TOP NSW Wines

 Wines from New South Wales do not have a great reputation. I do not know if it is the arrogance of Sydneysiders, or what is causing it, but a recent tasting of premium NSW wines demonstrated they can mix it with the best. I will comment briefly on five wines in this tasting.

The first two wines are from Orange, a cool climate region, which produces increasingly exciting wines. The 2022 Canobolas Chardonnay is citrus and floral flavoured. It is a very elegant wine. It does not undergo malolactic fermentation, and is matured in oak. The vineyard slopes down the mountain of Mt. Canobolas, and this translates into an energetic wine with a mineral finish. This wine is absolutely first class (94 points).

The 2023 ChaLou 'Quixotic' Reserve Pinot Noir is equally impressive. This is the first Reserve Pinot Noir from this producer. The wine is obviously very young at this point and quite restraint. The grapes are grown on volcanic soil. They deliver an appealing blend of black cherry and mulberry fruit and some savoury characteristics. The finish is caressing and long (94 points).

Then came the known big guns. The 2019 Tyrrells Old Patch Shiraz was most impressive. It comes from the oldest vineyard in NSW, planted in 1867. This is a medium bodied wine with great purity of  red fruits. The wine has a velvety texture and a piercing drive. The wine is elegant and powerful at the same time. The excellent balance between fruit, acidity, and tannins points to a long future (97 points).

Tasting the 2009 Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier straight after, was a tough assignment. This is quite a different wine - softer and fruitier, with a bigger mouthfeel, and some five spice. It was quite harmonious at 15 years of age (95 points).

The 2000 Lake's Folly Cabernet Blend from Magnum was equally fresh, after 24 years. What an achievement! The vineyard is on a unique plot in the Hunter Valley, red clay over limestone. The wine is red fruited with a characteristic earthy flavour. The beautifully structured palate delivers great concentration of fruit and a long finish (97 points).     

 

Tyrrell's Johnno's Shiraz

 In contrast to the other sacred sites, the soil of the Johnno's vineyard is mainly sand.

The 2017 Tyrrell's Johnno's Shiraz is a beautiful, flavoursome, and elegant wine. It is red and blue fruited with some licorice and milk chocolate flavours rounding out an intense and velvety mouthfeel. The flavours reveal themselves in different nuances down the palate towards a long harmonious finish.

The 2017 vintage is quite special. This wine is still very youthful and has many years ahead. I would rate it higher than the 4 and 8 Acre wines. I still have to try the Old Patch from this year (coming to you soon). 

Score: 96/+++

Tyrrell's Old Patch Shiraz

 

Tyrrell's Sacred Sites vineyards are mostly located between the road and the winery (4 Acres, 8 Acres, Johnno's). However, the most famous of this quartet, the Old Patch comes from a vineyard about 2km further south. The vines are over 150 years old.

I am tasting the 2018 Tyrrell's Old Patch Shiraz. The fruit in this wine shows incredible purity, tasting of red plum, cranberry, and blueberry. The flavours are deep, but lifted at the same time. The wine delivers a very elegant, even majestic mouthfeel. Silky tannins lead to a long, lingering finish. This is a superb wine. It stands out among the Secret Sites wines.

Score: 97/+++

At this point the wine is fruit dominant thanks to a screw top closure. The wine has the structure to grow in complexity when secondary characteristics emerge, and achieve an even higher score, but we will have to wait another 5-10 years for this to happen.

Tyrrell''s 8 Acres Shiraz

 Tyrrell''s produce four single vineyard wines from vines over 100 years old. The 8 Acres is probably the most accessible early in its life. I tasted the 2019 Tyrrell's 8 Acres Shiraz.

This is a medium-bodied wine, a world apart from South Australian Shiraz. It is red fruited, predominantly cherry flavours. The wine is still very young (screw cap). It has medium concentration, a balanced and elegant mouthfeel. The tannins are soft and fine. The wine lacks a personality statement to make it exceptional.

Score: 93/++ 

Tyrrell’s 4 Acres and 8 Acres Shiraz

Over the last couple of days I had some protein dinner and given relatively warm, but not hot summer temperatures, I was wondering what to pair this with. South Australian Shiraz would have been too heavy, a different grape variety did not seem right. Why not Hunter Valley Shiraz, a lighter, less alcoholic style, often with velvety tannins. It gave me an opportunity to drink two highly regarded Tyrrell’s wines side by side.

 In Burgundy, it is easy to find maps of all vineyards; not in Australia. It is unfortunate in the case of Tyrrell’s, as it would be instructive to see the location and size of their so called Sacred Sites vineyards. The four Sacred Sites vineyards (an unfortunate name?) have been planted well over 100 years ago. The 4 Acres and 8 Acres vineyards sit right next to each other, both on the same red clay over limestone.

