Hunter Valley

Australia is a vast country, its wine regions stretching over 4,000km from Margaret River south of Perth in Western Australia to Hunter Valley north of Sydney in New South Wales. Those regions vary so much, in soils, in grape varieties grown, and, more than I realised, in climate. Despite those differences, there is a huge level of support for and interest in other regions, even when they're hundreds of kilometres apart.

The one exception to this comradeship is Hunter Valley. Two Australian girls we met in Argentina informed us the wine was terrible. When we told people in South Australia that our Australian journey would culminate in Hunter Valley, the reaction was an incredulous yet muted, "Oh." In Victoria the reaction was more impassioned: "You're saving the worst to last!"

At first I didn't understand their dislike, dismissing it as simple jealousy. Hunter Valley is near Sydney, and its wine industry revolves around Australia's biggest city which is so far away from Australia's other wine regions. So I decided to ignore all those reservations, not least because I wanted to taste and discover more about the unique wine of Hunter Valley: Semillon.

We drove eight hours from Rutherglen through endless nothingness, bypassing the capital Canberra and Sydney (which we returned to). I expected Hunter Valley to be like Napa Valley: close to a major city, beautiful, and full of decorous tasting rooms and expensive restaurants. Instead, it's rather ugly, a flat valley with a small, truncated mountain range to the west, and its tasting rooms looked like they hadn't been touched since the 1970s. There were few restaurants, the locals were unfriendly, and it baffled me why people from Sydney - residents and tourists alike - visit the region so much. In short, all those negative opinions others had voiced were right.

Its climate is hot, humid, and windy. Those winds aren't refreshing, but blow the heat and humidity into one's face. The cloud cover smothers the heat further. Hunter Valley really isn't a region made for wine production, yet wine has been made here for two hundred years. James Busby, one of the founding fathers of Australian wine, settled here in the 1820s and the region's proximity to Sydney has sustained its wine industry. I can't imagine a region I'd less want to make wine in.

the one pretty view in Hunter Valley

 

semillon

For all of Hunter Valley's unsuitability for growing grapes, it produces a unique style of wine. Hunter Valley Semillon is one of the world's most ageworthy white wines, and I wanted to learn more about what makes the wine so individual. The answer is a paradox: the high acid, low alcohol wines are a result of the warm climate. The grapes ripen quickly in the heat and are picked early (in part to avoid the heavy rain and hail that falls before the end of the growing season). In the heat, the grapes have developed enough fruit flavour to give the wine body and structure but picking early ensures high acidity and low sugar levels. Once the wine is made, very little happens: it's aged for a couple of months in stainless steel before bottling. Young Hunter Valley Semillon is neutral and quite dull, with at best vaguely fruity, herbaceous aromas. As the wine ages, it changes into something much more interesting: waxy, nutty, and honeyed, rich but retaining the high acidity. Wineries delay releasing their best wines for at least five years, and Hunter Valley Semillon isn't worth drinking before then. This makes it one of the few white wines that genuinely improves with age. Try Brokenwood's ILR Reserve 2009 (A$75; $58 ✪✪✪✪✪ ) for a great example of how Semillon ages - this wine still feels remarkably young, with fresh acidity and grassy aromas, but nutty aromas are beginning to develop and there's a steely, mineral, waxy texture. Such wines are best enjoyed with food, especially with the Asian cuisine so popular throughout Australia.

shiraz

The other grape variety Hunter Valley is known for is Shiraz. Again paradoxically, the heat produces a restrained style, quite different from the wines of South Australia. The quick ripening and heavy autumn rains lead to an early picking, which means that the Shiraz wines aren't as rich and fruity. Their restraint made them seem quite dull in comparison, though there is an earthy texture which has led to comparisons to the northern Rhône - I felt the wines lack the depth and complexity to justify those comparisons.

Grape growing is so tricky in Hunter Valley that wineries source grapes from elsewhere, even from as far afield as Margaret River. It says a lot about Hunter Valley that the one wine we bought while there was a Shiraz from the cooler climate of Canberra ...

Sémillon

In the last few weeks, I've found a new appreciation for Sémillon, the white grape most known for the role it plays in the dry and sweet wines of Bordeaux. Due to that role, it's considered an important grape but it's not seen that often or a grape that trips off customers' tongues. This must in part be because white Bordeaux, where it's blended with Sauvignon Blanc, isn't that popular a style, but also because it just isn't planted in that many places: in Europe, it's virtually limited to south-west France and in the New World only Australia has made a speciality of it. It's these Australian versions which have led me back to taste white Bordeaux - from New World back to Old.

