Yeah! I knew 2005 was going to be a special vintage after tasting from barrel late 2005 with winemakers MC Delirious and DJ Minty Fresh. A big step up from last years 2004 tasting. Fo shizzle. This vintage offers a field of exciting, well-made and very sexy regional wines. Quite a few wines showed a particular dried berry character that I call ‘Ripasso’ in my notes. This is not a dead fruit character and it shows as a sweet dried cherry/berry aroma which I found quite interesting. There are a variety of styles here ranging from the richer deeper (and often oaky) ‘Modern Hunter’ through to the lighter ‘classic’ medium bodied examples - a tasty savoury smörgåsbord of regional shiraz with something for everyone.

All wines were served double blind under wine show conditions and tasted over a period of about four hours. At the conclusion of the tasting there was lively and fascinating discussion of the wines with fellow tasters Campbell Mattinson (renowned taster, famous writer and all round good bloke) and Jim Chatto (aka Grand Master Kato - wine show judge, talented wine maker and all round good bloke). The notes are exactly as I typed them on the day and where a previous review exists on Winorama I have provided a hyperlink via clicking the name. The odd comment in italics are thoughts after the identity of the wine was revealed. Again, with so many wines in one sitting, the scores are to be taken with a grain of salt. I have also included a wine show medal (in brackets) alongside the scores, mainly just for fun, but also to have some sort of parity with a wine show under which conditions these wines were ‘judged’.

The tasting was organised by Wine Hunter Marketing and held at Pepper Tree Wines on Friday 31 August 2007 and a big thank-you goes to both of them for helping to put on such a good show and lastly to all the wineries who generously submitted samples for the tasting.

1. McLeish Estate 14.3% $20 (Cork)
Lovely rich cherry and brambly, good dusty spicy oak, aniseed, sweet earth. Sweet fruit. Savoury palate with leather, ripe berry, firm dry tannins. Very tight. Very well put together Needs time. Not so long. 92+ (S)

2. Brokenwood 14.0% $35
More regional earth, berry fruit, very savoury. American oak – touch coconutty. Really nice palate, flows, red berry, lots of regional earth and toasty coconutty oak. Good length. 93 (S)
I thought it was quite oaky when I tasted this last but was a little suprised by the level of oak. It will settle down into the wine nicely though I do believe

3. Majors Lane Oliver 12.0% $23
Dusty, loamy, earthy, dark fruit – some plasticine oak. Slightly tart edged fruit. Quite acidic/astringent. Dilute. Will build. Nice though. 89 (B)

4. De Iuliis Limited Release 14.3% $40
Plenty of toasty spicy French oak on blackberry fruit. Regional earth. Plenty of weight and lots of mouthcoating loose knit tannins. Berry fruit. Fuller bodied. Tannic finish of good length. Very young. 94 (G)
Very good wine this. Showy but made to last.

5. Kelman Lakeview Lane 13.0% $19.50
Subdued black fruit, new leather, pepper – new quality oak showing. Sophisticated. Savoury dark cherry and coal dust flavours. Back palate a bit MIA and pulls up a bit at the end. Good. 89 (B)

6. Margan Family 13.5% $20
Strong colour. Dried cherry, pepper spice, licorice. Deep. Big extract and lots of blackish fruit and powerful tannins. Big wine. 93 (S)
Very surprised by size of this wine when it was revealed!

7. Two Rivers Reserve 14.0% $22
Touch of lift. Aniseed/5 spice, mocha, plenty of terroir/earth/leather, dark berry. Balanced palate, quite fresh acidity, smooth excellent tannins. Tangy acid finish intrudes and tails off. 89/90 (B)

8. Margan White Label Limited Release 14.0% $30
Smells ripasso and sweet. Dried cherry, like sangio and not totally regional. Some dried herb and mint. Sweet cherry palate, some dried herb and earth. Very nice approachable tannins. Dryish finish. Very nice though. 92 (S)
Well this had me flummoxed when it was revealed. Mattinson a big admirer of this wine and my own notes suggest I am too.

9. Wandin Valley Estate Bridies 13.0% $35 (Cork)
Coconutty oak, pepper/spice, blackberry fruit, some earth, licorice too. Plenty of sweet oak on berry fruit. 92 (S)

10. RidgeView 13.0% $18
Bit pooey and gamey on raspberry fruit, black pepper. Soft palate is quite gamey and astringent. Has character and I like it. Savoury finish. 89 (B)

11. Marsh Estate Vat R 13.0% $27.50 (Cork)
Ripasso again. Dried cherry, sweet and spicy. Medium bodied. Compact and with cranberry fruit, nippy acid and herbal finish. Nice enough though. 88 (B)

12. Audrey Wilkinson Culvert 13.5% $40
Bit feral with artline texta and earth and spice. Palate is better but sour edged red fruit and a little metallic. 86

13. Yarraman Black Cypress 13.5% $17
Ripasso again! Sweet dried cherry, dried herb, licorice, touch gamey, hints of choc. Sour edged red fruit, again a little metallic – and same on finish. Not bad. 87