So will the 2019 Tyrrell’s 4Acres Shiraz and the 8 Acres Shiraz taste very similar? There seem to be one major difference: the 8 Acres vineyard is planted North to South, the 4 Acres East to West.

There is already a big colour difference: the 4 Acres has a crimson colour, whereas the 8 Acres is purple. On the palate, the 4 Acres is red fruited, with great energy, edgy even in the mouth. There is a fair amount of acidity and tannins in this wine, but the elements are in balance. The wine is long on the palate, and perhaps more of a challenge, in a good way, than the 8 Acres. This wine will clearly add complexity with age.

Score: 95/++

The 8 Acres is a much softer wine, with a velvety mouthfeel. It is medium bodied with soft tannins. The wine is great on the mid-palate, but loses towards the finish.

Score: 94/++

These two wines are quite different. I don't think the treatment in the winery would have been different. Is it all due to the different vineyard orientation. Could be. Or are picking dates different, for example. Unfortunately, such data is not available. In any case, it shows how decisions over a hundred years ago can still impact the flavour and taste of a wine.

Mount Pleasant Tasting

 This tasting was a revelation! Mount Pleasant has experienced tumultuous times over the years. Finally, it went into administration and was sold to a Sydney hospitality group about 18 months ago. The first thing they did was turn the tasting room into a glitzy space. It works.

Understanding the offering is not easy. Semillon is straight forward; Elizabeth is the value offering, Lovedale, one of the best Semillon vineyards in the Hunter, the premium offering. Shiraz is more complicated. At the top sits Maurice O'Shea with best berries from the four old vine vineyards, then the single vineyard wines from the Old Hill and from the Old Paddock, then a number of others at the third tier.

1880 Vines at Old Hill

I will briefly comment on the four wines I liked best. The 2018 Mountain A Shiraz is sourced from the 1965 vines at the Rosehill vineyard. The wine has a light colour. Red berries and violets deliver a medium bodied, quite easy drinking wine. The wine is fruity and quite seductive with its elegant mouthfeel (93 points).

Label simplification

The 2017 Rosehill 1946 Vines Shiraz is a step up. Again, this is quite an open wine, with lovely violet and red berry flavours. There is more depth and complexity on the palate and a long finish. The superb elegance is the defining feature, though (96 points).

The 2019 Old Hill 1880 Vines Shiraz is a little different. It is dark fruited, with licorice and very elegant earthy, yet silky tannins. This is a very balanced, medium-bodied wine, where everything in the glass is at peace with itself. This is a classic Hunter Valley Shiraz (96 points). 

The 2021 Maurice O'Shea has great depth of flavour, mainly blackberry and mulberry. The tannins are very silky. This is not a blockbuster, just a beautiful, superbly elegant wine with a very long finish (97 points)  

The transition from the bigger wines previously, started before the new ownership, but it seems will be carried on. These wines offer a third way for Shiraz, not the full-bodied South Australian wines, not the spicy cold climate Shiraz, but red fruited, elegant and silky Hunter wines.

Big changes will be a reduction of vineyard sizes from 120ha to about 50ha of old vines, and a focus on premium wines. Sadly, a doubling of prices (it seems to me) has already been implemented.

Hunter Valley Woes

 A trip to the Hunter Valley a few days ago was my first for quite a few years. A number of discussions revealed serious problems in this wine growing region.

It probably starts with the climate. Nobody would start this up as a wine region today, a number of winemakers told me. It is quite hot in summer, although the peak is not as high as in South Australia. The diurnal range is low, about 15 degrees, with 20 degree nights, which means grapes continue to ripen at night. The summer humidity is high. As a result, pesticides are widely used. This has lead to very poor soil. Most vineyards show naked soil between rows, no doubt devoid of worms or nematodes. It is largely industrial farming, with wide spaces between vine rows and mechanical harvesting.

This has lead to average quality of wines, which was good enough, as the wineries largely cater to visitors, mostly from Sydney. On the other hand, it is difficult for them to get on restaurant wine lists, and even retail shelves in the cities. It is not just a marketing problem. Wine clubs are therefore heavily promoted. 

Because of all this, many young people have left the region. The average age of the winemaker is higher in the Hunter than in other regions. No wider scale innovation, as with new varieties in McLarenVale, or fresh Shiraz in the Barossa, or Grenache in both, is apparent. 

Of course, there are exceptions to all of these statements. I will comment on one of them in my next post.    

