2022 WCD Shiraz

Single Vineyard Range

2022 Norlana Vineyard Shiraz

Variety:     100% Shiraz

Region:     Upper Hunter Valley

Vineyard:  Norlana Vineyard  

Tasting Note

This special bottling is dedicated to the vineyard owner and grape grower Geoff Oldman, who supplied great quality Shiraz to us from 2015 - 2023, but sadly passed away in September 2023, aged 82.

Norlana is an outstanding vineyard just outside Denman in the Upper Hunter Valley, on a gentle hillside overlooking the confluence of the Goulburn and Hunter Rivers. The soil is a rich black clay flecked with iron-stone and red gravel, generating a perfumed and elegant style of Hunter Shiraz.

The sweet red-cherry, raspberry perfumes with a fine touch of cranberry, deliver freshness and elegance. Smooth and finely floral, with powdery fragrances of violet and lavender, beautifully fresh, lithe and light in expression, yet opulent.

Soft-fruits run along the palate, showing powder-soft flavours of raspberry and strawberry sherbet. This remarkably glossy texture continues with delicious velvety persistence, juicy red plum and red apple, finishing with hints of white pepper and nutmeg. Tannins are soft and creamy due to the whole-bunch nature of the fermentation, and the large format 1500litre oak foudre used for 12 months of aging.

Drink: Now – 2040

Limited Edition - only 160 dozen made

95 points Wine Companion

 Technical Data

Alcohol: 13.5%

2021 Hunter Valley Shiraz Viognier

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

Tasting Notes

This mild growing season created classically elegant Hunter Valley reds; soft and immediately attractive. The colour carries an intense red-blue with violet hue, the aromas are a melange of black cherry and orange blossom. On the palate the fruit carries blackberry, cola and Turkish delight underpinned by a velvet creaminess and chocolatey roundness - the magic of Shiraz-Viognier co-fermentation.

Drink: Now to 2030

Technical Data

Alcohol 13%

Single Vineyard Range

2021 Eagles Rest Vineyard Chardonnay

Variety:   Chardonnay 100%

Vineyard: Eagles Rest Vineyard

Region:    Pokolbin, Hunter Valley

Vine Age:  Vines planted in 1970's by Don Maxwell

Tasting Note

The Eagles Rest Vineyard is sited in central Pokolbin, nestled on the high slopes of the Pokolbin Mountain foothills and enjoys the benefits of cooler sea breeze air flow during Summer. It is also a protected site from both rainfall and the hot mid-Summer sun, close up under the shoulder of the Brokenback Mountain Range.

The Chardonnay vines growing here relish the deep red volcanic-basalt and decomposed sandstone soils. Rows are steeply terraced facing South in this section, with the unique steepness of the vineyard contributing to wonderfully intense flavours and consistent quality.

 The mild weather of 2021 has given this wine a special reserve, with crystal-clear fruit detail, poise and balance. Fruit aromas are nectarine, yellow apple and golden pear, quite highly focussed and tense, with soft notes of quince and vanilla yoghurt. Flavours show classy reserve too, yellow to gold stone fruits with linear brightness, plus a subtle cashew-like roundness from wild-ferment.

Drink Now to 2030

200 dozen made

Technical Data
Alcohol: 13%

The Family Collection

2022 The Kester Shiraz

Variety:     Shiraz (100%) 
Region:     Hunter Valley

Tasting Notes

The Kester Shiraz showcases the best of the best from the Hunter Valley’s 2022 Shiraz harvest, capturing the region’s fruit expression in Keith’s signature style. The Hunter Valley reds from 2022 are remarkable for their youthful charm and soft tannins, reminiscent of the great medium-bodied wines from years like 2013, 2009 and 1999. 

Primary fruit aromas of raspberry, blueberry, and cherry, plus hints of juniper and blood orange are enhanced by perfumes of pressed flowers and garden herb, developing into a finer-leaf bouquet of lavender and fresh clove.

The palate has gentle blue-fruit roundness, with full concentration yet pastille-like elegance, framed by lovely pure fruit focus and attractive lift, delivering a seamless velvety texture. The finish is deliciously long with whole-bunch energy and harmony, providing fine sappy hints of red-briar berry and pomegranate.

The Kester is matured only in large French oak Foudre, which gives a superb gentle spiciness with fine detail, plus sandy and subtle tannins with the polish of fine mocha and soft chocolate.

These fine red wines hold remarkably well and improve greatly with 3 to 7 years in the cellar, with best drinking from 2029 to 2033.

Decanting is always recommended if drinking within 5 years of Vintage.

Drink: Now to 2040+

96points Wine Companion

Technical Data

Alcohol: 14%
pH: 3.55