Wine-Ark boys on tour - Hunter Valley 2014 - Day 2

Day 2 in the Hunter with the wine ark boys - Wayne, Dave, Ben, Frank and myself. Capercaillie, Lake's Folly, Pepper Tree, Tower Estate (unscheduled), Tulloch, Mount Pleasant…with a stop off for a long wait for terrible food for lunch.

Dave's choice. The Creel was cracking so I succumbed to a couple of bottles.

• 2013 Capercaillie Sémillon

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Lemon, lime, green apple and very slight cream notes on the nose. In the mouth the wine has medium plus acidity married to low intensity flavours of muted citrus. Slight chalkiness of texture. Quite short. Nah.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Capercaillie Sémillon 'The Creel'

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Medium plus intensity aromas of lemon over other citrus notes - almost Kumquat here, quite floral, beautifully perfumed, mineral notes. In the mouth there is medium plus acidity, medium plus intensity flavours of citrus, lemon specifically, but also green apple, long. Not massively complex on the palate at the moment but very young, the nose promises much and everything is in balance. Superb.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Capercaillie Chardonnay

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  on the nose ripe stone fruit, slight butter and a certain medicinal quality that is quite off-putting. In the mouth it's a little flat. Not good. Quite short. Nah.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Capercaillie Chardonnay Brycefield

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Lemon notes with slight green apple and unripe peach over a tiny spice note. In the mouth the wine has medium plus acidity, is tangy with slight lemon…it's all quite muted though and bit short. Meh.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Capercaillie Shiraz The Ghillie

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  ripe black berry, pepper, spice, slight cream, vanilla hints and a touch of funkiness. In the mouth the wine has medium plus acidity, pepper over black berry fruit, medium plus intensity chewy chalky tanning, long with very slight non-intrusive alcohol heat on the finish. Hmm.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Capercaillie Shiraz The Ceilidh

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  medium plus intensity aromas of chocolate, plum, pepper spice, a certain funkiness, cedar, clove. In the mouth there are juicy black plum flavours with some slight spice then firm, talc textured tanning that is quite chewy though. Long finish. Quiet savoury. needs plenty of time.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Capercaillie Shiraz

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  chocolate over black pepper and warm black fruits…some toast. In the mouth there is medium plus acidity, slight black pepper flavours but not particularly spice on the medium length. Meh.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

My choice. The Hill's Chardonnay has come a long way since the first vintage I tasted. I do like the Cabernets. It puts me in mind of the Domaine A from Tasmania with it's more brambly and herbaceous qualities and I told the wine-maker so. He seemed rather chuffed. Lovely stuff.

• 2013 Lake's Folly Chardonnay

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  on the nose firm peach, slight cream and butter and toast, hints of citrus. In the mouth lemon notes - quite citric in fact - but also butter cream and mid palate fur. Balanced. Quite simple but lovely.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Lake's Folly Chardonnay Hill Block

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin

  Aromas of butter, cream, citrus over stone fruit, quite ripe. In the mouth the wine has medium plus acidity, medium plus flavours of tangy lemon, round textured. Butter, toast, good. Age worthy.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Lake's Folly Cabernets

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  violet, black currant fruit, cedar and spice, pencil shavings and graphite on the nose. In the mouth the wine is quite lean, with savoury black currant, talcy tannin, slight herbaceous. Right up my street. Lovely.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Lake's Folly 3 Estates

  Australia

  Ripe blackcurrant, cedar, quite sweet fruit over pencil shavings. In the mouth there is out of whack ripe black fruit married to slight herbaceous elements with chalky tannins. Out of balance. Nah.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Ben's choice. My mate Jamie had brought me down a lovely 2004 Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon that was very nice so it was good that I was happy to go here. The Cab Sav's were the pick of the bunch for me and though I picked up a couple of bottles of those unripe, herbaceous Limited release the pick of the wines was the Elderslee.

