To get your wine, you need to know the producer, the type and the grapes used to make it. Now that we’re done with generalities about Hunter Valley; let’s narrow down to its wines.
Not long ago, I shared with you some insights about wineries of Hunter Valley and their history as well as a snippet on Australia’s wine making at large. This article will look into different grape varieties grown in this region which give rise to unique types of wines.
New South Wales is only second after South Australia in wine production being the birthplace of Australian wines. And although there are dozens more regions scattered throughout NSW; most attention has always been brought by one place – The Hunter Valley situated just north from Sydney. The locals pride themselves on having mineral rich Semillons that last forever and serve as an icon for this area.
Sémillon
We say Hunter Valley – we mean Sémillon. We say Sémillon, we mean Hunter Valley. Hunter Valley Semillon is called ‘Australia’s unique gift to the wine world.’ It is sometimes referred to as ‘Riesling from Hunter’, although this has nothing to do with Riesling. The primary aromas characteristic of cold-climate Semillon from the Hunter Valley are lemon, lemon zest, grapefruit, green apple and floral aromas. Of course, the flavour depends on many factors, so you can also find pineapple, papaya, peach, pear and other flavours. It should be added that although the climate of the Hunter Valley is one of the hottest and most humid climates for wine production, it is still cold-climatic for the local Semillon, as Semillon is harvested early in the season, before it is too hot and when the berries are not quite ripe.
Semillon is not usually kept for longer than 3-5 years. Still, Semillon from the Hunter Valley has excellent potential and can be kept for up to 20 years, developing and improving its flavour. This is partly due to the quality of the wine and how it was made and partly due to some tricks. McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant, for example, adds a small amount of CO2 carbon dioxide to the wine. This immediately increases the shelf life by at least five years. For example, Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 2007 can be stored until 2022. Adding CO2 does not make the wine sparkling, foamy or change the flavour, but you can feel tiny bubbles in your mouth when you drink it.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the most common grape variety worldwide and can grow in a wide variety of climates. Not surprisingly, it is also grown extensively in Australia, particularly in the Hunter Valley. There are two main types of Chardonnay: the traditional oaked/wooded and the modern, now gaining popularity, unoaked/unwooded.
Chardonnay has aromas of lemon, apple, pear, pineapple, peach, mango and others. The aroma depends very much on when the berries were picked, the soil in which the grapes grow, the climate in which they are grown, whether the wine was aged in oak barrels, and the winemaker’s skills.
Chardonnay from barrels is more oily and full-bodied than from stainless steel vats, with a richer colour and lower acidity. In addition, aging in oak barrels imparts additional flavours to the delicious wine, such as vanilla, nuts, butter, caramel, coconut and even dill. It is generally made in warm climates. Unwooded Chardonnay has a l, lighter colour, a much lighter body and higher acidity. In this respect, unwooded Chardonnay is very similar to Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. Unwooded Chardonnay is generally made in colder climates. In the Hunter Valley, the climate is hot and humid, and barrel-aged Chardonnay is the primary produce there.
Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio
One grape variety – two different wines. Pinot Gris comes from French, while Pinot Grigio comes from Italian. Although they are the same grape variety, how the wine is made determines whether it will be labelled ‘Gris’ or ‘Grigio’.
For Pinot Gris, the grapes are harvested ripe towards the end of the season, when the berries show sweetness. The wine is usually aged in oak barrels. As a result, the wine becomes full-bodied, complexly flavoured, with a higher alcohol content and acquires aromas of ripe pears, apples, peaches and some spices.
For Pinot Grigio, the grapes are harvested early in the season when the berries’ acid content is higher, and only stainless steel tanks are used for fermentation and storage. The result is a much lighter, fresher, and drier wine with higher acidity, lower alcohol content, and aromas of lemons, citrus, green apples, and mineral tones.
Due to its structure, Pinot Grigio pairs better with food than Pinot Gris. In this respect, Pinot Grigio is a very versatile wine that goes well with fish and other seafood, pasta and other pasta dishes, mushroom dishes, fresh salads, etc. Pinot Gris is more suitable for chicken, turkey, pork and veal dishes pâtés, and more complex fish dishes.
Verdelho
The Verdelho grape variety has become well-established in the Hunter Valley due to its good resistance to heat and rain. It has been grown in the Hunter Valley since the 1820s. It is a fresh, full-bodied wine with fruity aromas and flavours from the grapes themselves and is gaining popularity in Australia as an alternative to Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Hunter Valley Verdelho is characterised by moderate and balanced acidity and flavours of tropical fruit, citrus and melon with spice notes. However, the final aromas and flavours of the wine depend very much on the weather, the soil in a particular location and the winemaker’s skill.
