Nice wines I have drunk recently - Red or White

[Doctore1003]

Tastes all the better at dinner in Verona after an afternoon in Valpolicella

 

[TheRealTMA]

Hunter trip

 

[TheRealTMA]

Hunter trip 2

 

[TheRealTMA]

Hunter Trip 3

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Hunter Trip 4

 

[TheRealTMA]

Hunter Trip 5
The dirt floor is still there at Tyrrells!

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Hunter Trip 6

 

[TheRealTMA]

Hunter Trip 7

 

[TheRealTMA]

Hunter Trip 8

 

[TheRealTMA]

Hunter Trip 9

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Hunter Trip 10

 

[Jczer000]

Looks like a great trip @TheRealTMA !

What were standout tasting experiences?

 

[TheRealTMA]

Looks like a great trip @TheRealTMA !

What were standout tasting experiences?

Vineyards

All were very good and interesting.

The standout of course was Tyrrells Vat 1s and some of the others. Bought two cases (mixed) and joined their wine club and got 20% off. (We’d been a member many many years ago in the late 80’s but that had long lapsed.)

Lots of the other semillons were also excellent. Surprisingly quite a few of the current release ones had Riesling kerosene notes, but not the aged ones.

Quite a few of the Fianos were good drinking.

Lakes Folly was excellent for their two wines.

Brokenwood semillon current and aged were excellent as was their Verdello.

Peter Drayton wines again excellent with unusual varietals Tyrian and Saperave very very interesting, something different from the usual CS, S, M, B. Their Barbara very good as was the one from Margan.

De Iuliis and Margan good whites.

Windmark Chardonnays we’re quite outstanding.

Thomas Allen lovely whites (no local reds due to grapes lost to smoke) and the Viognier brilliant.

Charteris wine maker is from NZ so nice opportunity to taste Hunter along with CO wines.

Vinden with young winemaker had some quite interesting wines, single block Shiraz were excellent.

M&J Becker young adventurous wine makers with some quite interesting ones including almost drinkable “Orange” wines.

Accomodation
We stayed at Chateau Elan which was exceptionally good, one bedroom villa with double sided gas fire on lovely estate, and Spicers Hunter vineyard retreat was also good with wood fires.

Restaurants.
Stand out heads and shoulders above all was Robert’s Bistro Molines. Just like a good French country bistro and very very generous servings.
Muse and The Gates also good.
Spicers Botanica just really rated only a pass and was quite disappointed in their food after what I’d read.
The Legends Grill at Chateau Elan was quite good but very strange that one cannot order a salad of any kind with meals. Very good breakfast buffet.
Peter Draytons pizzas were excellent.
Pizza at the Smelly Cheese Shop probably the worst pizza ever half consumed.

 

[miketh]

Barossa Shiraz and Tassie Pinot Noir for Sunday arvo drinks.

 

[boomy]

Earth, pepper, spice… Excellent Mataro dominated blend.

 

[Jczer000]

A bit of Premox on a 2012? I though it was more of an early 00's issue. Still plenty to enjoy and went quite well with crab and chicken.



It'll be interesting to open my other bottle...

 

[Daver6]

Should go down well on a cool winter's night with some steak

 

[Daver6]

 

[TheRealTMA]

Hunter Semillon tasting of liberated wines.


All interesting but for me, picks 1, 5 and 6.

 

[SYD]

Hunter Semillon tasting of liberated wines.

View attachment 279717
All interesting but for me, picks 1, 5 and 6.

That 10+ yrs makes all the difference on a good Hunter Semillon!

 

[TheRealTMA]

That 10+ yrs makes all the difference on a good Hunter Semillon!

Yes agree. But the younger ones are also very interesting and drinkable.

 

[SYD]

Yes agree. But the younger ones are also very interesting and drinkable.

Vertical tastings of Hunter Semillon (and I’d add Clare Rieslings) can be quite an amazing experience.

 

[boomy]

PN lunch with friends in BNE.
Curly Flat was the outstanding drop.