Reviews for Hunter Valley Region Reviews

DateTitle
17 Feb 2010

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The Newcastle Herald
John Lewis

Last week was a joyful one for Hunter producers as they wound up a quick and successful 2010 vintage and harvested a haul of two major trophies and 20 gold medals at the Sydney Wine Show.
17 Feb 2010

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The Herald


GOLDEN OPINION OF HUNTER WINE
Here are Hunter Prodcuers' 2010 Sydney Wine Show trophy amd gold-medal-winning wines that you can buy now…..
8 Feb 2010

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Town & Country
Julie Hartigan

GENTLE HANDS GUIDE SWEET GRAPES FROM VINE TO GLASS
6 Feb 2010

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The Herald
Melissa Lyons

The stronger Aussie dollar has reaped little reward for Hunter Valley winemakers, who have slashed exports by half in the past year. Hunter Valley Vineyard Association president Geoff Kreiger said the high dollar value, near US 90 cents had…….
30 Sep 2009

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Wine Spectator
by Matt Kramer

FINALLY LOOKING UP DOWN UNDER
In case you missed the screams, it's now Australia's turn on the rack. The country's bulk wine industry - the very force that powered Australia to its status as the world's fourth largest wine exporter (after France, Italy and Spain) - is reeling. It's made newspaper headlines everwhere Australian wines are sold.

What's happening is news … "Brand Australia" served only the big boys. Small wineries got shoved aside at the trough.

… In the next decade we will be hearing about - and seeing - a new articulation of Australian wine based on an old-fashioned emphasis on place-specificity. This is what happened in California starting in the 1980s.

Australia already had the wineries and vineyards in place. But only when you go there do you discover just how vibrant and varied Australia's wines really are.

For the Aussies, it's a matter of recalibrating an old wine culture - which is easier said than done, of course. But it is happening. And it's the Aussies themselves who are doing it …

… This is how it worked with Italian wines 30 years ago, California wines 20 years ago and Spanish wines 10 years ago. Soon it will be Australia's turn. The critter wines are roadkill. And it's about time too.
20 Sep 2009

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People's Palate
by Rich Mauro

UNDERSTANDING HUNTER VALLEY SEMILLON

Semillon “is one of the unsung heroes of white wine production.”
So it says in the definitive Oxford Companion to Wine.
Unsung presumable because although the grape is widely cultivated, there are very few places where it produces wines of distinction. But where it does those wines can be glorious…

… The most notable exception is the Hunter Valley of Australia, a region about 2 hours north of Sydney that enjoys the distinction of being the location of the first vineyards planted in Australia (1830). I recently had a chance to experience the uniqueness of Hunter Valley Semillon as I tasted three recent releases from Brokenwood Wines, a 40 year old winery that has become an icon in the valley…

… Brokenwood has evolved into one of Australia’s benchmark wineries. Iain Riggs, winemaker since 1982, crafts not only some of the Hunter Valley’s most prized Semillons but also one of Australia’s most iconic single vineyard wines, the Graveyard Shiraz.

As these wines demonstrated, there is something about the combination of sandy, loamy, clay soils, high humidity, hot but wet summers, and dry winters there that create a hospitable environment for a style of Semillon that is austere and delicate when young. But, thanks to the high acidity, have a rare ability to age (some reportedly as long as twenty plus years) into wines with a wondrous richness and complexity.

For those used to soft, fruity, sweetish whites, these wines may be a little difficult to comprehend. They are made without oak, are quite bracing, and sport refreshingly low alcohol (10-11%), perfect as an aperitif or with delicate seafood dishes. But, after five, ten, or more years, they develop into luscious wines of notably different character, suitable for richer dishes.

These Hunter Valley Semillons are great wines in the making, if you have the patience to wait for them. Who says white wines can't age?!
1 Sep 2009

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Gourmet Traveller WINE Collector's Issue
by Andrew Caillard MW

NATIONAL TREASURES
How do you put Australian fine wine back on the world stage? Invite the freshest wine-industry minds from across the globe to the inaugural Landmark Australia Tutorial to immerse them in five-days of masterclasses and tasting with the country's top wine gurus - then send them home to spread the word.
21 Aug 2009

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Welcome to Edition 280 of GrapeVine
CH'NG Poh Tiong

GREETINGS from Australia where, earlier this week, I have been taking part in the Hunter Valley Wine Show 2009. Today is the announcement of the results, including the Gold and Trophy winners.