Tyrrell's Old Patch Shiraz

 

This is Tyrrell's flagship red wine, from probably the oldest Shiraz block in the Hunter Valley. Yesterday, I tasted the 2018 Tyrrell's Old Patch Shiraz. The wine has beautiful fruit purity. Plum, blueberry, and some emerging leather flavours ask for your attention. The fruit weight is medium. The wine delivers a wonderful and typical velvety mouthfeel. The wine is elegant with good intensity, and delivers a long finish on soft tannins.

Good quality Hunter Shiraz as described above offers an attractive third dimension to the powerful South Australian Shiraz and the spicy Victorian Shiraz.

Score: 96/+++

Tyrrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay

 Hunter Valley Chardonnay is quite distinctive in the Australian context, as it is a bigger wine, often with tropical fruit. Then comes the very challenging wet vintage of 2011. The 2011 Tyrrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay still has tropical flavours, melon and passionfruit, but also some quite noticeable citrus. It delivers a lively mouthfeel, and a very long finish. This is a remarkable wine and great to drink now (95 points).

The 2014 Tyrrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay is a little different. This is from a warm vintage. Tropical flavours, peach and melon, and hazelnut from the oak deliver a complex and, dare I say it, a little buttery mouthfeel. This wine is still developing.  It would be best served with a weighty fish dish, such as a prawn curry (93 points).

Vintage conditions have quite an influence in the volatile Hunter Valley. 

Mount Pleasant Old Paddock & Old Hill Shiraz

 The financials of Mount Pleasant have been problematic of late, but some of their key wines shine.

The 2014 Mount Pleasant Old Paddock & Old Hill Shiraz still shines bright ruby in the glass. On the palate, black and red forest berries are matched with black pepper notes. This is an elegant wine with a kick. It is medium-bodied, and not super concentrated, but the silky texture is enticing. This wine has a long finish with mulberry flavours. It is a beautiful balanced wine. 

For those who are focused on South Australian Shiraz, I encourage you to taste this wine. You will not be disappointed. You can take your time, this wine will gain complexity for many years and last well for another 20, I think.

Score: 96/+++ 

Tyrrell's Hunter Valley Chardonnay

 Most people would look to the Yarra Valley when it comes to value for money Chardonnay. And it is unlikely you would think of the Hunter Valley. However, Tyrrell's is one of the great Chardonnay producers of Australia.

A couple of days ago, I drank the 2020 Tyrrell's Hunter Valley Chardonnay. Now there is a red flag going up. This is the year of the terrible bush fires, and they were close to the Hunter. Bruce Tyrrell was very vocal of not picking quite a few vineyards because of smoke taint. The good news: there is absolutely no smoke taint in this wine.

The wine was matured for six months in old and new barriques. This Chardonnay generates a very pleasant mouthfeel with citrus, pineapple, and a mild vanilla influence. The wine is not overly complex, but has some persistence. It has more body than a Yarra wine of similar price point, and a little less acidity.

I highly recommend this wine, which can be found for close to $20 per bottle. It should be drunk in the next couple of years.

Score: 90/++ 

Mount Pleasant Maurice O'Shea Shiraz

 To ring in the new year in style, I drank an iconic wine from the Hunter Valley, the 2014 Mount Pleasant Maurice O'Shea Shiraz. 

The thing that strikes you immediately is the great purity of this wine, and its depth of flavour. This full-bodied wine is red fruited. It does not give away much at the moment. The mouthfeel is smooth, and the velvety nature of the tannins is emerging. This will more fully develop in time. There is great harmony on the palate.

This wine comes across as very aristocratic, and at peace with itself. It was way too early to drink and will probably still be good in 50 years.

Score: 95/+++

 

Two Hunter Valley Beauties

The top echelon of red wine producers in the Hunter Valley consists of Tyrrell's, Mount Pleasant, and Brokenwood. But they do not have it all their own way. Some newer wineries are issuing a challenge. I recently tasted two outstanding examples from the excellent 2014 vintage.

The 2014 Thomas Wines Kiss Shiraz is the lead Shiraz by Andrew Thomas, and the 2014 Silkman Reserve Shiraz is of the same caliber. If you drink these wines side by side, you are first struck by the similarities. These are typical Hunter Valley wines: not South Australian blockbusters, nor spicy cool climate wines. The wines are full-bodied, yet fresh and elegant, with silky tannins. Now to the (subtle) differences. 

The Silkman Shiraz is slightly more aromatic on the nose. Blood plum flavours develop with poise. This is a more female expression of Shiraz, with fine acidity, some pepper, and a long finish.

Score: 95/+++

The Thomas 'Kiss' is a little bigger, ripe plum, a bit more masculine, with sweeter chocolate flavours from the core, but not like a South Australian wine on these dimensions. A very round wine, still energetic, with a bigger mouthfeel and finish.

