First impressions - more like a pinot in colour & in taste. Certainly appears younger than its 12 years of age, perhaps due to its high acid level. Light bodied, cherries and a bit of cola, not overly complex but enjoyable. Impressions on my first glass, wine perhaps need an hour or two to open up. Edit: Tasted 2hours after opening: Not much has changed - apart from the acidity appears to have increased- not certain what is happening, as the acidity overrides the primary fruit characteristics. Will come back in a couple of years.
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Similar to above with a deep scarlet colour and more prominent sour cherry fruit profile, almost cherry-cola flavour, and without the glossy Shiraz fruit of previous bottles. The acidity is more obvious with this bottle and the finish a little shorter. I suggest not typical, or not a good time to open a bottle of this wine. Leave for 2024 17.
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Similar to last week’s bottle but with glossier Shiraz fruit, the earthy notes more subdued. Now more similar to the Rosehill, but with the additional density of the vineyard character and creaminess of the vine age 18.5.
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Enjoyed with 2011 Rosehill, the OP&OH blacker and more developed in colour. The nose follows this and shows more olives, earth and soil notes overlain by essence of Hunter shiraz. Palate similar, lots of flavour but without the highlights of the Rosehill. Like them both, this one 2026 if your serious 18.
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Mid garnet; quiet nose, restrained, understated; earthy, a lovely softness, a certain elegance, fine tannins; plenty on the finish. Should age deceptively well. Old school HV shiraz.
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Two years on, this bottle consumed over two nights, pretty much the same observations "Good Hunter Valley Shiraz. Very smooth, ripe but not over ripe fruit. Good body, really coming together in a mellowing sort of way, low acid, fine tannins and subtle oak. Good length, lingering flavours". And I still prefer this to the "Rosehill".
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Drinking great right now. Mainly dark fruits mixed with earth, leather and liquorice. Kept lively with bright acidity and silky tannins. Great length. Will live a long time.
Good Hunter Valley Shiraz. Very smooth, ripe but not over ripe fruit. Low acid, fine tannin and subtle oak. Good length, lingering flavours. I prefer this to the Rosehill.
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Deep and dark red. The nose is light but with a plummy old fruit character. Big heavy fruit on the palate with a strong tannin finish. A big wine and unlike the general Hunter reds. Smooth and well balanced whilst showing some age.
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Generous ruby red. Light soft fruit nose with a spicy edge. The palate is soft with big rich fruit and a nice clean acid finish. I expect this wine to improve with a few more years although it is fine as is.
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Hunter Valley Roadtrip 2015: Ash, charcoal, cherry and raspberry. Medium bodied palate with good lift and a good savoury element working well with the red fruit. Has good texture.
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I'm unsure how Halliday gets this to 97. The colour is great and has a delicate, light nose, but it doesn't scream hunter to me. Night one it finished tart and slightly out of balance, interesting profile of fruit though. Some red berries, plum and licorice and was a little off-spec with my usual association with Hunter shiraz. Will leave the rest for 5+ years before coming back to it
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Deep red/purple colour. Big nose with rich dark fruit. Nice spice on the palate with full mouthfeel with a tight tannin finish. Really it's too young and would benefit with a few more years.
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Hunter Valley - 6 Cellar Doors (Hunter Valley): {screwcap, 13.5%, A$58} A medium-bodied and –structured wine in every respect save the longish finish; this offers spicy and exotic fruit, with great depth of flavour and concentrated forest floor/earthy notes. Among the better recent OP&OHs I think; the oak is less coarse here than it has been. This is good Hunter shiraz; at the member price of ~A$46 the value is fair; especially as it’s been a while since an aged OP&OH has really impressed. So, good now, but who knows beyond that? At least the alcohol level is sensible once again.
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Supper at Mal's (Mal's place, Melrose Park, Sydney): Aromas of savoury plum, sweet blackberry, cream, slight vanilla, spice, slight leather and BBQ meat. In the mouth there are flavours of juicy plums and blackberries with drying tannins. Well balanced, long, nice.