where it's grown

Its name comes from a local pronunciation of St-Emilion, the Bordeaux village renowned for its Merlot-based reds. It's the fifth most-planted white grape in France, concentrated on south-west France in Bordeaux, Bergerac, and Monbazillac. In Bordeaux, it's the dominant variety in the sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac and also in the oaky dry whites of Graves; it's almost always blended with Sauvignon Blanc, which is becoming more prominent in blends. When it's planted in California, it's to produce similar dry white wines. In Australia, it's the second most-planted white variety, producing distinctive dry wines, particularly in Hunter Valley near Sydney. The wines receive no oak, are low in alcohol and high in acidity, and, despite that lack of oak, develop toasty complexity as they age. Margaret River in Western Australia is another important area, where it's again blended with Sauvignon Blanc. Plantings of the grape have declined in South Africa, but the reputation of its wines is increasing; again, the influence is Bordeaux, with the use of oak and blending with Sauvignon.

Sémillon grapes beginning to rot; taken from Oz Clarke and Margaret Rand's Grapes and Wine

what it tastes like

With its grassy, herbaceous aromas, Sémillon is not a dissimilar grape to Sauvignon Blanc (and the two are closely related), hence the tendency to blend the two together. It does have different characteristics, though; the acidity isn't as refreshingly high as Sauvignon, and the wine is fatter and fuller bodied, as well as waxy and oily. The grape's thin skins also make it suspectible to noble rot, and its fatty characteristics add to the body of a rich, sweet wine. From the oaky dry wines of Graves, the unoaked, ageworthy wines of Hunter Valley, on its own or blended with Sauvignon Blanc, back to the intensely sweet wines of Sauternes, this is one versatile grape. Come on winemakers, get planting!

tasting

Tyrell's Belford 2009 (Hunter Valley, 100% Sémillon, Wine Society, £21). A single-vineyard Sémillon from one of Hunter Valley's most famous producers, this is an exceptional wine that still has lots of development ahead of it. Classic Hunter Valley in its high acidity and low alcohol (11%), as well as developing complexity; there are still lemon and lime notes from the wine's youthfulness, but a waxy oiliness coming through, and interesting vegetal notes - I got creamy potato on the palate.

Brokenwood Semillon 2012 and 2007 ILR Reserve (Hunter Valley, 100% Sémillon, 2012 currently available at hangingditch, £20). Unfortunately, I didn't get to taste these wines at the same time, as it would have been fascinating to directly compare the two. The 2012 had sharply fresh, grassy, herbaceous aromas, while the 2007, from a single vineyard, had developed mature flavours variously described by fellow Diploma students as wet wool, shortbread, orange peel, lemon cake, and blossom. This was a serious, intense wine, quite different from the youthful exuberance of the 2012, and one that will continue to age for another 15 years. Both these wines have low alcohol - the 2007 11.5%, the 2012 10.5%.

Cullen Mangan Vineyard 2011 (Margaret River, 58% Sauvignon Blanc, 42% Sémillon, hangingditch, £22.50). Cullen is a fully biodynamic winery from Margaret River, an area of Western Australia famous for its similarities to Bordeaux and where Sémillon works best in the northern part. I've tasted the 2011 vintage (the blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon is different each year) on two separate occassions in the last couple of months. The first was at the end of a Sauvignon Blanc centred tasting at hangingditch, where the style of this oaked blend was just too difficult for the Sauvignon lovers - I loved that oaky complexity in contrast to the too similar primary aromas of Sauvignon after Sauvignon. The second tasting was during the Diploma Australian session, where both tutor and students thought it wasn't complex enough for the price. The collective tasting notes, and the conclusion that it has another ten years, suggest otherwise: chamomile, thyme, grass, white chocolate, asparagus, ripe green and citrus fruits, as well as being waxy and oily, with weight on the palate from the light use of oak. Both a guest at the tasting and a student on the Diploma also suggested smoked cheese, a description the tutor found highly amusing, but it's one I fully agree with, especially after having tasted other Sémillon wines.

Cuvée des Conti: Tour des Gendres 2012 (Bergerac, 70% Sémillon, Carrington's, £12.49). Young, grassy, and green on the nose, showing just how similar Sémillon is to Sauvignon - it would be difficult to distinguish the two in a blind tasting. The palate differs though: a dry yet creamy finish, with a spicy, yeasty texture from eight months on its lees, and a much fuller body. The acidity isn't as piercingly high as Sauvignon either; this isn't a palate cleanser for a sunny afternoon, more of a food wine for a rich, creamy chicken or oily seafood dish.

Moulin des Dames 2006 (Bergerac, 70% Sauvignon Blanc/30% Sémillon, Carrington's, £25). This is a complex, mature, and quite beautiful wine with aged, oxidised notes, almost like a traditional white Rioja, with honey and beeswax. 50% aged for twelve months in barriques and on its lees, the palate is creamy, oaky, and spicy. It came as a surprise to learn that the wine is 70% Sauvignon Blanc, as the Sémillon seems much more influential - evidence that Sauvignon Blanc is a grape that can still surprise.

