Variety: 100% Shiraz
Region: Pokolbin Hunter Valley
Vineyard: Keith Tulloch Field of Mars Vineyard
Vine Age: Vines planted in 1968
Block 1 is a mature low yielding vineyard delivering outstanding Shiraz, grown in deep clay soils, planted in 1968.
Colour: deep, dense, red and jet-black with a bright crimson rim.
Aroma: rich and complex, filling the glass with decadent black fruit power, dense cassis-like black cherry, lifted with juniper, sweet-currant and fresh quince, then heady hints of black pepper, clove, violet and mocha oak-spice.
Concentrated without being heavy, the palate captures mouth-filling blackberry power and depth, underpinned by gentle tannins which carry the momentum and deliver extra spiced layers of bramble and olive. This solid black fruit commands with terrific length, harmonising with French oak to amplify the volume and build a plush espresso-like crema onto the finish.
Drink: Now- 2035+
Limited Release – only 161 dozen made.
James Halliday 96 points
Technical Data
Alcohol: 14 %
pH: 3.37
TA: 7.2
RRP | Pack | Club |
---|---|---|
$110.00 (AUD) | $110.00 (AUD) | $88.00 (AUD) |
$/Bottle | $/Bottle | $/Bottle |
This wine is named in honour of my father, Dr. Harold William Tulloch.
Whilst Harry is a renowned viticulturalist and PhD, the word Doctor actually originates from the Latin word Docere - "to teach". In so many ways throughout my life, Harry has been my teacher.
In exceptional red vintages, I taste through the best barrels of Hunter Valley Shiraz with Harry. His favourite barrels are kept aside, blended and bottled in extremely limited quantities. In a way, this wine is more his taste than mine - a bold, rich expression of Hunter Shiraz more a tuned to the old school than the new school, but brimming with quality.
The aromatic expression is matched precisely on the palate, tense and latent, yet delivering opulent richness from start to finish.
Flavours are phenomenally energetic and long, multi-layered with black cherry, cola, and liquorice, brightened with hints of juniper and cranberry, astride a foundation of full deluxe oak-spiciness with plush balance.
This is definitely a wine to watch. It has the inky intensity and balance to cellar for more than a decade, if not two.
Limited release only 155 dozen made
Alcohol 14.6%
pH 3.38
RRP | Pack | Club |
---|---|---|
$180.00 (AUD) | $162.00 (AUD) | $144.00 (AUD) |
$/Bottle | $/Bottle | $/Bottle |
Variety: Shiraz (95%) | Viognier (5%)
Region: Hunter Valley
Vine Age: 40+ years old
A classically elegant Hunter Valley red; soft and immediately attractive with smooth tannins and glossy balance. Vibrant Shiraz aromatics full of black cherry and liquorice with the Viognier adding rose petal and musk. Fruit flavours carry blackberry, cola and Turkish Delight underpinned by a velvet creaminess and chocolatey roundness - the magic of Shiraz-Viognier co-fermentation.
92 points Halliday Wine Companion
Drink: Now to 2030
Technical Data
Alcohol 13%
RRP | Pack | Club |
---|---|---|
$38.00 (AUD) | $34.20 (AUD) | $30.40 (AUD) |
$/Bottle | $/Bottle | $/Bottle |
Variety: Shiraz (100%)
Region: Hunter Valley
Tasting Note
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 and black 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+
Alcohol: 14%
pH: 3.55
RRP | Pack | Club |
---|---|---|
$80.00 (AUD) | $72.00 (AUD) | $64.00 (AUD) |
$/Bottle | $/Bottle | $/Bottle |
Variety: Shiraz (100%)
Region: Hunter Valley
Vineyard: WCD Vineyard
This fruit comes from a vineyard located less than 14km from our cellar door, on Wine Country Drive in central Pokolbin. This site enjoys balanced weather influences, gifting the site with slightly cooler Summer days with slightly more Easterly breeze. Soils are deep brown clays with flecks of red ironstone.
The Shiraz fruit from here has imposing ripeness yet also expresses a tinge of dark spice and ferrous savouriness, something of a classic hallmark for Hunter reds.