Score: 95/+++ 

 

  

Lake's Folly Chardonnay

 The folly was to focus on Chardonnay and Cabernet in a region known for Semillon and Shiraz. It has worked well for Lake's Folly. The wines are not very visible, because they sell largely through the mailing list and the cellar door is closed most times. And it has gone off my radar a bit as a result. However, I have the 2015 Lake's Folly Chardonnay in my cellar. The bottle I opened gave me moderate pleasure.

This Lake's Folly Chardonnay is quite an intense wine. Lemon peel and yellow peach flavours are matched by good quality oak and resultant vanilla notes. This is a fuller bodied Chardonnay than most. It is not buttery, but delivers a full mouthfeel of the mentioned flavours. Acidity keeps the wine lively on the palate. While the 14.3% alcohol is not obvious in isolation, it is clear this is a big wine, maybe not ideal for lunch.

Score: 92/+ 

Tyrrell's Belford Semillon

The 2014 Tyrrell’s Belford Semillon was the perfect wine  on a 38 degree Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) day. This Semillon comes from an isolated vineyard in the Hunter Valley with sandy soil and surrounded by trees. It is unusual in the stable of Tyrrell’s  Semillons. The flavours and texture are similar to Chablis, not the more common closeness to Riesling.

Thi wine, from a great vintage, has excellent energy and drive. Lime flavours and minerality dominate on the palate. This wine is still very fresh and will only mellow around year 12, I think. So far, there are only primary fruit characteristics on the palate. The wine is perhaps a little bit raw, but I liked it a lot, in particular the penetrating finish.

Score: 94/+++
 

Tyrrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay

 It is nice to drink a Chardonnay different from the many crispy Yarra Valley Chardonnays which seem to dominate the market. Not that do not like them, on the contrary, but Chardonnay can be much more than that. Enter the 2019 Tyrrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay.

This Chardonnay is medium-bodied, but quite full in the mouth. There is white peach, passionfruit, and grapefruit on the palate. While this is a somewhat bigger wine, there is no butterscotch here whatsoever. The smart oak integration adds hazelnut and vanilla. This is a very balanced wine with a medium plus finish.

This Chardonnay will benefit from a couple more years of bottle age, and can easily be cellared for 7-10 years.

Score: 95/++  

 

Thomas Wines Braemore Semillon

By accident I tasted another wine from Andrew Thomas from 2009. Semillon is the best ageing white wine in Australia, and the 2009 Thomas Wines Braemore Semillon, from an excellent sandy site in the Hunter Valley, is a prime example.

The colour of this wine is still more green than golden. However, the wine has turned from 'acid water' to a well balanced wine. Lime flavours still dominate, but light toast flavours are emerging. The acidity is well integrated, keeping the wine fresh.

This wine is delicious now, but will easily go for another 10 years plus.

Score: 94/+++

Thomas Wines Kiss Shiraz

I am not quite sure what to think of the 2009 Thomas Wines Kiss Shiraz from the Hunter Valley, at eleven years of age. There are elements of a South Australian Shiraz in this wine, missing the graciousness of an ageing Hunter wine.

Plum, blackberry and mulberry fruit engulf the palate on entry. Black olive and black pepper add to a solid profile of premium Shiraz. This is a full-bodied wine, ripe and quite dense, but smooth as well, with a sweet core. The tannins are a bit blocked, but have mellowed a lot. 

This wine is drinking fine, but is perhaps just past its best.

Score: 92/+

Tyrrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay

Tyrrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay has been one of the early benchmarks for quality Australian Chardonnay, and in particular for its ability to age. To put this to a challenging test, I recently tasted two aged Chardonnays from relatively poor Hunter Valley vintages.

The 2012 Tyrrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay is still in good health, but the apple and citrus flavours now taste a little simple. There is still good acidity and great balance in this wine. And the wine finishes long.

Score: 92/++

The 2009 Tyrrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay is the stronger of the two wines. The colour of this wine is still bright. The fruit flavours are complex; apple, passionfruit, some pineapple. The mouthfeel is quite layered. This Chardonnay is still energetic to the finish.

Score: 95/+++   

Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon

The Lovedale vineyard is one of the top five Semillon vineyards in the Hunter Valley, with its vines now 70 years old; this 2007 Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon only 12 years. As the label shows, this wine won many trophies on release.

Semillon can age incredibly well. 12 years is only mid-range. The colour of the wine has started to turn golden, maybe a little earlier than some. The citrus aromas are strong.

Lime flavours dominate the palate still, but some toasty notes are starting to show. This Semillon is a little broad on the palate. I would have wished for more acidity.

This wine is probably in transition, and I have opened it at an unlucky time. It misses freshness, but has not developed a mature profile yet.

Score: 90/0