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Hunter Whistlestop 2020 #1

Hunter Valley

Tasted January 13, 2020 by chatters with 83 views

Introduction

And off we toddle to the Hunter Valley to try some wines and also ascertain the full impact of the bushfires

Flight 1 - Kelman (6 notes)

Never been here before, interesting set up. Wines were, hmm, okay.

White
2019 Kelman Sémillon Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Green apple, mineral, slightly dusty reductive quality, smells a little sharp...Juicy, perhaps with a touch of residual sugar, a little short, clean, simple.
White
2017 Kelman Sémillon Sauvignon Blanc Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Green apple, green, slightly herbaceous notes; a little gooseberry, again a slightly dusty reductive quality. Juicy, slightly sharp acid, fresh apples with a tiny passion fruit underpin, touch of fresh cut grass. Nice.
White
2017 Kelman Chardonnay Chairman's Reserve Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Toast, burnt butter, ripe stone fruit, peach. Juicy acid, toast, butter, a bit short. Meh.
Red
2018 Kelman Tempranillo Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Red cherry and berry; very fruit sweet, a little vanilla and caramel, a slightly dusty quality as well. Juicy, slightly sharp acidity feels adjusted and is too much for the fruit. The tannins are chalky and hard as well. It's out of whack for me.
Red
2018 Kelman Shiraz Barrel Selection Reserve Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Savoury plums, sweet spice, a little black pepper with spiced oak. Juicy, fresh, black hued fruits, a little wet though, medium minus intensity grainy tannins, simple. Hmm.
Red
2018 Kelman Shiraz/Tempranillo Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Red and blackberry, pepper spice, slight sweet spice, caramel, vanilla. Juicy, fresh red and blackberry fruit, drinking well now, the tannins are more integrated, though still quite chalky, here. Medium plus length. Okay.

Flight 2 - McWilliam's Mount Pleasant (18 notes)

Ahh, the perenial favourite cellar door. As usual the kind and generous staff looked after me as I meandered through their selection of Hunter Sems and Shiraz...

White
2017 Mount Pleasant Wines Sémillon Elizabeth Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Green apple, lime, a mineral note, lemon, slight cut grass and a little peach. In the mouth the wine has medium plus intensity acidity with flavours of green apple splashed with lemon and lime juice. Medium plus length. A little texture snags at the cheeks. Nice.
White
2018 Mount Pleasant Wines Sémillon Eight Acres Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin
Cream, slightly rich green apple, slight ripe lime, smells 'soft' compared to previous Hunter Sem experiences, touches of stone fruit here as well. Juicy, more lime than apple on the palate, softly textured with a little gum grip. Long. A little soft on the palate for me on this taste.
White
2018 Mount Pleasant Wines Sémillon 1946 Vines Lovedale Vineyard Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin
Medium minus intensity aromas of wet hay, green apple, lime, a little wet stone. In the mouth it's juicy with plenty of green apple notes and a certain fleshy quality, rather nicely balanced here as well, simple at the moment but time will improve this. Lovely
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2013 Mount Pleasant Wines Elizabeth Cellar Aged Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Honey, toast, green apple, lemon, fresh grass and a touch of butter as well. Medium plus intensity acidity is juicy on the palate, green apple, slight butter, fresh, a little honey. Yum.
White
2013 Mount Pleasant Wines Sémillon Single Vineyard Lovedale Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Slight toast, apple with a little lemon, slight honey and butter as well. Medium plus intensity acidity, green apple, fresh grass, a little softy honey and butter. Long, time, good.
Red
2017 Mount Pleasant Wines CF17 B-Side Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
On the nose there is lovely jubey berry notes with a slight polished oak underpin and touches of sweet spice. Very clean. ON the palate it's smoky, slightly peppery, dense without being particularly tannic, there is a little blue fruit underpin. Hmm.
Red
2016 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz Philip Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Cream, plummy with red & black berry underpin, a little peppery note, vanilla. Possibly open a little while. Juicy, fleshy but a little lightweight on the palate which lends freshness. Talc textured tannins are supportive. Easy.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2017 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz High Paddock Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Spicy and peppery, ripe black plum, vanilla, a little caramel. Juicy acid has a slight green quality, the fruit proves more red plum on the palate, silky tannins are quite drying, a little alcohol warmth. hmm. time might help.
Red
2017 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz Rosehill Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin
Peppery, blackberry and cherry, sweet spice and a little cedar sits beneath this. Juicy, savoury, blackberry, quite tight tannins. It's a little hard; perhaps lacks generosity but does travel long. Time may help.
Red
2018 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz Old Paddock & Old Hill Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin
Ripe and slightly concentrated blackberry and plum, slightly jubey, cedar, slight earth. Juicy, thick, dense, chewy in fact with plenty of ripe fruit. Time.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2018 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz Mountain 'C' Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin
Freshly opened. Reductive initially. with time and agitation ripe black fruits with a red berry (almost raspberry) underpin, cedar. Juicy, ripe red and blackberry, a little toast and spice, fruit drops a little quickly for me. Hmm.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2017 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz Mountain 'D' Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Caramel, quite sweet ripe plums, a little spice, touch of oxidation? Smells dense and a little roided. Medium plus intensity acidity feels adjusted, ripe plums, tight tannins are chalky. Medium plus length. Time but not for me.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2017 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz Mountain 'A' Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Aromas of caramel, blackberry over plum fruit is quite ripe, sweet spice, a little coffee. Juicy acidity, again blackberry over plum with drying, slightly chalky, tannins support the fruit. a little cedar. Nice.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2017 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz 1965 Vines Rosehill Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin
Plums, earth, black pepper, cream, handles the oak rather well. Chewy thick plums and drying grippy, grainy tannins. It's also quite juicy but defo needs a lot of time.
Red
2017 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz 1946 Vines Rosehill Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin
Medium minus intensity aromas of cream, plums, sweet spice and a slightly oxidised quality. In the mouth it's juicy, plummy, fleshy with plenty of chalky tannins drying out but not closing down the palate. Long. Time?
Red
2017 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz 1921 Vines Old Paddock Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin
Dense, blackberry compote, a little toast, lightly spiced, a little earth, slightly jubey. Lovely nose. Juicy with peppery blackberry, tannins are slightly chalky but more integrated than the 1965 or 1946 for me. Long. harmonious. Lovely. Time but this is very nice.
Red
2017 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz 1880 Vines Old Hill Vineyard Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin
Sweet plums, blackberry, again this has a sense of weight or density on the nose. Also some sweet spice. On the palate it's juicy with dense black fruits; plums and blackberry, tannins are drying but supportive. Long, a sense of power without the loss of elegance. Exceedingly good.
Red
2014 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz Maurice O'Shea Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Cream, sweet spice, caramel, ripe plus, a little leather and clay. Juicy acid, there is a little red fruit sourness to underpin the ripe plum. There is also some alcohol warmth here. The tannins are silky and persist with the fruit and alcohol on the long finish. Hmm.

Closing

A lovely day in the Hunter...

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