The aromas express dense blackfruit compote, mixing the freshness of black cherry and blood plum in even unity, plus deeper aromatic swirls of rotundone, juniper, and black Ceylon tea; on the palate, Ripe Shiraz fruit again delivers a rich seamless balance of plum and cherry, soft already onto a long finish. This inky blackfruit core is harmonised with notes of fine oak spice and cedar, and the finish delivers equally harmonious hints of graphite and black chocolate laced with licorice.
The WCD Shiraz is a charmer with bold expression yet refined soft tannins. 3 to 5 years in the cellar would be ideal, or if drinking before then decant for early reward.
Drink: Now to 2032
Only 157 dozen made
Alc 13.5%
RRP | Pack | Club |
---|---|---|
$50.00 (AUD) | $45.00 (AUD) | $40.00 (AUD) |
$/Bottle | $/Bottle | $/Bottle |
Variety: 100% Shiraz
Region: Upper Hunter Valley
Vineyard: Norlana Vineyard
Tasting Note
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 style of Hunter Shiraz.
A swirl of lovely aromas open with concentrated inky black cherry, a delicious mix of cassis, kirsch and mineral, richly scented with floral touches of mulberry and violets.
Glossy mouth-filling flavours, tightly wound with delicious intensity, dark stone-fruit combining beautifully with notes of briar, eucalypt and white pepper. Powerful yet gentle tannins, tongue staining and central, flow around the primary Shiraz core with the softness and density of dark chocolate.
12 months in a large format 1500 litre French oak barrel combines the fruit and oak to deliver a seamless harmony, intense and deep like fine espresso coffee, with lasting notes of sandalwood, bay leaf and peppery licorice.
It greatly rewards decanting, 1 hour before drinking. Afterwards, this wine is amazing.
Wine Companion 96 points
Drink: Now – 2035
Limited Edition – only 162 dozen made
Technical Data
Alcohol: 13.0%
pH: 3.52
TA: 6.0
RRP | Pack | Club |
---|---|---|
$55.00 (AUD) | $49.50 (AUD) | $44.00 (AUD) |
$/Bottle | $/Bottle | $/Bottle |
Variety: 100% Shiraz
Region: Hunter Valley
Tasting Note
This is an elegant light dry red that embodies the historic 'HRB' style of the Hunter Valley wine region; this is a wine that is fresh and ready to enjoy, delightfully supple and juicy.
The nose fills with subtle cinnamon spice, lavender and rose petal, carrying onto the palate to add delicate layers over the lip-smacking red cherry flavour. Its deliciously approachable and easy to enjoy.
You can pour at room temperature or even chilled to enjoy with good food and company.
Drink: Now
Food Match: Pizza, BBQ, Pasta
RRP | Pack | Club |
---|---|---|
$28.00 (AUD) | $25.20 (AUD) | $22.40 (AUD) |
$/Bottle | $/Bottle | $/Bottle |
Variety: 100% Shiraz
Region: Upper Hunter Valley
Vineyard: Tawarri Vineyard
Tasting Note
A unique vineyard in the Hunter Valley at 460m above sea level, with fertile black earth soils and rich basalt, characterised by cool Summer nights and even a dusting of snow through the Winter months. The Shiraz vines are 28 years old producing fruit with ripe black flavours of impressive density.
A twinning of black and red fruits delivers aromas of lush blackberry with flashes of plum and raspberry. The cooler climate fresh eucalyptus and wild bramble notes of mint leaf and fresh aniseed add to the perfumed core of opulent black fruits.
The same concentration rules the palate from start to a very long finish: supple and velvety, energetic and fresh, with a combination of power and elegance. The abundant black fruits anchor the palate, blackberry and licorice, with a finer tannin foundation already satin soft and supple yet beautifully nuanced from 12 months in a large format French oak barrel, accenting notes of vanilla and cinnamon.
I recommend decanting, particularly until the 5th year in bottle, to amplify the Tawarri-site accents to their max.
