As one of Australia's oldest and premier wine regions, some of the nation's most innovative wines are created from this truly unique region. The Hunter Valley Wine Show celebrates wines that uphold these attributes as one of Australia's leading wine shows.
We've put together this selection that either won a trophy or medal from the most recent show, ready to be enjoyed these holidays.
2019 Blueberry Hill Connoisseur Shiraz
This medium-bodied, bright red wine has a robust nose filled with black and red fruits, with a hint of oak in the background. This is followed by a generous palate of black forest fruits, with a lovely weight and soft tannins balanced by a juicy, natural acidity. Pairs nicely with a cheese platter or a roast leg of lamb.
Winemaker Liz Silkman says: "A beautiful, traditional, soft Hunter Valley shiraz, which pairs perfectly with cheese or shines on its own."
RRP $50 | Drink to 2024 | Find out more.
2021 Briar Ridge The Dam Verdelho
Receiving a silver medal at the Hunter Valley Wine Show, this wine expresses red apple, guava and passionfruit notes. Its natural high acidity offers a thirst-quenching finish, and is an overall balanced and refined version of the infamous Portuguese varietal.
Winemaker Alex Beckett says: "This verdelho is made to be packed full of flavour and to be enjoyed as soon as you can get your hands on some!"
RRP $25 | Drink to 2025 | Find out more.
2021 Brokenwood Semillon
Emanating lovely florals and lemongrass, this wine has mouth-filling flavours of pear and lemon pith, balanced by its zesty acidic backbone. Similar to its 2020 counterpart, it is slightly richer in style and has a more vibrant colour than usual due to the warm year.
Winemaker Stuart Hordern says: "A classic young Hunter semillon, this unoaked style shows fresh lime juice and lemon grass flavours with great purity and length. Served ice cold on a blue sky day with a dozen oysters, a bowl of prawns or sashimi. Unbeatable."
RRP $28 | Drink to 2030 | Find out more.
2019 LDR Vineyard Shiraz Touriga
This wine has vibrant aromatics of cherry spice, earthiness and potpourri with smaller boysenberry, plum and blackcurrant characters. Its ripe red plum and juicy blackberry palate frame the soft mouthfeel of fine-grained and well-integrated tannin structure. Pair alongside crispy-skinned duck with pepperberry and raspberry sauce, roasted beetroot and brussel sprouts.
Winemaker Michael De Luliis says: "These vines were planted on the heavy clay soils on our family Lovedale Road vineyard in 2008. This unique blend of 80% shiraz gives lifted and vibrant floral fruit characters with savoury Hunter regional structure and 20% touriga nacional which adds structure and complexity to the finished wine."
RRP $40 | Drink to 2030 | Find out more.
2014 Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon
Expresses intense citrus and lemongrass in combination with its bottle age characters including lanolin and toast on the nose. The concentrated lemon and lime with beautiful acidity lead the palate, showcasing its amazing length and age.
Winemaker Adrian Sparks says: "Lovedale Semillon is a true icon of the Hunter Valley, demonstrated with the awarding of the Iain Riggs’ Wine of Provence Trophy at the 2021 Hunter Valley Wine Show. The late Maurice O'Shea planted the Lovedale vineyard in 1946 with incredible foresight, recognising that the unique structure of the land and the surrounding environment would deliver the tightness and acidity for world-class Semillon."
RRP $70 | Drink to 2030 | Find out more.
2018 Pepper Tree Coquun Shiraz
Winning gold at the Hunter Valley Wine Show, this shiraz is medium bodied, with a red fruit and complex spice vibrancy. This is offset by fine tannins and subtle oak handling, with a great length and longevity. Perhaps pair with a barbecue scotch fillet.
Winemaker Gwyn Olsen says: "Hunter shiraz is the perfect combination of medium density, ripe red fruits, complex spice and fine tannins. It is more about focusing on the fruit with oak maturation playing a supporting role. We prefer wines to speak of their sense of place ensuring the fruit is front and centre rather than any winemaking interplay."
RRP $90 | Drink to 2041 | Find out more.
