For Pierre Durand, the new general manager and chief winemaker at Hungerford Hill, it's a no-brainer.
"The trophy cabinet speaks for itself, I'd be stupid to change things," he said in his thick French accent.
"It takes a lot of years to get it right, but it's easy to stuff it up."
Clearly he does Strine too.
He is a huge fan of his predecessor, Bryan Currie, who was in the joint role for 10 years.
"What he did in that time would take generations in many other wineries," Durand said.
"He gave Hungerford Hill a style, he grafted new varieties that will sustain us into the future, and sourced exceptional fruit from key cool-climate regions like Hilltops, Tumbarumba and Canberra.
"Add that to the quality local fruit we get from Sweetwater, which is one of the most exciting vineyards in Australia, as well as here at Hungerford Hill and at Dalwood, and we're in a great place."
Durand came to Australia at age 20 from south-west France - "the foothills of the Pyrenees"- to learn winemaking.
He studied at Kurri TAFE, overcoming "very broken English" to qualify, then made wine from 2005 to 2010 learning from some of the Hunter's finest - initially at First Creek, then Tyrrell's, Brokenwood, Margan and Scarborough.
After that it was off to Leasingham and Hewitson in South Australia, back to France for winemaking stints with Chateau Pape Clement in Bordeaux and M.Chapoutier in the Rhone among others, then more recently as head of sales and e-commerce for Langton's.
And now he has come full circle, back in the Hunter, which he calls home.
"I always knew I would return in some capacity. It is exciting, a challenge," he said.
Working for Langton's enabled him to keep in touch with global wine trends. And he is convinced the Hunter, despite its climatic challenges, is one of the most exciting places in the wine world.
"You've got to be a little mad to be a winemaker, and even madder to be a winemaker in the Hunter. But nothing great comes from easy," he said.
"In my early days here, I tasted some magnificent Hunter wines from the '60s and have never known wine of that age to taste so fresh. It was like they were five or 10 years old.
"The Hunter is collectively going back to this style - lighter, more elegant. In that way the Hunter is truly unique. It's a good time to come back and help tell that story."
Got a tip for the wine drinker?
"Years ago people talked about Pokolbin and Upper Hunter. Now it's more specific sub-regions - Pokolbin, Belford, Broke, Lovedale, Mount View.
"I want Dalwood on that list. A sandy flat by the river ... it's an exciting area, especially for chardonnay, but semillon and fiano too."
Hungerford Hill Dalwood Semillon 2019
$60
The fruit is off the oldest continuous vineyard in NSW, planted in 1828 on the banks of the Hunter River. It has a pale straw colour that hints at its age. Lemongrass, lime and cut grass on the nose. The lemongrass carries through on the tongue with lime, lemon and citrus, and some honeyed notes coming through. Light, full of life, lively acid ... it's a good one all right.
Dune The Empty Quarter
Grenache Shiraz Mataro 2024
$28
This wine, from the Blewitt Springs sub-region of McLaren Vale, is a full-bodied 47-40-13 blend, bursting with dark fruit flavours. Black plum, cocoa and dark chocolate with some blueberry and mulberry brightness. It's an appealing combination. Add in some dried herbs and savoury spice and there's a lot happening, but all in balance. Good value at this price.
Wynns V&A Lane Cabernet Shiraz 2024
$60
A lighter, more sinewy red that is a rather moreish nod to those savoury clarets of yesteryear. It's a 61-39 blend from a number of sites on V&A Lane in mid-Coonawarra. Brightly fruited, it has touches of aniseed, blackberry, blueberry and redcurrants, nippy on its feet, with a hint of shaved chocolate floating around the edges and tangy, herbal notes to finish.