Château Rahoul Blanc 2010 (Graves, 75% Sémillon, Wine Society, £16). A very nutty (marzipan), toasty, and cheesy nose, with dairy and farmyard notes; the palate shares blue cheese and marzipan flavours, but with a big oaky, spicy finish. A full-bodied white which would be a great pairing with crumbly Lancashire cheese, as well as a bready fish dish.

Boekenhoutskloof Semillon 2010 (Franschhoek, 92% Sémillon, Wine Society, £18). From vines planted in 1902, 1906, and 1942, this is a serious wine comparable in complexity and quality to the above Bordeaux. A waxy, oily, cheesy, smoky, toasty nose, with a slight yet pleasant stink of rotting fruits. There's an intense mouth feel - very cheesy, smoky, slightly rotten, nice acidity, fatty, and full-bodied with creamy spices and potatoes. Great on its own, but this would match with any rich, creamy dish.

Clos du Val Signature Series 2011 (Napa Valley, 72% Sémillon; 2010 available at hangingditch, £25). I wrote about this in my California blog - another great example of a New World wine taking Bordeaux as its inspiration but doing something quite different. Far less farmyardy and oaky than the Graves equivalent (it was aged in neutral oak), with fresher, grassier aromas, but depth and complexity of flavour from the ageing.

Château Doisy-Daëne 2006 (Barsac, 95% Sémillon, Wine Society, £26). Barsac is an appellation next to Sauternes in Bordeaux, producing sweet wines from the same grapes - it can be much more affordable than its more famous neighbour. The wine has a rich golden colour, and intensely sweet aromas of orange peel, marmalade, and dried apricots. The palate is honeyed with light oaky spices. Some sweet wines work on their own, drunk at any time, but this is definitely best as a dessert wine: with apple tart for example.

Every single one of these wines that I've tasted at different times over the last month or so was of a high quality: intriguing and complex aromas, all connected by the grape, yet distinguished by the style and character of its region or the nature of the winemaking process. I'm definitely a convert to the Bordeaux-style oaky, dry whites: these are complex, full-bodied food wines that should be much more appreciated. In complete contrast, the Australian Semillons are just unique: high acidity, low alcohol, no oak, lots of ageing potential, and developing complexity that's all about the flavour profile of the grape. Together with sweet Bordeaux, these are three completely different, yet equally appealing, styles of wine. 

Diploma Week Three - Australia

A month after enduring the spirits and sparkling wine exams, we reconvened for three days of tasting New World wine and, thankfully, no exams. I'm a little suspicious of the term "New World"; after all, some of the oldest vines in the world are in Australia and California. However, as the first day tasting Australian wine demonstrated, the development of serious, quality wine, as well as popular, affordable wine, in non-European countries is a relatively recent phenomenon. Our tutor for the day, Michael Buriak, recalled working in the wine trade in the 1980s and stocking his shop's first ever bottle of Australian wine, seen as a novelty item. It sold out instantly, and Australian wine has never looked back - it's now consistently the number one selling wine by country in the UK. (Only the US drinks more Australian wine than the UK, and that's because of the ubiquitous Yellow Tail brand.)

The popularity of Australian wine makes it an interesting category. It's best known for producing inexpensive, high-volume, drinkable wines which unfortunately means that consumers are likely to stick to the inexpensive wines and ignore the high-quality, premium alternatives. This is a perception Australian wine is trying to shift, but when big brands like Jacob's Creek and Hardy's dominate the market it's hard.

Despite having 120-year-old vines, Australian winemakers are still learning their trade, moving on from big, oaky Chardonnay and fruit-bomb Shiraz to produce wines of elegance and subtlety. As I've learnt from working at hangingditch over the last eighteen months, and as this day's tasting further proved, premium Australian wine can be sensational and is getting better and better.

what we tasted

This was a stellar line-up, showcasing Australian wine at its best and most varied. Much of the wine was not the inexpensive stuff that makes Australian wine so popular, but it meant that we gained a real understanding of Australian terroir.

Australia is divided into areas of geographical indication. Although some of these areas are particularly associated with a grape variety or style of wine (e.g. Coonawarra and Cabernet Sauvignon), there are no real rules to them beyond geography. They can be very small or enormous, and there's probably no larger wine region in the world than South Eastern Australia, not that different in size from the EU. If you see the term South Eastern Australia on the label, then it's likely to be an inexpensive wine produced in the bulk regions of Riverland, Murray Valley, and Riverina.

Our first wine was an example of what makes Australian wine so popular. Hardy's Nottage Hill Chardonnay 2013 (c.£8) is a high-volume wine from South Eastern Australia, which basically means absolutely anywhere. It's been given oak qualities through the use of oak chips to give it a semblance of complexity. It's a decent wine that will make a sunny weekend perfectly pleasant. We saved this wine to taste alongside other Chardonnays later in the day, which did not do it any favours.