GrapeVine will be announcing the results in a future edition. They will also be published in the 18th Anniversary Editon of The Wine Review 2009, official wine publication of Wine for Asia.

The Hunter Valley, two hours by car North of Sydney produces one of the most unique white wines in the world.
This of course, is the Semillon.
Driven by attitude and fueled by intense acidity, the bone-dry white is outstanding with oysters, tempura, deep-fried dim sums, pakoras and Vietnamese nems.
When young, the fruit profile includes grapefruit, limes, lemons, green apples, minerality and a spring-onion spiciness (nearer the white part).
At this infant stage, the acidity of the Bordeaux varietal will give Riesling and Chenin Blanc a run to the finishing line.
This re-incarnation of Semillon is unusal to say the very least because, in Bordeaux, Semillon is employed to add flesh and body to the leaner Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.
In the Hunter Valley, the varietal is harvested earley with alcohol level of around 10 degrees.
As it ages, the wine takes on complex toasty/lanolin/beewax notes. The toastiness seems to suggest the wine has seen contact with oak, which is not the case.
Hunter Semillons can age effortlessly for 10, 20, even 30 and more years.
The taste, texture and experience are unimaginable.

HUNTER SEMILLONS ARE, TO BE SURE, ONE OF THE WORLDS' GREAT WHITE WINES.
18 Aug 2009

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the HERALD, Newcastle
by Donna Sharpe

JUDGES NOSE OUT THE BEST IN HUNTER VALLEY WINE SHOW

SOME of the Hunter’s best drops will be on show at Singleton this week for the 36th annual Hunter Valley Wine Show.

The occasion is one of the premier regional wine shows in Australia, concentrating exclusively on exhibiting only those wines made from Hunter Valley grapes and attracting the best and most experienced judging panels in the country.

Chairman of judges Iain Riggs said this year would probably be one of the most interesting shows with the 2009 vintage considered ‘pretty smart’ after some excellent growing conditions.

‘We have already seen some stylish ‘09 Semillons,’ Mr Riggs said.

He said 2008 was a wet year producing no Hunter reds but the year’s Semillons and chardonnays were excellent.

‘We’ve also seen some very smart reds coming from the ‘05, ‘06, ‘07 vintages,’ Mr Riggs said.

This year the show has attracted an impressive 779 exhibits from 106 Hunter Valley exhibitors over 33 classes.

Renowned South-East Asian wine journalist and publisher Ch’ng Poh Tiong is the international guest judge and Mr Riggs will lead judges who include Lester Jesberg, Nick Ryan and Travis Fuller.

Only Hunter Valley wines are judged in the show, providing the opportunity for wines that exhibit true regional style and quality to be rewarded.

Mr Riggs said show entries this year were down a little on previous years because of the drought in 2007 and 2008.

‘There are really two parts to the wine show. There are the bragging rights, of course, but it also gives the winemakers themselves the chance to know how they are going and to benchmark themselves against other wineries in the Hunter.

The other side is the consumer side and the trophies etc,’ Mr Riggs said.

Mr Riggs said the 2010 vintage was shaping up well with good rain throughout autumn.

The wine show, which started yesterday, is being held at singleton Army Base throughout the week. A public tasting will be held at Lindeman’s on McDonalds Road, Pokolbin, on Saturday, August 29 from 1pm - 5pm.
1 Aug 2009

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NSW WINE Short Breaks - What to drink, where to eat, what to do, where to stay.
by Claire Harvey

The Share FARMERS
In NSW's original wine region, Claire Harvey writes, the industry is getting back to its roots.

There's a strong spirit in the Hunter Valley - not of the alcoholic variety. It's camaraderie: the understanding among vintners an vignerons that if they are to survive the huge economic, social and fashion changes sweeping through their region, they'll need to work together.
18 Jun 2009

  Hunter Valley Region Reviews
Forbes.com - http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/18/good-australian-wines-lifestyle-wine-australia.html
by Tyler Colman

UNDERAPPRECIATED AUSTRALIAN WINES
The Land Down Under makes more than just cheap, mass-produced shiraz.

Starting in the mid-1990s until last year, Australian wines enjoyed eye-popping growth as a menagerie of kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and penguins stormed the supermarket and wine-shop aisles. Australian shiraz became synonymous with the big, sweet, high alcohol 'fruit bombs.'