• 2013 Pepper Tree Sémillon Limited Release

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Green apple, very slight peach and also very slight kerosene notes as well as touches of toast. Quite forward. In the mouth there are flavours of muted green apple. It's all quite dull. Meh.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Pepper Tree Sémillon Alluvius

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  gooseberry, lemon, quite herbaceous, quite steely on the nose. In the mouth the wine is steely and taut with slight lemon notes. Quite muted. Meh.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Pepper Tree Chardonnay Limited Release

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Medium minus intensity aromas of peach, toast, slight butter. In the mouth there are slight tangy flavours of peach, medium minus phenolic grip. Meh.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Pepper Tree Chardonnay Reserve Venus Block

  Australia, New South Wales, Central Ranges, Orange

  Aromas of peach, cream cheese, slight citrus, and butter, sweet spice and vanilla hints. In the mouth there are spicy, peach flavours and quite round with very slight talc like phenolic grip. Surprisingly long. Pleasant but not for me.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Pepper Tree Shiraz Limited Release Hunter Valley

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Dirty black plums, pepper spice, quite a reductive and meaty quality over a rose water note on the nose. In the mouth the wine has tongue coating, drying tannins up front them some black plum flavours on the medium minus length Meh.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Pepper Tree Shiraz Coquun

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Muted black pepper and plum aromas with very slight cedar. After considerable agitation the wine opens to reveal a resin and aniseed note. In the mouth the wine has medium plus acid, black pepper and plum with medium plus intensity talc like tannin. The medium plus length carries slight spice and a bit of alcohol warmth. Hmm

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Pepper Tree Merlot 14 Shores - Reserve Single Vineyard Flawed

  Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra

  Dense black fruit, muted herbaceous notes, cedar, spice, slight oxidised notes. The slightly oxidised translate to the palate as well. The wine is juicy, with chalky chewy tannin and lacks fruit on the palate. I can't help thinking that this isn't right. FLAW.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Pepper Tree Cabernet Sauvignon

  Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Wrattonbully

  Muted and slightly sulphurous black fruit, slight spice. In the mouth the wine is juicy and tannic - very course and rough - not much fruit. Meh

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Pepper Tree Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Release Single Vineyard

  Australia, New South Wales, Central Ranges, Orange

  on the nose pencil shavings and graphite dominate spice and slight black currant. In the mouth there are flavours of pencils shavings, slightly burnt/smoky notes, muted black currant, quite searing acidity and punchy, chalky tannin. Very long. Quite nice in a cooler climate style. To drink in three years before the small amount of fruit dissipates.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Pepper Tree Cabernet Sauvignon Calcare Reserve

  Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra

  Aromas of black currant, slight sweet tobacco, pencil shavings, slight leather notes, cedar. In the mouth flavours of ripe black currant, quite full bodied, massive tannic grip, medium plus length. Not for me.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Pepper Tree Cabernet Sauvignon Elderslee Road

  Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Wrattonbully

  herbaceous, pencil shavings, black currants, cedar, spice. Savoury black currant flavours, chewy tannins, nice and very ageable.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Pepper Tree The Gravels Shiraz Viognier

  Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Wrattonbully

  Medium minus intensity aromas of black berry fruit, spice, slight meaty quality, cedar hints and herbaceous notes. In the mouth there are flavours of yeast extract, black fruit, slight pepper notes, chalky tannin on the medium plus length and bit of alcohol warmth on the finish. well made but not for me.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Pepper Tree Grand Reserve Strandlines Single Vineyard

  Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Wrattonbully

  Graphite, meaty black fruit, peppery spice, perfumed top notes. In the mouth thee are flavours of sour black plums then grippy, chewy and slightly burnt tannins. Alcohol warmth encroaches on the long finish. Nah.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

An unscheduled stop prompted by Ben's enjoyment of the 2009 Hunter Chardonnay.

• 2012 Tower Estate Sémillon

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Slight kerosene, herbaceous notes, a bit of VA, dustiness and reductive quality. A bit stale…Dirty glass?

