2018 The Wife Shiraz Magnum

2019 Hunter Valley Shiraz Viognier

Variety:  Shiraz (95%) | Viognier (5%)
Region:  Hunter Valley
Vine Age:  40+ years old

Tasting Notes

Brilliant scarlet-red in colour with crimson rim.

The 2019 Shiraz Viognier shows wonderful black fruit perfumes of super-ripe black-cherry with background hints of pretty white-flower jasmine. Fine French oak contributes with gentle vanilla and cinnamon spice. The palate is plush and velvety –  the shiraz 95% shows as blackcurrant with dark berry richness and cassis adding a dense yet satiny gloss. Viognier  5% is about opulence with luxuriant polished softness with extra elements of flower and spice. Co-fermenting has gifted an extra degree of lift and length to the palate, combining the flavours for a great young drinking style.

Drink: Now to 2030 

Food Match: Slow cooked meats, pizza, or risotto.

Technical Data

Alcohol: 13.5%

The Family Collection Range

2019 The Wife Shiraz 

Varieties:   Shiraz 92 %,  Viognier 8 %

Region:      Hunter Valley

Vine Age:   Vines planted in 1978      
 

This wine is handmade for my wife Amanda, who loves aromatic and gentle reds.          

Tasting Notes  

Bright crimson-red with deep inky density, plus fresh purple and indigo-blue at the rim

Signature aromas reveal layer-upon-layer of floral expression –jasmine and honeysuckle, with deeper damask perfumes of rose-musk and pink rose-petal, black and red fruits twine together in a mix of sweet Kirsch black-cherry and briar-raspberry. Black berry shiraz flavours are super ripe, rich and satiny, deliciously long and lavishly coated with a black-chocolatey smoothness.

Deluxe oak-spices are generous on both the bouquet and palate: cinnamon and fine sandalwood contribute gentle silken tannins with spicy lift. The palate has luxurious texture and elegant softness, a refined power that delivers undeniable quality with sophisticated grace and finesse.

Drink : Now to 2030+ 

Technical Data

Alcohol  14% 

pH 3.48

The Family Collection

2019 The Kester Shiraz

Variety:     Shiraz (99%)  Viognier (1%)
Region:     Hunter Valley, single heritage listed vineyard
Vine Age:  Planted on own roots in 1923

Tasting Notes

This Vintage can flex its muscles – it has power and polish, depth and grip with terrific focus.

Colour is vivid red / black with a deep scarlet hue.

Heady aromas of jaffa and orange blossom over deeper concentrated blackcurrant, cola, anise and blackberry. Lifted hints of juniper and crushed herb build as the wine breathes.

Black-fruits dominate the palate with lashings of inky dense, muscular black-currant and black-cherry, over a liquorice-like sweetness balancing rich black-chocolate dryness and a black-olivine savouriness. This foundation is firmly bonded and taut, lasting, with all parts contributing an iron-clad assertion. Exotic expression with luxuriant waves of fine oak delivering fume` spices and subtle roast-coffee-like extract.
The 2019 Vintage Kester shows the result of 3 year of continual drought: it is inky and firm, latent, intense, and deep with terrific promise and pedigree.

Drink: Now to 2040+

Technical Data

Alcohol: 14.3%
pH: 3.5

The Family Collection

2018 The Kester Shiraz

Variety:     Shiraz (99%)  Viognier (1%)
Region:     Lower Hunter Valley

Tasting Notes

Showing all the hallmark signatures from a great Hunter Vintage, The Kester 2018 is a superb release. The colour of this wine is rich and deep, giving an indication of the power you will find in the glass - bright black and purple, with deep scarlet at the rim.

 The Shiraz fruit aromas are latent inky blackberry, immersed in deep perfumes of kirsch with lovely floral sweetness; following this is a lift of blueberry, and delicate Viognier hints of white bloom and jasmine. The classic old-vine elements chime in with grand flourish – aromas of juniper foremost, with hints of thyme, bay leaf, black olive, and espresso in reinforcement. The defining characteristics of this Kester are found on the palate - the wine’s lavish black fruit density and deep tannins are the heart of this complex expression of Hunter Valley terroir. Flavours are rich, concentrated, and intense, with powerful and inky black and blue fruits weaved in flawless union; delicious black cherry, boysenberry, dark chocolate, and liquorice-like characters unite, all bonding with satiny polish yet also a tongue staining flavour persistence. Superb tannin texture meshes fruit and French oak, entwined to delivering lasting momentum and flair. 

 Drink: With decanting you can enjoy this special wine on release, but it will also greatly reward cellaring for 20+ years.

James Halliday 95 points, Huon Hooke 94 points, The Wine front 94 points

Technical Data

Alcohol: 14.3%