The growth of wine from Down Under was so rapid that in 1996 the Australian government's wine authority drew up a 30-year sales target for the industry-and reached it 20 years early. Unfortunately, starting last year, consumers who previously scooped up the look-alike shirazes are now reaching for the wines of other countries-ignoring the great-tasting wines Australia makes...

… In fact, there are over 60 distinct winegrowing regions and 2,300 producers there-making everything from zippy whites such as Brokenwood Semillon to lean reds like Giant Steps pinot noir-and even super sweet dessert wines, such as Chambers muscadelle. And the wines either clock in at wallet friendly prices or are just plain great examples of the grape….

BROKENWOOD 2003 ILR RESERVE, HUNTER VALLEY
The current-release Brokenwood Semillon 2008 is pale in colour and muted in aromas but with a lively zippy acidity on the palate and a refreshingly low alcohol level of 10%. But the magic really happens in the 2003 ILR Reserve. With a few years of age, the colour became golden, the aromas round out and add a delicious toasty note and textural richness on the palate. I poured one for a friend the other day and he said it was the first time he'd ever contemplated spending $40 on a white wine.

Tyler Colman is the author of the practical guide, A Year of Wine: Perfect Pairings, Great Buys and What to Sip with Each Season. He also writes the agenda-setting wine blog DrVino.com
13 May 2009

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Wine Foot, Stomping the Snob out of Wine - www.WineFoot.com
by Lester Jesberg

STUNNING SUMMER SEMILLONS FROM THE HUNTER
Brokenwood 2008 Hunter Valley Semillon
Brokenwood 2007 Cricket Pitch Semillon / Sauvignon Blanc
Brokenwood 2004 Oakey Creek Vineyard Semillon
Brokenwood 2003 ILR Reserve Semillon

Please see pdf attached for a great read regarding Hunter Valley Semillon.
1 May 2009

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Sommelier Journal, The essential guide for wine professionals


SPRING RELEASES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
1 May 2009

  Hunter Valley Region Reviews
Montreal Gazette - www.montrealgazette.com


Excellent review on the Hunter Valley, well worth a read:
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/food-wine/Hunter+terroir+unlikely+grape/15315
1 Apr 2009

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Gourmet Traveller, Voted World's Best Drink Magazine


WINE - BEST OF THE BEST
18 Mar 2009

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Newcastle Herald
by John Lewis

Inspired idea bears fruit with a great red
8 Mar 2009

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The Sunday Telegraph - www.sundaytelegraph.com.au
by John Fordham

ON THE GRAPEVINE
28 Feb 2009

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The Newcastle Weekend Herald, H2
by Frances Thompson

RICH PICKINGS
Winemakers high hopes for Vintage year.
COVER STORY - Mixed Bunches
27 Aug 2008

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Newcastle Daily Telegraph
by Neil Keene

WINES WILL END UP ALL WHITE
1 Jun 2008

  Hunter Valley Region Reviews
The Courier-Mail - www.couriermail.com.au
by Ken Garrett

HUNTER VALLEY CHANGES WINES WITH THE TIMES
Far too many wine regions dwell on past glories, forgetting that to remain relevant, they need to continue to innovate and improve.
… Brokenwood, once an intriguing interloper, is now integral to the success of the region, and has a roll call of former winemakers that comes close to matching that of Tyrell's.
Their Graveyard Shiraz is the regions flagship red, and the recently released 2006, a cracker.

Chief Winemaker Iain Riggs has a quarter of a century of experience at this winery and will be presenting a fascinating session for everybody from consumers to our own winemakers at this year's Brisbane/Courier-Mail/Singapore Airlines Masterclass.

Riggs, who is also one of our most highly regarded show judges, will be examining just how to pick a wine, even before bottling, as one that will be either long-ageing or deserving of classification as a flagship.

Iain Riggs will present 'Racy young things - how to judge the winners of the future' at the Brisbane Hilton/Courier-Mail/Singapore Airlines Masterclass Weekend on July 26 and 27.