Gewürztraminer
In Australia, Gewürztraminer is also known as Traminer, especially in hot regions where it is mixed with Riesling. Gewürztraminer is a very flavourful and full-bodied wine. In the 70s, it was called the “Chardonnay of the 70s’. The bouquet is rich and complex, with the presence of aromas of tropical fruits such as lychee, passion fruit, pineapple and mango and the presence of floral notes – rose petals, gardenia and others, and even spices (cloves, peppermint, pepper and ginger). Because of this, Gewürztraminer proper translates as fragrant/spicy Traminer.
Viognier
Viognier has been cultivated in the Hunter Valley for about 30-40 years and is slowly gaining popularity. It is a very aromatic wine with a rich flavour and low acidity. Despite this, experts say that Viognier will not be able to beat the popularity of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. The reason is the great difficulty of growing this variety and the unpredictability of the result.
The most distinctive feature of this type of wine is the aroma of stone fruits such as peaches, apricots, nectarines, etc., combined with a rather high alcohol content (often more than 13%) and low acidity. Viognier also has aromas of flowers and spices depending on the location, weather, and age of the vines. Viognier is meant to be consumed young, but late-harvest Viognier from old vines can be stored for some time.
Shiraz
Shiraz (Syrah) is a dark-skinned grape that came to Australia from the Rhône region. In Australia, it is called Shiraz rather than Syrah. It is currently the most popular and widespread grape variety in Australia. Its plantations reach 40% of all red varieties, and now Australia is the second-largest producer of Shiraz in the world after France. When people talk about Australian Shiraz, they usually refer to the South Australian wine regions of Barossa, Coonawarra, and others. The most famous Australian Shirazes come from this, starting with Penfolds ‘Grange’. However, the popularity of Shiraz is so great that it is grown in virtually every wine region in Australia. The Hunter Valley is also famous for its Shiraz.
What makes Shiraz so good? Shiraz adapts very well to almost all types of climate and soil and produces very different styles of wine depending on the terroir (combination of soil and climatic factors and site characteristics) and the winemaker’s skill. Small quantities of Shiraz produce sparkling, rosé, fortified, and port wines. It also creates the world-famous Rhône blend, GSM, after Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre. Grenache is the lightest of the three wines and produces a light red juice with soft berry aromas and spice flavours. As part of the GSM blend, it gives alcohol, warmth and fruitiness without tannins. Shiraz gives fullness, black berry aromas (blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, black plums, etc.), and pepper aromas. The Shiraz in the GSM blend gives the colour, the backbone of the wine, the tannins and the balance needed for the blend. Mourvèdre gives elegance, structure, and acidity to the GSM blend and the aroma of plums, roasted game, and tobacco.
The Hunter Valley’s climate is challenging, with high temperatures in the summer and plenty of rain between January and April. Despite its challenging climate, the Hunter Valley produces some of the most famous Shiraz in Australia.
A typical young Hunter Valley Shiraz is a medium-bodied wine with flavours of red and black berries, spice, and plenty of tannins. With age, the wine becomes more complex and full-bodied yet still soft and full-bodied, with mineral and earthy tones. Shiraz stores beautifully. Most vintages keep for 5 – 10 years. Some exceptional vintages can be kept for 15 – 25 years.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is often called ‘the most romantic wine’ for its beautiful flavour. Pinot Noir is a wine with a light to medium body and a wide range of textures and flavours, including aromas of red and black cherries, raspberries, currants and blueberries. Pinot noir is also very terroir-dependent. Pinot Noir ripens early. Its thin skin contains fewer dark pigments than Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. Pinot Noir has relatively high acidity and tannins, often characterised as ‘silky’ or ‘velvety’.
An interesting fact is that in the 60’s in the Hunter Valley, pinot noir was the most widely grown variety due to the ideal climate. This is where the era of Australian Pinot Noir began. In the 1920s, Maurice O’Shea, later the super winemaker of the 20th century, bought the famous winery in Pokolbin, which was established in the 1980s. He then changed the name to Mount Pleasant and cultivated many varieties, including Pinot Noir. He found, cloned and grew the best pinot noir vines. It is these vines that are now considered the foundation of Australian Pinot and are called MV6 (Mother Vine 6). Bruce Tyrrell of Tyrrell’s Wines once said that the Hunter Valley is the home of Australian Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and if you say that in Tasmania or Victoria, you might get a good fight. Still, the historical fact remains a historical fact.