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Tower Estate Chardonnay Bowyer Ridge

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills

  muted peach and stone fruit…touches of volatile acidity. In the mouth peach, talc textured phenolic grip. Bit flabby. Nah.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Tower Estate Chardonnay

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Aromas of peach, toasted lemon, slight butter and spicy notes. In the mouth there is medium plus acid, slight lemon sherbet flavours, the fruit is quite muted. Silky, tongue coating phenolic grip. Okay.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Tower Estate Shiraz

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  On the nose aromas of coffee, ripe plum, sweet spice, slightly meaty notes. In the mouth stewed plums, mocha, spicy with fine chalk textured tannins. Okay but not for me.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Tower Estate Shiraz Single Vineyard Horse Paddock

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Blackberry, black plum, sweet spice, cream and vanilla. In the mouth there are flavours of ripe black fruit, sweet spice then an acidic lick. The tannins are savoury and introduce a slight liquorice note.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Tower Estate Shiraz Reserve

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Cream, slight chocolate, slight eucalyptus, black plums, spice, black pepper, perfumed top notes. Liquorice. In the mouth liquorice and black plus, spice and slight pepper notes. Good palate weight, well balanced, nice.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Tower Estate Shiraz Reserve

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Medium plus intensity concentrated and ripe jammy plums and blackberries with plenty of spice. In the mouth the wine has flavours of confected ripe plum fruit. Talc like tannin though the wine is quite thick on the palate and the fruit carries on the long finish. Nice but still very youthful. Good but not for me

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Ben's choice. The reserve semillon and shiraz weren't too bad.

• 2011 First Creek Wines Sémillon Winemaker's Reserve

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  aromas of lemon, lime, touches of green apple. In the mouth the wine is tart with searing acidity. Citrus flavours dominate green apple. There is a certain chalky phenolic grip on the mid palate. Steely. Long with a touch of heat on the end of the finish. Good but the acid is quite pokey at the moment.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 First Creek Wines Chardonnay Winemaker's Reserve

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  toasty, very toasty aromas dominate a lemony hint. In the mouth…well, imagine buttering a piece of toasted oak and chewing on it. Nah.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 First Creek Wines Shiraz

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Red tending to black cherry. This primary fruit dominates slight spiciness. In the mouth the wine is juicy an pepper on the plate with slight chalky tannins and the very slight red cherry fruit drops quite quickly.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 First Creek Wines Shiraz Winemaker's Reserve

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  black berry and cherry, slight chocolate notes, slight green peppercorns, cream. Very peppery and spicy but with a juicy core. Slight black fruit notes are subjugated by the spice and tannins are quite tight but not very weighty. The fruit persists quite long. nice. needs time.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Tulloch (rather than Keith Tulloch) was Dave's choice. We rather rushed through these but overall they were quite good if not a little overpriced.

• 2014 Tulloch Sémillon Julia Limited Release

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Lemon over lime, slight peach quality, very slight cream. In the mouth the wine is sharp and zesty with lemon notes, quite searing on the back of the palate. Needs a lot of time.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Tulloch E.M. Chardonnay

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin

  Aromas of lemon, butter, cream, slight toasty notes. On the palate there are medium minus intensity flavours of lemon and stone fruit, juicy with talcy phenolic grip. There is some butteriness here as well and a tiny touch of bitterness on the back palate. Nice

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Tulloch Shiraz JYT Selection

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Blackberry over plum, slight herbaceous notes, peppery spice. In the mouth the wine is juicy with flavours of black plum and berry, talc like tannin but a bit simple for the price.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Tulloch Shiraz Private Bin Pokolbin Dry red

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin

  On the nose ripe plum, slight meaty reductive note. In the mouth the wine is dense textured, quite thick on the palate with drying firm tannins that are matched nicely against ripe plum fruit. Nicely done but perhaps a little simple.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Tulloch Shiraz Hector

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin

  Aromas of smoked bacon, blackberry, plum, very spiced, cedar, hints of chocolate and a faint perfumed note. In the mouth the wine has flavours of blackberry, cherry and plums, it's quite juicy until the chalky, chewy tannins kick in which provide a drying quality. Very long on the palate. Good

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Ben's choice. He phoned ahead and arranged for us to go through everything they had practically as well as gain access to back vintages of the wines. I'd forgotten I was a member of their wine club so we ended up buying some stuff as well at a reasonable discount.