Drink: Now – 2035
Limited Edition – only 193 dozen made
Technical Data
Alcohol: 13.5%
pH: 3.5
TA: 6.3
RRP | Pack | Club |
---|---|---|
$55.00 (AUD) | $55.00 (AUD) | $44.00 (AUD) |
$/Bottle | $/Bottle | $/Bottle |
Variety: Shiraz (99%) Viognier (1%)
Region: Hunter Valley
Tasting Notes
Dense crimson purple in colour.
Opening with bright aromas similar to the beautiful 2022 Kester, albeit with riper-black fruit density and depth. A shape-shifting bouquet that glides from fresh raspberry and plum through to black-cherry and cola, with brushstrokes of fresh herb. Aromas deepen to include fuller scents of black-liquorice and anise, with finer hints of cranberry. French oak sits quietly in the background giving ever-present subtle notes of sandalwood, cinnamon, and chamomile.
Black fruits dominate the palate, red-fruit energy contributes a bright lift and length with notes of pomegranate and sweet red-currant. Cola sits centrally with a glossy inky richness and fine depth, broadening to accents of black olive tapenade and aniseed. Already delivering a wonderfully integrated harmony of fruit and barrel, with interwoven characters of berry, spice and herb. Dark chocolate tannins underpin the ripe fruits with a lovely foundation, subtle hints of graphite and an elegant dryness like liquorice-dust, finishing with an espresso-like creaminess.
The Kester is very drinkable and enjoyable young, yet this wine always holds remarkably well in the cellar and improves greatly with age. My recommendation is to decant if drinking before 2030, or drink and enjoy anytime without the need to decant through to 2040.
Drink: Now to 2040+
Alcohol: 13.9%
pH: 3.52
RRP | Pack | Club |
---|---|---|
$80.00 (AUD) | $72.00 (AUD) | $64.00 (AUD) |
$/Bottle | $/Bottle | $/Bottle |
The Family Collection Range
Varieties: Shiraz 90 %, Viognier 10 %
Region: Hunter Valley
Vine Age: Vines planted in 1978
This wine is handmade for my wife Amanda, who loves aromatic and gentle reds.
Bright crimson-red with an almost opaque inky lustre, plus indigo-blue at the rim.
High levels of Viognier generate luxurious aromas, opening with refined and fragrances of jasmine to fuller notes of honeysuckle. With air these deepen to bolder scents of rose-petal and pot-pourri, together with hints of fresh gingerbread.
The bouquet combines this top-note floral brightness with an equally impressive heart of black-fruits, with a lovely equilibrium of sweet ripe blackberry and glace cherry. Fine French-oak adds another dimension as the aromas develop, intertwining spice-notes of vanilla and cinnamon.
Flavours are rich with ripe black fruits that deliver luxurious texture, deliciously long and lavish with gentle chocolatey softness. This inky back-cherry Shiraz core is bold yet gentle, the high co-ferment proportion of Viognier delivering subtle power with reserve and elegance. Satin-soft tannins harmonise the palate with velvet notes of smooth vanilla and macadamia, elements of Viognier simmer with a heady exotic expression.
As always, the essence and character of ‘The Wife’ is about aromatic boldness with gentle textures. It possesses an aspect of refined power, delivering sophisticated grace and finesse.
Drink : Now to 2040
Technical Data
Alcohol 13.8%
pH 3.52
RRP | Pack | Club |
---|---|---|
$80.00 (AUD) | $72.00 (AUD) | $64.00 (AUD) |
$/Bottle | $/Bottle | $/Bottle |
Variety: Shiraz, Viognier, Semillon
Region: Hunter Valley
Recolo ( Verb - latin) : 'I remember'
This fresh, inviting Rosé is worth remembering. First, there are the aromas, like crushed raspberries and rosewater; the flavours that follow are racy blood orange zest, cherry, pomegranate and watermelon. To finish there's a bead of red-grape texture and crunchy pink lady apple, enough to remind you that you're drinking a crisp, dry Rosé.
Pop in the fridge or ice bucket immediately and serve chilled. Drink tonight with good food and company.
Drink: Now.
Food Match: Chicken, pork belly, and salads.
Alcohol: 12.5%
pH: 3.3
RRP | Pack | Club |
---|---|---|
$25.00 (AUD) | $22.50 (AUD) | $20.00 (AUD) |
$/Bottle | $/Bottle | $/Bottle |