AS USUAL, semillon, shiraz and chardonnay wines were dominant among the CCL Label 2020 Hunter Valley Wine Show's 635 entries, 23 trophy-winners and 47 gold-medallists, but vermentino, tannat, touriga nacional, mourvedre and malbec made their mark in the prize list.
The Bimbadgen 2019 Vermento, winner of a gold medal and best other white variety trophy, is available at $25 at bimbadgen.com.au and the McDonalds Road, Pokolbin, winery.
Shiraz-touriga nacional blends from 2018 and 2019 were among De Iuliis wines that won four gold medals and five trophies.
Mourvedre featured in two Margan gold-medal reds with the Broke-based brand's $50 2019 Saxonvale Mourvedre and $40 2019 Shiraz-Mourvedre scoring in the 2019 other red variety and 2019 red blend classes and are available at margan.com.au and the Milbrodale Road, Broke, cellar door. So too is the Doug Galbraith best sweet white trophy-winning Margan 2018 Botrytis Semillon, $35 a 375ml bottle.
The uncommon tannat red variety produced two gold medals for the Travertine vineyard, formerly the Pendarves Estate established in 1986 by Sydney North Shore GP Philip Norrie and his wife Belinda.
The Travertine 2018 Tannat took gold in the 2018 and older other red variety class and the 2017 Owen Reserve Shiraz-Tannat won in the 2018 and older red blend class.
They are available on travertinewines.com.au and at the Old North Road, Belford, cellar door, open 10am-4pm Friday to Sunday and other days by appointment (02 6574 7288).
In its 48th year the Hunter show was presaged by a vintage hit by drought, bushfires, smoke taint and COVID-19 but, in the words of chief judge Iain Riggs, brought forth some "really outstanding" 2020-vintage wines.
"The region should be so proud that winemakers worked really hard to achieve true-to-style, pure, clean wines," he said.
The good news for drinkers is that wines that won 15 of the 23 trophies and 22 of the 47 golds are available.
Also available are the $80 Briar Ridge 2013 Dairy Hill Semillon that won the Len Evans Trophy for the best named vineyard wine and Tyrrell Family Trophy for the best single-vineyard wine and the 2011 Dairy Hill Semillon ($80) that won gold in the any vintage dry white class.
The Broke Road, Pokolbin, cellar door and dewine.com.au have the $40 De Iuliis 2018 Talga Road Vineyard Shiraz that won the Doug Seabrook Trophy for the best red of the show, the Hector Tulloch Trophy for the best shiraz, the Elliott Family Trophy for the best two-year-old shiraz and the Drayton Family Trophy for the best single-vineyard red.
Also available are the $40 2018 LDR Vineyard Shiraz-Touriga Nacional (2018 and older red blend class top gold) and the $45 2019 Single-Vineyard Garden Semillon (2019 semillon class gold).
The 162-year-old Tyrrell's family wine company collected five trophies and eight gold medals - two of which are currently available to wine club members.
They are the $25 2018 Stevens Semillon (2018 and older semillon class gold) and the $52 2019 Vat 8 Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon (2019 red blends class gold).
For the eighth time, Tyrrells won the Iain Riggs Wine of Provenance award - this time with its 2007, 2014 and 2018 Four Acres Shiraz.
Its other trophies were won by the 2018 Belford Chardonnay (Murray Tyrrell best chardonnay and H.J. Lindeman Trophy for best two-year-old and older chardonnay), 2007 Vat 8 Shiraz-Cabernet (John Lewis Newcastle Herald Trophy Best Museum Red Wine) and the 2006 Vat 1 Semillon (Graham Gregory best museum white trophy).
Brokenwood, now celebrating its 50th birthday, scored seven gold medals - one of which, the $66 2019 Maxwell Vineyard Chardonnay (2019 chardonnay class gold) can be bought at brokenwood.com.au and the McDonalds Road, Pokolbin, winery.
Also available is the $28 Brokenwood 2020 Semillon that notably won the Marshall-Flannery Trophy for current-vintage semillons.
Other available trophy winners include: Tinklers 2019 Hill Chardonnay (George Wyndham Trophy for current and one-year-old chardonnays) - $30 at the Pokolbin Mountains Road, Pokolbin, cellar door and tinklers.com.au; Audrey Wilkinson 2019 Marsh Vineyard Semillon (Ed Jouault Trophy for best one-year-old dry semillon) - $40 at audreywilkinson.com.au and the De Beyers Road, Pokolbin, cellar door. McWilliam's Mount Pleasant Non-Vintage Rare Tawny (Trevor Drayton best fortified wine trophy) - $60 at mountpleasantwines.com.au and the Marrowbone Road, Pokolbin, winery.
Currently available gold-medal wines include the:
Gartelmann 2018 Benjamin Semillon (2018 and older semillon class) - $27 at www.gartelmann.com.au and the Lovedale Rd, Lovedale, cellar door
RidgeView 2015 Impressions Chardonnay (2018 and older chardonnay class) - $50 at the Sweetwater Rd, Pokolbin, cellar door and ridgeview.com.au
Silkman 2020 Single-Vineyard Blackberry Semillon (2020 semillon class) -$50 only on silkmanwines.com.au website
Silkman 2019 Reserve Semillon - $50 at website and Wine House Hunter Valley, 426 McDonald's Rd (opposite Brokenwood), Pokolbin, and Silkman 2019 Estate Semillon - $30 on website and at Vintage Cellars stores (both wines 2019 semillon class golds)
WINE REVIEWS
TRIPLE-TROPHY SEMILLON
THIS triple-trophy Briar Ridge 2013Stockhausen Signature Semillon shines green-tinted light gold in the glass and entices with orange blossom and new-mown hay scents. The front palate shows elegant lemon flavour, the middle palate nashi pear, lime zest, gunmetal and honey and toast characters and slatey acid refreshes at the finish.
PRICE: $65.
DRINK WITH: crab soufflé.
AGEING: 12 years.
RATING: 5.5 stars
DELICIOUS DE-WINE
"DELICIOUS", said the judges who gave the De Iuliis 2018 Talga Road Vineyard Shiraz four Hunter show trophies. With 14% alcohol, it features deep purple hues, cassis scents and plush plum front-palate flavour. The middle palate has mulberry, spice, peppermint chocolate and mocha oak and a finish of berry fruit and earthy tannins.
PRICE: $40.
DRINK WITH: Angus beef fillet.
AGEING: 12 years.
RATING: 5.5 stars
2020 CONTRADICTION
FROM a drought, fire and smoke-plagued vintage, this pristine Brokenwood 2020 Semillon is among Hunter whites that contradict early dire expectations. It's pale straw, lemongrass-scented and zips onto the front palate with crisp lime flavour. The middle palate has green apple, lemon zest and mineral characters and the finish flinty acid.
PRICE: $28.
DRINK WITH: antipasto.
AGEING: 10 years.
RATING: 5 stars
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