14. Audrey Wilkinson Museum Res. Lake 14.0% $55
Plenty of oak (plasticine again), blue with it, spice, dark berry, cherry, good fruit under it. Mouthfilling palate with lots of soft fine tannins and clove spice flavours. Dark fruit. Power here. Very long and satisfying. This is a class up. 94 (G)

15. Polin & Polin Limb of Addy 13.0% $28
Sickly medicinal herbs, tinned corn, blackcurrant stuff. DMS on the palate with tinned corn and blackcurrant, nice tannins, has length. You have to like the flavour profile. 84

16. Tyrrells Stevens 13.6% $30
Sweet fruit, musky meaty, pepper spice, quite gamey. Smooth palate, lovely texture line and length with spicy cherry fruit. 95 palate, 90 nose! 95 points (G)
Tasted this wine three times now. The last time at the Seppelt tasting the nose was much better. The palate is extra-ordinary

17. Tatler Archies Paddock 14.0% $22
Bit cabbagey, spice, red fruit, touch of earth. Tangy high acid palate. Fairly shrill with no line or length. 85

18. Capercaillie Ghillie 13.5% $50
Plenty of dark spicy oak, pepper, rich dark fruit, regional earth. Sexy. Meidium to full bodied. Very smooth but firm tannins. Very good palate with dark fruit, earth and good spicy oak. Tops. 94 (G)
Loved this and now have a sample bottle to review properly.

19. Gartelmann Diedrich 14.0% $35
Subdued. Spice, pepper, licorice and dark fruit and good oak. Medium bodied with berry fruit, nice oak. Dry grainy tannins. Good balance. Really nice and classic. 93 ** for style (S)

20. Yarraman Classic Hunter 14.0% $27
Dried cherry/craisin again! Peppery. Light vanilla oak. Soft palate with tangy acid. Light to medium body. Fresh lively food style. 89 (B)

21. Hungerford Hill 13.5% $30
Gamey, plenty of oak, dark fruit, spice. Has presence. Tasty cherry, berry, tangy acid and some horsey savoury character. Bandage on palate. 82
Surprised by this. The 2004 was excellent

22. Tintilla Reserve 13.5% $28
Good colour he says as the burnoff wafts into the room…..very regional earthy, dark berry, dried herbs but really nice. Medium to full bodied nice grainy tannins. Dark earthy, tobaccoey fruit with a very earthy/dutch licorice finish. Nice. 93 or 94 (G)
Very good wine. Dense with excellent texture

23. Tyrrells Vat 8 shiraz/cabernet (10%) 13.5% $40
Dried cherry again with a nice sniff of the stable, pepper, dutch licorice. Good. Medium bodied and tangy with good fruit and dry assertive tannins. Bit tannic and abrupt on finish but nice and regional. 90 (B)
I strongly suspect that this is the sort of wine that is best with a quiet meal. Subtlety often gets lost in these lineups.

24. Draytons Bin 5555 13.0% $16.50
Lurid purple. Dried cherry, some poop, pepper, sweet licorice. Oh no. This is a bit barrel sampley with high acid and cranberry. Perhaps the problem is with the format not the wine? 82
I am not sure on this but it looked very very light on the day

25. Terrace Vale Declared Vintage 13.0% $45
Meat juices. Baked pruney fruit. Like VP. Tasted totally stewed and dead but you can drink it. No tannins to speak of. 84

26. Mount Pleasant Rosehill 14.5% na
Must be McWilliams. Quite meaty Intense clovey sweet oak on good fruit, Very light palate propped up by clovey spicy oak. Light fine tannins..not without charm. Maybe being harsh. It does have a long sweet finish. 90 (B)
OK. Here we have a trophy winning wine at the last Hunter Show. Chatto was a very strong supporter. CM and I less so. It did remind me a bit of the 2000 of which I bought 1.5 dozen and love. The oak will settle in and I will make sure I re-taste this wine when released.

27. Tinklers U&I 14.0% $25
Nice deep rich wine. Chocolatey, dark fruit, spice, earth. Very fresh berry palate with spicy French? This is very smooth, maybe lacking in depth, but very svelte and charming. Really stylish wine. 94-95 (G)
What a find! This may be my wine of the tasting. I wasted no time in touching them up and now have bottles of the 2003, 2004 and 2005 to review more formally.

28. Chateau Pato D.J.P 14.7%
Yuk. Varnishy, gamey, shitty with dark fruit. Sour thin dark berry palate. A shocker. 82
This is the second time I have tasted this wine and by far the worst.