• 2013 Mount Pleasant Wines Sémillon Eight Acres

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin

  Low intensity aromas of green apples…in the mouth juicy apples, it's quite short but pleasant enough

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Mount Pleasant Wines Sémillon Elizabeth

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Medium minus intensity aromas of kerosene, green apple, grassy hints and touches of honey. In the mouth there are flavours of honey, green apple with a touch of sourness. Long but simple. Okay

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Mount Pleasant Wines Sémillon Single Vineyard Lovedale

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Flinty, mineral notes, quite dense nose, bacon fat, slight citrus and apple fruit. In the mouth there are flavours of apple with slight cream elements, well balanced and harmonious. Long finish. Lovely.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2003 Mount Pleasant Wines Sémillon Single Vineyard Lovedale

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Medium minus intensity aromas of very slight oxidation, honey, kerosene hints, slight green apple, lemon notes…I also get something slightly meaty here as well. In the mouth the wine is almost spicy…Juicy, tangy, honey, lemon, long. Persistent. Actually ridiculously long. Great acidity and presence. Lovely

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Mount Pleasant Wines Chardonnay Leontine

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  The nose is funky, rich and complex with lemon, stone fruit, spice, slight yoghurt, cream, toasted nuts and butter. In the mouth the wine has juicy acidity, lemon, slight butter, spice, talc like tannin, and the finish is long. Very complex but a bit all over the place. disjointed.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Mount Pleasant Wines Chardonnay Simone

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Peach fruit, slight butter on the nose. In the mouth more of the same but with a certain bitterness on the finish. Meh.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Barwang Chardonnay 842 Tumbarumba

  Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Tumbarumba

  Peach is the most dominant of the stone fruits I pick up here but also apricots and nectarine. Slight fig, cream, slight toast and butter. Unfortunately this doesn't translate to the palate…there are some quite savoury stone fruit, front of mouth drying grip. It's a little flabby and a little short.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Tightrope Walker Pinot Noir

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  smoky, herbaceous and cherry elements on the nose. In the mouth there are slightly burnt notes - but not burnt fruit - and cherry hints. Nah.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Last Horizon Pinot Noir

  Australia, Tasmania, Tamar Valley

  Berry and cherry; red fruit. Slight smoked bacon note and sweet spice. In the mouth there are flavours of red berry and cherry which drops quite quickly. Quite simple and very short. What is there is pleasant enough for the small amount of time it lasts

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz High Paddock

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Slight reductive aromas then plums and spice - lots of peppery spice and slight bacon fat. In the mouth there are flavours of black plums, the wine is spicy and peppery with plenty of talc like tannin and some slight non-intrusive alcohol heat. %0d%0a

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz Rosehill

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin

  Black pepper over berry and a certain greenness as well as spice on the nose. The palate is juicy with flavours of black pepper and berry, tight chewy tannin on the medium plus length. Needs quite a bit of time to calm down.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz Old Paddock & Old Hill

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin

  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

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 McWilliam's Syrah Canberra

  Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District

  blackberry, black pepper, liquorice, spice and bacon fat on the nose. In the mouth there is some blackberry but black pepper dominates. There is a slight sourness here as well. The tannins is flour like, grippy and drying. Meh.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Zeppelin Grenache

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Muted raspberry and cherry fruit, spice. In the mouth it's juicy, with slightly sweet red berry fruit, chalky chewy tannin…an odd slight mid palate scoop then the finish has a slightly herbaceous note. Meh

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2008 McWilliam's 1877 Cabernet Shiraz

  Australia, South Eastern

  Medium plus intensity aromas of chocolate, black cherry, plentiful spice, blackberry, blackcurrant, eucalyptus, vanilla…lots going on here. rowdy and rambunctious. In the mouth the wine is juicy with chewy medium plus intensity tannins that are ripe and quite silkily textured though plentiful. there is a plenty of berry, currant and cherry fruit here that persists long and gets' a bit boozy Christmas cake on the lengthy finish. Big and bolshy. Massive in fact. Today I like this a lot.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Plenty of wines…we could have gone harder but not much. We knew it was time to call it a day when Ben trashed a Riedel at Mount Pleasant and Dave sat out the whites! Hightlights were the lake's folly cabernets and chardonnay, the capercaillie creel and the mount pleasant lovedale and old paddock & old hill shiraz.