived characteristics - it is matured in French Oak of various ages for 18 months - on the finish.  Slightly short of a length, though this is more than compensated with some integrated oak and tannin.

Source: Sample

Price: $30

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Website: http://www.scarboroughwine.com.au/

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De Iuliis Steven Vineyard 2009

De Iuliis Steven Vineyard 2009

  20:32    Stu.

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Patience is a virtue and one that is richly rewarded with some decanter time for this wine.  It is easily consumable from the off, but it offers a whole other drinking experience given some time to get into its groove.

The wine offers  red berry aromas on first opening, something akin to a Grenache, yet over time some spicy, clove studded oak presents itself.

In the mouth, its ethereal, lighter than I expected; some well pitched acid and a silkiness that comes with it.  At first the wine fell short of a length, yet over time the flavours extended themselves.  Not in the sense where the tannin extends to the back of the throat, for this sees the fruit and oak delivering more as the wine opens up further.  It carries through and holds your interest.  

It truly is the gift that keeps on giving.  The winemaker's notes give a cellaring timespan of some ten years, not normally one to disagree with the individual who should know his product best, I would consider the drinking window pushed further out.  I had the wine open for three days and it showed no sign of faltering.  If you can keep your hands off it that long, you're doing well.

Source: Sample
Price: $40
Alcohol: 13%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.dewine.com.au


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Brokenwood Hunter Valley Shiraz 2007

Brokenwood Hunter Valley Shiraz 2007

  21:42    Stu.

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As Penfold’s Bin 389 is oft referred to as ‘Baby Grange’, Brokenwood’s Hunter Valley Shiraz could be seen as a ‘Baby Graveyard’ - although as a newish father that term troubles me somewhat - for it is made from fruit off the same vineyard as Brokenwood's top tier wine. This would be declassified fruit along with fruit off of younger vines.

This wine was received as a sample for the #HunterWine tweet up on the 28th March 2011.  It is what I expect from traditional Hunter Shiraz: leather, earth, with primary fruit shining through - supported by oak and vanilla from that.

It was silken, medium bodied. There was textural interest in the middle. It was intoxicating, inviting me back for more. But what also shone through was the balance between these constituent parts. 

At its conclusion, the wine delivered some fine tannin. I caught a final hint of liquorice right at the wine's end. But it had me coming back for more. 

Source: Sample

Price: $40 RRP

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Website: http://www.brokenwood.com.au/

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