… to read this story in its entirety go to www.couriermail.com.au
1 Jun 2007

  Hunter Valley Region Reviews
Accor Traveller magazine
by Rick Allen

THERE’S ONE THING the experts all agree on: Hunter Valley wines are as good, as complex and as long- living as ever. Well priced, too. The last couple of vintages have been excellent, and being located just two hours up the road from Australia’s largest market, Sydney, everything must be rosy, right?
Well, not exactly. The truth is that the Hunter, for all its rich history (grapes were first planted there in the early 1820s), stunning scenery and award-winning wineries, has a far harder job selling its wines, especially its shiraz, than it should.
The Robert Parker-led trend towards blockbuster reds has affected the Hunter more than most regions because, no matter how you look at it, Hunter shiraz is more Mr Bean than it is Rambo. For all their earthy complexity, unique leatheriness and lip-smacking length, they aren’t big.
Bill Sneddon, winemaker at Allandale, knows the problems only too well. “I’ve always found it strange that people are prepared to pay hundreds of dollars for a bottle of Burgundy, which is a light-bodied wine, yet they want shiraz to be big and oaky. I can’t understand it,” he said. “But I think it’s important that we
stay true to the Hunter and continue to make wines the way we know best.”
The top band of Hunter shiraz is certainly outstanding, with Brokenwood Graveyard undoubtedly the star. The price has soared from $40 a bottle a few years back to $100 today – yet still it is snapped up. McWilliam’s and Tyrrell’s have good track records with their reds, and more lately wineries such as Meerea
Park, Glenguin and Thomas have been producing some superb wine.
If the lack of appreciation – perhaps “understanding” is a better word – for their shiraz leaves Hunter winemakers bemused, fortunately there’s no such confusion over the semillon.
Wine aficionados can’t speak highly enough about this long-living gem and its ability to evolve over time from a lean, taut youngster with lemon citrus flavours into an aged beauty that takes on beguiling toast and honey complexity.
If you want to experience semillon at its best, grab some white-fleshed fish, scallops, or prawns to see what all the fuss is about.
Australia’s most authoritative expert James Halliday, in his 2007 edition of The Australian Wine Companion, listed the top 23 semillons he’d tasted in the previous 12 months and no fewer than 19 were from the Hunter.
The Hunter’s compact size makes cruising cellar doors a much easier proposition than most other regions. You can drive at a leisurely pace from the less populated Lovedale side of the valley, across the main road – the newly named Wine Country Drive – through the heart of Pokolbin to the far side of the valley in less than 30 minutes.
It also means you can visit one of the larger establishments, such as McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant with its manicured lawns, cafe, and huge tasting area, and less than a minute later be pulling up at Tinklers, quite possibly the quaintest family-run winery of all of the Hunter’s 120 cellar doors.
“With us it’s about having a chat and old-fashioned service“ said Leonie Tinkler. “We sell most of our grapes to Mt Pleasant, but we keep enough to produce 1000 cases of wine under our own label.” Their income is supplemented by selling seasonal fruit grown on the property, as well as jams, chutneys and relishes that line the wall along the bar. It’s 60 seconds and a world away from McWilliam’s, and it’s part of what makes the Hunter special.
Then, of course, there’s the scenery. There are so many different aspects to the valley that the vistas differ widely. The most spectacular is probably Audrey Wilkinson: the wines are good but the view straight up the valley is breathtaking. A close second is Warraroong Estate in Lovedale, but Petersons on Mount View, Keith Tulloch on Hermitage Road, and Allandale and Sandalyn on the Lovedale side all offer wonderful views. And all the while you’re taking in the views you’re tasting some superb wines.
So, if the Graveyard is the most sought-after shiraz, which of the Semillons are the other shining lights?
Tyrrell’s Vat 1, McWilliam’s Lovedale and Brokenwood ILR are generally regarded as the big three, with a host of others hot on their heels, such as Thomas Braemore, Chatto, Tower and Warraroong.
On a much smaller scale the Hunter also offers two highly collectable chardonnays – Tyrrell’s Vat 47 and Lake’s Folly – and in more recent years some fruity verdelho. But there’s a twist. Along with its superb, elegant chardonnay, Lake’s Folly has bucked the trend and produced a cabernet that is soft, balanced
and complex, with tremendous ageing potential.
Cabernet? In the Hunter? Yes sir, and it sells like hotcakes.
If only the shiraz had it so good. ■
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The Herald
Julieanne Strachan

VIGNERONS CRUSHED BY GRAPE GLUT.
1000 vines to be pulled out.

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