Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A seamless wine that's very refined, elegant and gently profound, this has a pristine red- and dark-fruited nose that also shows some licorice and gentle spices. Bright, fine tannins frame a juicy, long-term wine. Effortless power; this will live for a very long time. Best from 2025.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Vat 9 Hunter Shiraz is silky and fine, succulent and alive. It is populated by fruit that has not yet begun its descent into old age; it is fresh, supple and superb. This is an impressive wine, gorgeous. 14% alcohol. Rating: 94+
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Wine & Spirits
Bloody Hunter shiraz, this wine’s tart flavors taste of wild fruits and crisp herbs. Though the structure may be lean, there’s plush density to the tannins, filling out the fruit with gentleness and lengthening the flavor.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Most admired for citrus-driven, mineral-rich and often age-worthy Semillon wines, Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions and was home to its very first commercial vineyards. The region’s warm summer nights coupled with autumn cloud cover and cool sea breezes allow full ripening and healthy acidity levels for Semillon; its diverse soils of volcanic basalt and white alluvial sands promote the development of Semillon’s delicate aromas. Hunter Valley Semillons can certainly be enjoyed in their youth but with 10 to 20 years in the cellar, the best examples develop intriguing notes of honey, browned butter and roasted nuts.
Chardonnay and Shiraz also do well in Hunter Valley.