The early ripening of pinot berries allows them to be picked before the heavy rains of late summer. The valley’s climate, with hot summers and many cloudy days, also provides for a more flavourful pinot. Rich in limestone, soil is another essential element for a good pinot. But not all is rosy – summers in the valley can be much hotter than necessary for Pinot. And that leads to overripe, not elegant, wine. The thin skins in tight bunches are just as susceptible to rot. This makes pinot noir in the valley challenging to produce. It is a very delicate wine that requires love and a lot of labour.
Merlot
Merlot is known for its stylish fruit and juicy character. The primary flavours of Hunter Valley Merlot are red berries – especially plums, raspberries and cherries. There are also flavours of fruitcake and chocolate. There are fewer tannins than in most other red dry wines.
Traditionally, merlot is blended with cabernet sauvignon with excellent results. These two varieties complement each other perfectly. Merlot softens the robust and tart young cabernet. Merlot is now famous in its own right and is often referred to as the ‘king of wines’ for its rich aroma and flavour, frequently bettCabernetother dry red wines. Merlot is the third-largest red grape variety in Australia. Despite this, it isn’t easy to find pure merlot – usually blended with other wines.
Merlot can be drunk, both young and old, which is why it has gained popularity. This was one of the reasons why the protagonist of the novel Sideways couldn’t stand merlot—its excessive popularity and the fact that it is so easy to make a simple ‘drinking’ wine that most people like.
Cabernet Sauvignon
It is the most famous grape variety in the world. Renowned for being easily stored for up to 20 years or more. Second most grown in Australia. It is straightforward to grow and harvest. The vines tolerate winter well and are not afraid of frost. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most adaptable grape variety. The flavour of cabernet, unlike pinot noir, varies little from terroir to terroir. Soil, climate and production method certainly influence the flavour, but not asCabernet one might think. The result is an easily identifiable cabernet flavour and aroma. The body of the wine is medium to full-bodied with primary aromas of black cherry, blackcurrant, blueberry and cedar—secondary flavours are herbs, pepper, olives, and vanilla. The flavour of a good, aged Cabernet can be very complex. The cabernet is relatively high in tannins and relatively high in acidity.
Perhaps Australia’s most famous and collectible Cabernet is the Lake’s Folly winery’s Cabernet from the Hunter Valley. Even young cabernet from this winery has soft, ‘silky’ tannins that make it Cabernetdrink right away, not to mentionCabernettermge. This wine is usually pCabernetin small batches of 250 dozen and sells out very quickly, despite the very high price for a bottle of young wine.
Tempranillo
Tempranillo came to us recently (about 20 years ago) from the Rioja region of Spain and is now grown in almost all wine regions of Australia. The name comes from the Spanish ‘temprano’, meaning ‘early’, due to its tendency to ripen earlier than other varieties. The grape has thick skins and is well suited to hot climates. This grape variety is prevalent in Spain and sometimes called the ‘king of grapes’, but this is not the case in Australia. Although grown in almost every region, it occupies only 0.5 per cent of all vineyards and is more of a niche or ‘alternative’ variety. The wine has good colour and berry and fruit aromas (cherry, currant, strawberry, plum, tomato, etc.) with hints of leather, tobacco, olives, etc. This wine is low in acid and tannins. The body of the wine is medium to full-bodied. The wine is easy to drink, quite versatile and pairs well with many dishes. Tempranillo holds up well to 5 – 10 years of storage. The best wines from this variety are produced in the Canberra region (Mount Majura and Quarry Hill) and in the McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley. In the Hunter Valley, the best tempranillo is produced by Little Wine Co.
Chambourcin
A very new variety for Australia and the Hunter Valley. It has a nice deep red colour, fruity aromas, and flavours of raspberries, plums and cranberries. It is much lighter than Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon and, therefore, great for people not keen on red dry wines. The variety is an excellent fit in the Hunter Valley.
Separately, we should mention the varieties that are either not grown in the Hunter Valley or are grown very little, but without them, the article would not be complete.
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is a grape of Italian origin that has slowly gained popularity in Australia over the past decade. It is an elegant medium-bodied wine with intense aromas of red plums, strawberries, and figs, as well as increased natural acidity and high tannin content. Secondary aromas are usually flavours of herbs and spices. Sangiovese from the Hunter Valley and Australia is generally more fruity than its European counterpart, with ripe flavours and higher alcohol content. Sangiovese can be stored well for 5 to 10 years. It pairs well with tomato dishes, herbs, baked meats and hard cheeses.