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Wine-Ark boys on tour - Hunter Valley 2014 - Day 2 (Hunter Valley): freshly tilled earth, liquorice, leather, plum, bonfire and slight blackberry. In the mouth there are flavours of black plum, liquorice, black pepper, spice, slight vanilla, it's quite juicy as well with slight tannic grip especially on the gyms. everything carries long. Beautifully balanced and very approachable. Good
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Bright clear purple in colour. An interesting nose with a hint of eucalyptus. Soft and full of flavour with a dry tannin finish. Probably too young and needing a bit more time to mellow but very enjoyable and pleasant with tender juicy beef.
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In our view 2010 OPOH was a better vintage that this 2011, however this wine is still very youthful. An ample bodied wine with a dark ruby appearance. It has aromas of oak, dark fruits and spices with balanced flavours of cherries, aniseed and cinnamon. A medium lingering finish, best drinking to 2035. A 'Great Value' rating of -13.4 'No Value 4 $' see more at; http://bit.ly/1o4oXbh
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2014 Sydney Royal Wine Show - Exhibitor's Tasting & Trophy Wines Lunch (Homebush & Four Seasons Hotel): [bronze medal] {screwcap} Light nose, youthful and peppery. There’s a faintly glue-like note to the oak aromas too. It’s less noticeable on the palate which is spicy, with medium powdery tannins, good balance along the tongue, dry and elegant. Only medium-weight, it finishes long and savoury. Very tidy; needs plenty of time to meld together properly.
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Visit to the Hunter: Nice aromatics - cherry and raspberry, some heady violet perfume and red licorice. Fresh and quite bright palate, with plenty of that red fruit character, with the acidity nicely complimenting the fruit. Good length.
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7/2/2023 - Kayaking Likes this wine: 91 Points
First impressions - more like a pinot in colour & in taste. Certainly appears younger than its 12 years of age, perhaps due to its high acid level.
Light bodied, cherries and a bit of cola, not overly complex but enjoyable. Impressions on my first glass, wine perhaps need an hour or two to open up.
Edit: Tasted 2hours after opening: Not much has changed - apart from the acidity appears to have increased- not certain what is happening, as the acidity overrides the primary fruit characteristics. Will come back in a couple of years.
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6/15/2023 - Geoff7777 wrote:
Similar to above with a deep scarlet colour and more prominent sour cherry fruit profile, almost cherry-cola flavour, and without the glossy Shiraz fruit of previous bottles. The acidity is more obvious with this bottle and the finish a little shorter. I suggest not typical, or not a good time to open a bottle of this wine. Leave for 2024 17.
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7/26/2022 - Geoff7777 wrote:
Similar to last week’s bottle but with glossier Shiraz fruit, the earthy notes more subdued. Now more similar to the Rosehill, but with the additional density of the vineyard character and creaminess of the vine age 18.5.
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7/23/2022 - Geoff7777 wrote:
Enjoyed with 2011 Rosehill, the OP&OH blacker and more developed in colour. The nose follows this and shows more olives, earth and soil notes overlain by essence of Hunter shiraz. Palate similar, lots of flavour but without the highlights of the Rosehill. Like them both, this one 2026 if your serious 18.
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4/7/2019 - chbeaumont wrote: 92 Points
Mid garnet; quiet nose, restrained, understated; earthy, a lovely softness, a certain elegance, fine tannins; plenty on the finish. Should age deceptively well. Old school HV shiraz.
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12/29/2018 - nulla Likes this wine: 92 Points
Two years on, this bottle consumed over two nights, pretty much the same observations "Good Hunter Valley Shiraz. Very smooth, ripe but not over ripe fruit. Good body, really coming together in a mellowing sort of way, low acid, fine tannins and subtle oak. Good length, lingering flavours". And I still prefer this to the "Rosehill".
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9/28/2018 - Jimmy_D wrote: 90 Points
An improvement on previous bottle a few years back. Light to medium bodied and well rounded. The first of my 2011s that has started to hit its stride.
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11/16/2017 - BPej Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking great right now. Mainly dark fruits mixed with earth, leather and liquorice. Kept lively with bright acidity and silky tannins. Great length. Will live a long time.
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7/29/2016 - nulla Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good Hunter Valley Shiraz. Very smooth, ripe but not over ripe fruit. Low acid, fine tannin and subtle oak. Good length, lingering flavours. I prefer this to the Rosehill.
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5/30/2016 - Bouddi26 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep and dark red. The nose is light but with a plummy old fruit character. Big heavy fruit on the palate with a strong tannin finish. A big wine and unlike the general Hunter reds. Smooth and well balanced whilst showing some age.