After that, our tasting was all about quality and varietal/regional typicity. Shaw + Smith are an excellent winery based in Adelaide Hills. Australia is a huge country dominated by arid, inhospitable desert. As with the population centres, quality wine is focused on the cooler coastal regions, which are cooled further by altitude. Thus, there's a concentration of quality wine regions around the city of Adelaide, such as Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, and Adelaide Hills. We tasted two of Shaw + Smith's wines, both of which were very good. The 2013 Sauvignon Blanc (c£16) was as good a Sauvignon Blanc as I've tasted in a while, while the 2012 Chardonnay (c£25), perhaps still a little too young, had an engaging delicate oakiness - a real indication of how Australian winemakers have discovered the attraction of restraint.

Interest in Riesling, the great and underappreciated German grape, has been revitalised by dry examples from Australia, particularly Eden and Clare Valley. Grosset Wines are a producer active since the early 1980s; winemaker Jeffrey Grosset considers 2013 to be the best Clare Valley vintage he's ever experienced, and the wine we tasted was from Polish Hill, one of the best sub-regions of Clare Valley (c£30). Therefore, the wine had a lot going for it, but its searingly high acidity meant that this wine possibly needs a few years before it drinks nearer its best. A more approachable Riesling came from a famous producer in Western Australia, Leeuwin, whose leading range of wines, "Art Series," features a work of art on the label each year from a local artist. The 2011 Riesling (c£20) was a complex, ageworthy wine, but still full of immediate citrus and sweet spice flavours.

In the same Art Series was the most expensive wine of the day, the 2010 Chardonnay (c£60), an outstanding wine that had everything you'd expect from a oaked Chardonnay: big, rich, toasty, with tropical fruits. Worth £60? If you've got the money, then yes. (The more affordable Leeuwin "Prelude" Chardonnay from the Wine Society gives an indication of what the premium version tastes like.)

Other than Riesling, the white grape that works best in Australia is Semillon. As Michael pointed out, this is one of the world's great grape varieties but is vastly underappreciated. It's there in Bordeaux in white blends and classic sweet wines like Sauternes, but other than it gets largely overlooked. We tasted a couple of Semillon wines, which showed how well it works in Australia. The first was my favourite wine of the day, a 2007 from Brokenwood in Hunter Valley (c£25). Hunter Valley is a region to the north of Sydney, its inhospitable climate as northern as quality wine gets in the country, but which is known for producing great Semillon. This was a fantastic wine: so complex and developed, yet its fruit fresh and young, a wine capable of lots of further ageing. The other Semillon was part of a blend with Sauvignon Blanc, as is common in Bordeaux whites. Produced biodynamically by Cullen in Margaret River, Western Australia, this was an unusual wine with 25% new oak to give it some depth and smoky flavours, as well as fragrant chamomile, thyme, and white chocolate aromas (c£20).

The grape that Australia is most famous for is, of course, Shiraz. The Eileen Hardy 2004 was a particularly interesting wine, as it demonstrated the difficulty Australia has in selling itself as a maker of premium, as well as inexpensive, wines. Produced by Hardy's, one of the country's leading brands, it retails at £40. For its quality, that's still quite a low price, but it struggles to sell. Why? Because who would pay that money for a wine by a brand? The wine was an outstanding example of a complex Australian Shiraz; identifiably McLaren Vale (to the south of Adelaide), with riper fruits than a French equivalent, it was a beautifully perfumed, elegant, mature Shiraz. Even maturer was the 1999 Jim Barry McRae Wood Museum Release. At £35-40 and fifteen years old, this represents incredibly good value. The wine is from Clare Valley; although known for Riesling, the area produces elegant, smooth Shiraz and this is a stunning example, with black fruits, leather and meat, coffee and floral flavours.

As all the great white wines we tasted showed, Australia isn't just about Shiraz. Cabernet Sauvignon is known for its association with Coonawarra (c£16), but it's in Margaret River, Western Australia, that the grape arguably reaches the heights of Bordeaux. The Vasse Felix Heytesbury (c£40), from the area's oldest producer (established 1967), was outstanding and a fitting climax to the day. As with many of the other wines, it demonstrated that the French concept of terroir is very much present in a New World country such as Australia, representing the qualities of the grape and the wine's specific area - and showing also that expensive Australian wine is very much worth it. 

The day's tasting was exhaustive (and exhausting) - and we had two days of other New World wine to follow. None quite matched the extensive, exceptional line-up of Australian wines, but I'm now on my way to California to explore fully the great wines of that region. Expect lots of blogs about sunshine and wine. I'll try not to gloat too much.