Mourvèdre (Mourvèdre)
If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, you should like Mourvèdre too. This full-bodied wine came to us from Spain and is now slowly gaining popularity in Australia. It is produced mainly in the McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley. Mourvèdre has primary flavours of blackberries and fruits – blueberries, blackberries, plums, etc. Secondary flavours include spices, pepper, smoke, meat, game, etc. Mourvèdre is characterised by high tannin content and medium to slightly higher acidity. Just like Grenache, it is used for GSM and other blends. One of the old Barossa winemakers once said that a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro is like ‘flesh, blood and bones’ where Grenache gives flesh, Shiraz gives blood, and Mourvèdre gives bones. Interestingly, it is widespread in Australia to plant all three varieties in the same vineyard. All three ripen at different times, allowing the grapes to be harvested as they ripen. Mourvèdre ripened much later than Grenache. While Grenache is fully ripe, Mourvèdre is still immature. Pure Mourvèdre is not as common as its blends. One of this varietal’s most famous pure wines is Torbreck ‘The Pict’ from the Barossa Valley.
Riesling
Riesling is produced mainly in South Australia, where the German settlers came from. There are two types of Riesling – sweeter and drier. Just like pinot noir, the flavour and aroma of a Riesling depend very much on the terroir. Two Rieslings from the same region can be completely different from each other. Nevertheless, they will share some of the same traits – reasonably low alcohol content, refreshing natural fruity acids, the ability to transfer the characteristics of the terroir and the possibility of long (decades) maturation in barrels. Riesling can be either slightly sweet or dry (sometimes called Alsace/Alsace after the name of the region where dry Riesling is traditionally produced). Australia usually produces dry Riesling. New Zealand produces all varieties of Riesling, from slightly sweet to dry. It is one of the most aromatic grape varieties. The primary flavours are nectarines, apricots, apples, pears, pineapple, lemons and limes. Other flavours are spices, honey wax and even petrol and rubber. Riesling pairs well with spicy food because of its slight sweetness and acidity. Indian or Asian cuisine is just suitable for a Riesling.
Grenache
On the one hand, this is one of the underrated grape varieties. It is rarely used independently because of the difficulty in producing pure wine (it oxidises too quickly and loses colour). Still, it is used for the world-famous Rhône blend, GSM after Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre. And also for other blends, some of which sell for $600 a bottle. Until about the middle of the 20th century, Grenache was quite popular in Australia, but in the 1960s, things changed, and the variety was all but abandoned. However, in the last ten years, things have changed again, and Grenache is gaining popularity again, and plantings are expanding. In some ways, Grenache has characteristics similar to those of Pinot Noir (red berries), so Pinot Noir lovers can safely try Grenache as a cheaper substitute for Pinot Noir. Grenache has a medium to whole body and a much darker colour than Pinot Noir. Grenache’s flavours are mainly red berries (raspberries, strawberries, and cherries), spices and pepper. The most significant amount of Grenache is produced in the McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley. Pure Grenache pairs well with a wide range of meat and fish dishes (yes, yes, that’s right – fish dishes). GSM blend, in turn, due to the higher amount of tannins, is more suitable for meat dishes.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is hardly ever grown in the Hunter Valley. It is traditionally grown in Australia in the Adelaide Hills and Marlborough in New Zealand. Both of these regions produce world-class Sauvignon Blancs. Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Semillon, a light and refreshing wine with tropical fruit and citrus aromas. Climate has a strong influence on how the wine will be. Hot climates produce riper and richer wines with flavours of melon, nectarines and other stone fruits. Colder climates produce wines with higher acidity and more tropical flavours of passion fruit, sweet pepper and gooseberry. Sauvignon tends to have simpler aromas and flavours and is, therefore, great for introducing different types of wine. Most Sauvignon is matured in steel barrels at reasonably low temperatures to preserve the youthful fruit flavour and aroma.
And lastly, a list of the best wineries in the Hunter Valley
Best of the best:
Tyrrell’s (1863) McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant (1921) – Hunter Valley Legend >> Lake’s Folly (1963) Brokenwood (1970) – Brokenwood – from hobby to premium >> Meerea Park (1991) Thomas Wines (1997)
The following wineries have consistently performed well for at least the past three years:
Audrey Wilkinson Winery Briar Ridge Vineyard Chateau Francois De Iuliis First Creek Wines Glenguin Estate Keith Tulloch Wine Leogate Estate Wines Margan Family Mistletoe Wines Mount View Estate Pepper Tree Wines Tallavera Grove/Carillion Tamburlaine Tower Estate Tulloch Wandin Hunter Valley
The following wineries have performed well over the past year (and sometimes more):
Bimbadgen Chateau Pato David Hook Wines Gartelmann Hunter Estate Gundog Estate Hungerford Hill McLeish Estate Pokolbin Estate Saddler’s Creek Tinklers Wines Tintilla Wines
