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Hunter Whistlestop - the road less travelled #1
Hunter Valley
Tasted June 17, 2018 by chatters with 137 views
Introduction
I was inspired by the cellar of another fellow cellartracker member (BSmith457) to try some off my beaten path Hunter producers after a sneaky visit to Lake's Folly after training Sunday morning. I suspect this may turn into a bit of a series
Flight 1 - Lake's Folly (2 notes)
Every year I think...no more...then I try them and just really like them...
White
2017 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
Initially a little dusty floral notes, citrus, touches of butter, toast and peach. Fleshy, juicy, citrus and a touch of warmth, peach with hints of apple and a little grapefruit. Lovely
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Red
2016 Lake's Folly Cabernets
Slightly baked blackberry, cherry and blackcurrant backed by sweet spice and a little cedar. Very primary. Juicy, fleshy, lots of fruit up front then a bit of fade and chamois soft, slightly drying tannins. The muted fruit carries long. Nice.
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Flight 2 - Leogate (10 notes)
Weddings, birthday, bar mitzvahs and wine are the order of the day. All well made, clean, interventionist winemaking kind of stuff.
White
2014 Leogate Estate Sémillon Brokenback Vineyard
Just beginning to develop some tertiary characteristics. Honey for me, but with chalky minerality, apple and very slight fresh cut grass notes. Juicy, tangy, slight bitter, lacks fruit disappointingly. Meh.
White
2015 Leogate Estate Sémillon Creek Bed Reserve
Apples fresh cut grass, chalky minerality. Tangy and juicy, slight citrus, mineral, but, again, lacks fruit length, hmm
White
2017 Leogate Estate Pinot Gris Brokenback Vineyard
Melons and peaches, slight sweet spice, floral notes. In the mouth it's juicy, fleshy with slight melon over peachy fruit. More grigio than gris stylistically for me…
White
2017 Leogate Estate Verdelho Brokenback Vineyard
Green orchard fruits, especially pear and pear skin for me. Perfumed with touches of residual sugar helping the fruit out. Again, lacks length
White
2015 Leogate Estate Chardonnay Brokenback Vineyard
Butter, toast, over slight lemon and peach. Hmm, perhaps modified acidity, peachy fruit, slight oak, a little spice. Finishes with a touch of bitterness. Hmm
White
2015 Leogate Estate Chardonnay Creek Bed Reserve
oaky notes, slight wild ferment funkiness, ,a little gamey, slight yeast and broche, earthy over citrus fruit. In the mouth the fruit is more to the fore and it's juicy and peachy. Interesting. Kind of nice.
Red
2015 Leogate Estate Tempranillo Brokenback Vineyard
cherry and berry, sweet spice, slight tobacco leaf, slight vanilla. Juicy, tangy, red berries and cherries, slight vanilla and savoury spice, tannins are soft and easy. Approachable and quaffable.
Red
2015 Leogate Estate Shiraz-Viognier Brokenback
Medium minus intensity aromas - its' slightly reductive at first with pepper over muted meaty and plummy black fruit with a lifted (some might say clumsy) apricot note. A little cream. On the palate though the Viognier lends a little sweetness. Tannins are slightly silky but drying. Meh.
Red
2015 Leogate Estate Shiraz Brokenback Vineyard
Earthy, plummy, peppery, polished oak. Juicy to a little sharp on the palate. Grippy, talc textured tannins but the fruit is muted and wet. Meh
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Red
2014 Leogate Estate Shiraz Malabar Reserve
Earthy, slightly oxidised, caramel over plums and peppery spice, boot polish, tightly tannic, plummy, really concentrated, big. Lots of time required. This has been open a few days I'm guessing but the palate is still showing young. Woof
Flight 3 - Tinklers (11 notes)
Hmm...a little less 'corporate' than Leogate...some interesting wines and I think, in time, their production may get a little more experimental...
White
2015 Tinklers Sémillon Reserve
Citrus, lemon over lime, slight fresh grass and herbs. Lemons and limes. Very fruity but also bone dry. Mineral.
White
2014 Tinklers Sémillon School Block
Lime and lime pith, zesty acidity, lime juice, still very primary , fresh.
White
2006 Tinklers Sémillon School Block
honey, butter, toast, meaty, game notes, honey, lime, butter, toast, yeah, nice even though not from a crash hot vintage.
White
2016 Tinklers Viognier
Sightly oxidative, slight apricot over nashi pear, slight herbaceous. Apricot and raw ginger. Reminds me of the Ogier entry level Viognier. Interesting.
White
2018 Tinklers Verdelho Lucerne Paddock
Pretty, floral, pear, slight white pepper, tropical fruits as well, pineapple. Juicy acidity, fresh, easy.
White
2015 Tinklers Chardonnay
slightly anonymous stone fruit, white fig, slight sweet spice. Fresh, easy, juicy and fleshy, fruity, approachable, sweet spice, Pleasant.
White
2017 Tinklers Chardonnay Poppy's Vineyard
Peach & melon, sweet spice, slight oak and butter, light yoghurt (lees?). Initially felt a little fruit flabby on the palate, then jubey and juicy, oak and butter but disjoined. Time required.
Red
2017 Tinklers Merlot PMR
Plums, slight butter, earthy and spicy, a little meaty and dirty. Fruit forward, juicy, sweet plummy fruit, soft, velvety tannins. Perfectly pleasant but not for me.
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Red
2016 Tinklers Shiraz Steep Hill
Plummy fruit, cream, vanilla, earthy, spicy, peppery. Juicy, savoury, initially plummy fruit, fleshy, lightweight. Pleasing tannins are soft and easy. Quaffable.
Red
2016 Tinklers Shiraz Old Vines
Leather, plummy, cream, vanilla, juicy. Plummy fruit persist under grippy tannins. Balanced, smashable, slight bonfire notes but no stalks here.
Red
2015 Tinklers Shiraz U & I Reserve
Savoury, meaty, plummy, earthy, a little vanilla, savoury, plummy, earthy, peppery, a little wet. Grippy, slightly drying tannins. Hmm.
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Closing
Well, Lake's is Lake's so 'nuff said on that front. Leogate was your weddings and parties kind of a winery with plenty of land and plenty of clean and, arguably, unchallenging to the drinker winemaking - which isn't as damning as it sounds. Tinklers was interesting: They sell about 2/3 of their fruit but what wine they make was quite nice.