29. Mistletoe Reserve 13.0% $26
Dark licorice, dark fruit but baked. Sour acetic palate. Nice tannins. Lacking much else I think. Not bad…actually it does have gentle charm. I’ll go 90 (B)

30. Hanging Tree 13.0% $22 (C)
Pepper, earth, oak, aniseed/mint, Nice rich fruit. Medium bodied. Smooth tannins, but on the varnishy side. 88 (B)

31. Krinklewood 13.0% $28
Sweet dried cherry, Earth, licorice, toasty oak. Sour edged. Med to full. Bit wrung out.89 (B)

32. Pothana Belford 13.5% $30
Sweet fruit, cherry, touch of the saddle, nice and spicy. Sweet spicy palate, touch of savoury, earthy. Very nice. Perhaps a little sickly. 91 (S)
Surprised by this as I have rated it higher before but still smart here.

33. Mount Pleasant Maurice O’shea 14.5% na
Peppery, dark fruit, earth slight varnishy oak in support. Pretty firm tannins. Good wine. Tastes a bit smokey. Very gritty tannins. Bit sweet and sour 90 (B)
Obviously young but quality. Not particularly exciting though. I look forward to a re-taste next year!

34. Thomas Kiss 14.5% $50
Lots of high class spicy oak, dense fruit. Very dark and spicy with some raspberry flavours (waiting to emerge). Nice thick sandy tannins. Very good wine. 94ish (G)
The oak is folding into the wine very well now. Looking fantastic for the long term.

35. Tranquil Vale 13.5% $25
Smokey, gamey, peppery, dutch licorice. Really rich smelling. Flood of rich berry fruit and regional pepper earth..light acid. Very smooth, lower acid. Good finish. Very smart. Beaut texture. 91 (S)
I think I was the only supporter of this wine but I really loved it

36. Mount Pleasant Philip 14.5% na
Black pepper, savoury, meaty, dark fruit, licorice. Very spicy peppery, nice raspberry, blackberry fruit. Supple, meaty. Really good. Dry tannins. Smart. 92 or 93 (S)
Wow. This is going to get people back on to Hunterva in droves. What a great wine. I’d plump for the higher score I think

37. Pooles Rock 14.0% $32
Feral, really stinky, rubbery, Dominates the palate. Shame. 85

38. Pokolbin Estate 14.5% $60
Dutch licorice, VA, resiny oak, lots creamy oak, dark fruit, dried herb. Low acid, rich powdery, tangy. Blackberry, clovely oak, tannins sit on the wine. OK. 91 (S)
Good wine. Lots of oak.

39. Racecourse Lane Basket Press 12.5% $22 (Cork)
Cracked pepper, dried herb, blackberry. Medium bodied dirty but nice. Very Rhonish. Quite tangy acid…raspberry, cracked pepper, dry tannins. Very good. 90 (B)
Why has this wine gone back to cork..anyway this looked really different in the line up. Both CM and I double took on this one.

40. De Iuliis Show Reserve 14.3% $28
Pepper, berries, good oak, some of the shrivel. Berries, good fruit, Acid is a bit edgy, fine ripe tannins but all a bit separate now. 92 (S)
I let this sit in the glass later up and expleted ‘F*** this is good’.

41. Tower Estate 13.5% $42 (Cork)
Barossa wine. Varnishy, vanilla, blackfruit, violets, chocolate. Very sweet fruit, too porty. Very fine raspberry.Style thing. N/R ….90 or 80
Looked very weird here. I’d like to see it again.

42. Pyramid Hill 13.0% $22 (Cork)
Capsicum, red fruited. Medium body. Fresh acid. Red fruited. Finishes spicy. 88 (B)
I have a bottle of this in my tasting pile and will review soon.

43. Mount Pleasant OP&OH 14.5% na
Lots of creamy spicy oak, black fruit, licorice, choc, dried herbs/minty. Lovely red fruit, cinnamon spicy oak, meaty. Lashings of fine dry tannins. Plenty of alcohol. Very good. 94 (G)
Well now this is VERY good. I may be a points miser here…this is a buy for me.

44. Meerea Park The Aunts 13.5% $26
Stewed plums, medicinal, bbq sauce. Licorice. Sticky date pudding. Vanilla flavours. Tannins are fine. Length. Looks odd in this line up. 91 (S)
Very nice wine but looked strange and a little sweet here.

45. Meerea Park Alexander Munro 14.5% $60
Pepper, VA, Blackberry. Sweet fruit. Medium to full bodied. Slightly gamey. Lovely tannins and coconutty. Gamey. Has length. 94-95 (G)

46. Bimbadgen Individual vineyard
Capsicumy, white pepper, raspberry, like carmenere. The palate has green herbs, spice, raspberry, fine tannins. Has length. 90 (B)
Really quite herbal but nice. Not sure if this is the Signature as linked above or something else.

47. First Creek 13.5 $25
Herbal and spicy, rubbery, mouthstretching acid. Strawberrres, herb and acid. Strong pepper. 85

48. Chatto 13.5 $35
Sweaty, raspberries, soft sweet fruit. Acid sitting on top. VA. Unusual wine. 91 (S)
In classic Walsh style I managed to say this was a bit bumholey or some such idiot comment…Chatto took it all in his stride..and assures me of no VA.