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10/5/2015 - Bouddi26 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Generous ruby red. Light soft fruit nose with a spicy edge. The palate is soft with big rich fruit and a nice clean acid finish. I expect this wine to improve with a few more years although it is fine as is.
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5/31/2015 - CamWheeler wrote: 90 Points
Hunter Valley Roadtrip 2015: Ash, charcoal, cherry and raspberry. Medium bodied palate with good lift and a good savoury element working well with the red fruit. Has good texture.
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5/31/2015 - Jimmy_D wrote: 89 Points
I'm unsure how Halliday gets this to 97. The colour is great and has a delicate, light nose, but it doesn't scream hunter to me. Night one it finished tart and slightly out of balance, interesting profile of fruit though. Some red berries, plum and licorice and was a little off-spec with my usual association with Hunter shiraz. Will leave the rest for 5+ years before coming back to it
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4/11/2015 - Bouddi26 wrote: 92 Points
Deep red/purple colour. Big nose with rich dark fruit. Nice spice on the palate with full mouthfeel with a tight tannin finish. Really it's too young and would benefit with a few more years.
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1/17/2015 - graemeg wrote:
Hunter Valley - 6 Cellar Doors (Hunter Valley): {screwcap, 13.5%, A$58} A medium-bodied and –structured wine in every respect save the longish finish; this offers spicy and exotic fruit, with great depth of flavour and concentrated forest floor/earthy notes. Among the better recent OP&OHs I think; the oak is less coarse here than it has been. This is good Hunter shiraz; at the member price of ~A$46 the value is fair; especially as it’s been a while since an aged OP&OH has really impressed. So, good now, but who knows beyond that? At least the alcohol level is sensible once again.
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9/27/2014 - chatters wrote:
Supper at Mal's (Mal's place, Melrose Park, Sydney): Aromas of savoury plum, sweet blackberry, cream, slight vanilla, spice, slight leather and BBQ meat. In the mouth there are flavours of juicy plums and blackberries with drying tannins. Well balanced, long, nice.
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9/13/2014 - chatters wrote:
Wine-Ark boys on tour - Hunter Valley 2014 - Day 2 (Hunter Valley): freshly tilled earth, liquorice, leather, plum, bonfire and slight blackberry. In the mouth there are flavours of black plum, liquorice, black pepper, spice, slight vanilla, it's quite juicy as well with slight tannic grip especially on the gyms. everything carries long. Beautifully balanced and very approachable. Good
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8/28/2014 - Bouddi26 wrote: 92 Points
Bright clear purple in colour. An interesting nose with a hint of eucalyptus. Soft and full of flavour with a dry tannin finish. Probably too young and needing a bit more time to mellow but very enjoyable and pleasant with tender juicy beef.
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5/25/2014 - ShirazGuru wrote: 84 Points
In our view 2010 OPOH was a better vintage that this 2011, however this wine is still very youthful. An ample bodied wine with a dark ruby appearance. It has aromas of oak, dark fruits and spices with balanced flavours of cherries, aniseed and cinnamon. A medium lingering finish, best drinking to 2035. A 'Great Value' rating of -13.4 'No Value 4 $' see more at; http://bit.ly/1o4oXbh
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2/14/2014 - graemeg wrote:
2014 Sydney Royal Wine Show - Exhibitor's Tasting & Trophy Wines Lunch (Homebush & Four Seasons Hotel): [bronze medal] {screwcap} Light nose, youthful and peppery. There’s a faintly glue-like note to the oak aromas too. It’s less noticeable on the palate which is spicy, with medium powdery tannins, good balance along the tongue, dry and elegant. Only medium-weight, it finishes long and savoury. Very tidy; needs plenty of time to meld together properly.
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12/30/2013 - CamWheeler wrote: 90 Points
Visit to the Hunter: Tried from a second bottle and consistent with the first. Violets, meaty notes and raspberry. Good fruit power and length.
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12/30/2013 - CamWheeler wrote: 90 Points
Visit to the Hunter: Nice aromatics - cherry and raspberry, some heady violet perfume and red licorice. Fresh and quite bright palate, with plenty of that red fruit character, with the acidity nicely complimenting the fruit. Good length.
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