Appearance: Deep red/purple in colour with a vibrant crimson hue.

Bouquet: An intense bouquet of plum and spice with supporting oak.

Palate: This  Hunter Valley Shiraz displays a lovely fruit rich palate complexed with peppery and spicy notes. The polished tannins are ripe and supple. Combine this with quality French oak barrel maturation and the wine delivers a generous, well structured and sophisticated mouth feel with great length of flavour.

A winemaker selection of either the western or eastern blocks across the estate’s holdings that is is increasingly and inevitably, I am told, from the eastern side.

With the shading and attenuated ripening pattern, justifiably so. The result compacts a density of dark to mulberry fruit scents, with a leafy freshness embedded across a sinewy, firm tannic fiber.

Far more structured and authoritative than the other blocks due to tighter packed, compact grapes. This higher quotient of skin to liquid ratio imparts a full-bodied textural intrigue. Almost Italianate in its dry, structural pose. Savoury and inimitably Hunter.

The Creek Bed Reserve Chardonnay is made from an isolated parcel of fruit selected from our Brokenback Vineyard. This medium-bodied Chardonnay hails from a single vineyard grown on the low-lying alluvial flats comprising of well drained sandy loam soils.

Appearance: Pale straw with green tinged hues.

Bouquet: Subtle melon and tropical fruit aromas with delicate oak complexity.

Palate: This wine offers an elegant mineral line with a refreshing citrus core driving through the palate. With careful French oaking treatments and extended lees contact the palate is well structured and complex displaying melon flavours with a creamy finish. A delicious wine in the contemporary style.

Vintage Conditions 2021: Following on from a hot and dry 2020 vintage, the Hunter Valley 2021 was quite the opposite. During the ripening period we experienced cooler than average summer temperatures along with a higher than average summer rainfall. These weather conditions placed some disease pressure n the vineyard which led to a selective hand-picking process at harvest time. The results of this hand-picking management practice ensured only clean, ripe fruit was harvested and wine quality was assured. The white wines made from 2021 harvest are quite elegant in style displaying refreshing, delicate acidity.

Winemaking: After crushing and destemming the must was chilled to 12 degrees then pressed and cold settled. Once settled 30% of the clear juice was racked into new French oak barrels where fermentation and partial malo-latic fermentation took place. The remainder of the Chardonnay was fermented in a stainless-steel vessel at 12-15 degrees for 20 days. The oak component received extended maturation on yeast lees with occasional lees stirring. After 8 months in oak barrels the two components were blended, stablised, fined and filtered for bottling in late 2021.

Cellaring:  Excellent whilst young or will gain rewarding complexity with medium term cellaring of 2 - 5 years.

Wine Analysis: Alcohol 12.75% | Residual Sugar 1.0 g/Lt | T.A 6.75 g/Lt | pH 3.35