2023 Field of Mars Viognier B1

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

 Technical Data

Alcohol: 13.5%

FIELD OF MARS - Single Vineyard Range                            

Field of Mars  Block 2 Semillon  2021

Variety:   100% Semillon

Region:    Pokolbin, Hunter Valley

Vineyard: Field of Mars Vineyard

Vine age: Vines planted in 1968

Soil:         Fine, sandy alluvial 

Tasting Note 

Planted in 1968 the fine white sand of this vineyard generates lovely purity of fruit, very direct and positive, zesty and bright. Fine fruit-weight, elegant varietal character, and crisp acidity were natural hallmarks of the Vintage.

Dominant aromatic characters of Meyer lemon show yellow citrus juiciness and zest, hints of ripe orange-grapefruit and finer notes of apple and lime. These fill the glass with added notes of sweet floral frangipani and jasmine. Everything amplifies as the wine breathes, building and opening to show more energy and flair.

Citrus fruits expand onto the palate with bright vibrant energy, like freshly squeezed lime and lemon, a delicate extension of the fruit with the crunchiness of natural acids. There is a finer, satin-soft juiciness plus the sustained, powder-soft texture of mineral and chalk, almost transparent yet tangy. Finer notes of red-apple stay onto the finish with a gentle receding softness, sustaining a greater flavour length than usual.

Drink: now – 2045                                    95 points Halliday Wine Companion

Limited Edition - only 86 dozen made

Technical Data

Alc: 10.5

pH: 3.06

TA: 6.3

2023 Hunter Valley Semillon

Variety:     100% Semillon
Region:     Pokolbin, Hunter Valley
Vine Age:  Planted in 1969

Vineyard : Keith Tulloch Hermitage Road 

Tasting Notes

Aromas of lemon and lime juice, lemongrass and tropical zest.

The cool spring and Summer with dry, stable weather brought about some striking Semillons; flavours are primary and bright, filled with bold citrus and apple flavours bringing crunchy energy to the palate.

Drink: Now to 2030.

Technical Data

Alcohol: 10.5%

FIELD OF MARS - Single Vineyard Range                            

Field of Mars Block 1 Shiraz 2021

Variety:     100% Shiraz

Region:      Pokolbin Hunter Valley

Vineyard:   Field of Mars Vineyard

Vine Age:   Vines planted in 1968

Soils:         Dark cracking clay

Tasting note

Block 1 Shiraz on Hermitage Road was planted in 1968 on 0.75 hectares of dark, fertile cracking clay soil. This terroir delivers a balanced and concentrated Hunter Valley Shiraz, with a core of dense black fruit that will allow many years of cellaring.

The black-fruit aromas of firm black cherry over a cola-like darkness, herb tinged, with bright supporting notes of black olive and peppercorn plus a dusting of juniper. Deluxe oak aromas sit further in the background, bringing deeper fragrances of tobacco and fine black tea.

The palate follows with the same deep black-cherry and a vibrant dark-streak of cola, with subtle waves of liquorice, anise and black chocolate. Flavours of black olive and juniper unite on the mid-palate, building a fine-grainy dryness and savory lift. Tannins are inky yet gentle with subtle oak-spice from a single 1500litre foudre, generating lovely balance, harmony, and grip on the finish.

Decant if drinking before 2027.

Drink: Now – 2040+

 96pts Halliday Wine Companion

Limited edition - only 161 dozen made

Technical Data

Alc: 13.0

pH:  3.55

TA:  6.3