The fruit for the 2016 Vat 9 Shiraz was sourced from Tyrrells super premium vineyards on the Ashmans property with an average vine age of 50 years. Predominately from the Weinkeller and Short Flat vineyards. Winemaking The blocks were all hand picked and sorted in the vineyard before arriving at the winery. All the fruit was then destemmed but not crushed, followed by fermentation in traditional open top concrete vats. After fermentation the wiens were matured in newer 2700L French oak casks for ten months.

A young and approachable white wine, this wine has been crafted to last a long time in the cellar. The well balanced palate contains fresh citrus elements supported by crisp acidity, leading to a clean finale.

The wine shows an amazing length of flavor and mouthfeel with strong, clean acid on the finish and some secondary characters derived from the slight solids ferment. A great example of Hunter chardonnay with its the citrus/acid backbone, which is a benefit of no malolactic fermentation.

In the glass: Pale lemon green.On the nose: Lemongrass, lime and lemon zest. On the palate: Light, fresh and zesty with lovely ripe citrus flavours underpinned by racy acidity. A classic youthful and tight Hunter Semillon that will develop well in the cellar.

Tempus Two Verdelho is a full-bodied and tangy verdelho. Intense flavours, similar to the wines aromatics - ripe, tropical fruits of pineapple, passionfruit and guava.

A concentrated and complex wine with dark choclate, liquorice and spice aromas and flavours accentuated by nutty oak from barrel maturation.

The Stockhausen Chardonnay was created by Briar Ridge in a style paying homage to the pioneers of the Hunter Valley around 40 years ago. It is rich and creamy with ripe peach and tropical notes.

Tulloch Verdelho is an exciting aromatic white that was harvested at night to retain the fresh natural acidity found in the quality fruit. The wine itself has honeydew melon notes with a real citrus blossom lift. The long, engaging palate has a real zest to it with a fine acid backbone treating the drinker with a long, crisp finish.

BentSpoke Crankshaft IPA is similar to a West Coast IPA with a floral nose with notes of citrus and pine. Medium bodied with a nice punch of hops and a solid malt finish. A great beer for lovers of big full flavoured brews.

The intention with this wine is to deliver a modern style of Hunter Semillon which offers outstanding early drinking appeal in combination with an ability to age over the short to medium term. The frame is still fine, but the flavours are more generous. Try with Sydney Rock Oysters!