Imbibe Christmas 2014

Cheers and Merry Christmas

along with a safe Happy New Year
from all of us...
Do you just LOVE dessert?
We have just opened La Glace Dessert Bar and Gourmet Produce
La Glace is the oldest and probably best confectionary in Denmark.
Founded in the middle of old Copenhagen in 1870. it has through
six generations delivered joy and quality to Copenhagen and its
visitors.
The owners of Hunter Valley Resort also have generations of Danish
heritage. Great grandparents, grandparents, and parents of the
current generation were all hoteliers in Copenhagen. And La Glace
was their favourite cafe growing up.
In the best of Danish tradition, please come in and visit La Glace
Dessert Bar at Hunter Valley Resort for the freshest Ice Creams,
Chocolate, Cakes, also local Jam & Olive oils, candles, soap, and of
course awesome organic coffee...

We have a new name for our brewery!

We now offer 12 craft brews on tap, to look at, to admire, and to
taste Regulars will be relieved to hear we continue to offer
our unique beer tasting paddle, and that we are still making
onsite our traditional Alcoholic Ginger Beer.
With the name change also comes a new blackboard menu and
a total refurbishment, which we hope you will agree is stunning.
So please stop by soon and check out our new craft brews and
facilities.

Hunter Valley Resort

ABN 89 003 384 307
Hermitage Road
Pokolbin NSW 2320
P: 02 49987777 ext 5
F: 02 49987787
wines@HunterResort.com.au
www.HunterResort.com.au

Whites

2012 Lisa McGuigan

THING SEMILLON

WILD

This Semillon is from the Hunter

Valley 2012 vintage, the perfect
region to grow Semillon. As the
name suggests wild yeast has
been used to ferment this wine,
which gives a slight fragrance of
'pong' but still retains crisp citrus
notes and lovely toasty characters.

2013 The Hel Family

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

A blend of 85% Hunter Semillon

and 15% Orange Sauvignon
Blanc made specially for Hele
Family reserve. Although only
15% Sauvignon Blanc , the
orange component of the wine
generates a fruity, slightly
textured wine with a truly
satisfying mouthfeel. The
Semillon of course provides a
lively citrus freshness to the
finish. A staff favourite.

2014 Polin & Polin Convicts &

Catholics Verdelho

2011 Polin & Polin Convicts &

Catholics Chardonnay

With colour of light straw, the wine

has an elegant nose of citrus and
melon backed with mineral
characteristics. The palate is soft,
crisp and fruity and is supported by
seductive acidity. Great structure
and length lead to a mouth
watering finish. A great wine for a
hot summer day sitting on the
deck. Drink now.

The 2011 chardonnay is the first

release in the Convicts &
Catholics range. The wine is in
the contemporary style being
more fruit forward and less
oaked than the chardonnays of
days gone by. Generous aromas
of melon and citrus and a light
crisp finish. Enjoy with your
favourite chicken or seafood
dish.

2013 Majors Lane Pinot Grigio

2012 Stormy Ridge Verdelho

These low yielding vines located

in the heart of Lovedale produce a
wine that fresh and vibrant. A hint
of citrus up the sides of the pallet
and tropical fruit flavours through
the middle. This gives the wine
beautiful complexity and clean
finish. Food match-: Antipasto
platter

An elegant wine with soft/creamy

lees texture and a long finish.
Full flavoured with citrus
dominant, lime and mineral with
a floral edge of elderflower. The
fruit weight and acidity are
beautifully balanced. Would work
particularly well with some late
afternoon seafood appetisers.

Reds

2009 Crisford Cabernet Franc,

Petit Verdot, Merlot
Neal Crisford hand crafts this
wine primarily from Cabernet
Franc grapes he grows on his
small Hermitage Road vineyard.
Aroma of plum, anise and cherry
with ripe black cherries on the
palate. Round and easy finishing
with firm soft tannins.
Two
glasses and a companion on the
veranda at sunset is all you
need. Well maybe add a fresh
pat de foie gras and lightly
toasted bread if you are hungry.

2012 Andrew Thomas - Two Of A

Kind Shiraz
The blend consists of Hunter Valley
Shiraz (38%) and McLaren Vale
Shiraz (62%). The dominance of
the McLaren Vale parcel in this
vintage shines through with intense,
fleshy, dark berry and plum like fruit,
which is nicely supported by the
vibrant red berry fruit, spice and
savoury texture from the Hunter
shiraz. This wine has the attributes
to cellar well over the next five to
ten years, yet its fruit intensity and
supple tannin structure make it
enjoyable in its youth, particularly
with food.

2013 Margan Family - SHIRAZ

Dark plum in colour this wine is
displaying ripe berries, hints of
black pepper and regional
earthiness typical of Hunter
Valley Shiraz. Palate length is
enhanced with subtle integration
of new and used oak which adds
complexity and depth to the
wine. Although drinking well now,
the firm tannin structure will
ensure this Shiraz will develop
further over the next 7-10 years.

2013 Lisa McGuigan Pinot Noir

Way to go Lisa! By popular demand,
Lisa McGuigan has supplied us with
our first Pinot Noir offering in years.
Translucent light garnet in colour
with Black Forrest Cake, fresh
mown hay and allspice on the nose.
Flavours of Morello cherries and
chocolate dominate the elegant
palate. Round and elegant, but no
light weight with firm chalky tannins
on the finish. Made in the Hunter

2013 Majors Lane Wines

Peppercorn Block Shiraz
Another cracker by Elvis at
Majors Lane! A bit deeper than
the 2011. Medium red colour
with bright crimson meniscus.
Deep aroma of leather
Ch e s t e rf i e l d co u c h wi t h
molasses and dried plum.
Complex palate of blackcurrent
and gingerbread dominant on
the palate. Pronounced green
peppercorn.

2013 Margan Family Merlot

Thank you Andrew and family.
Another easy drinker. Hunter Merlot
is different: lighter, more elegant
and tightly structured than those
from other regions. Medium
crimson in colour with earthy black
liquorice and truffle nose reveal
fresh red cherries on the palate.
Nice finish with firm acidity. This
wine is a natural match with many
foods.

For reservations, please go to www.hunterresort.com.au

or call one of our friendly reservation team on 02 49987777
Remember to mention you are an Imbibe Member to receive
your special 10% discount on the above packages...

For reservations, please go to www.hunterresort.com.au

or call one of our friendly reservation team on 02 49987777
Remember to mention you are an Imbibe Member to receive
your special 10% discount on the above packages...

Wild thing... you make my heart sing...

Welcome Lisa McGuigan WinesGrowing up less than a
kilometre from our cellar door, Lisa McGuigan, was born with
the Hunter running through her veins. As a fourth generation
winemaker, Lisa has put all her passion into her new brand,
Lisa McGuigan Wines. Sourcing fruit from the best regions
in Australia, her wines are made her in the Valley in close
collaboration with her good friend, former Hunter Winemaker
of the Year, Liz Jackson. In recent times by far the majority
of Hunter Valley wines are made using an inoculated cultured
yeast strain - the advantage being a more consistent and
predictable outcome. However, some winemakers have
recently been challenging themselves and crafting some truly
premium wines using the more traditional method of allowing
naturally occurring wild yeast to ferment the juice. The Lisa
McGuigan Wild Thing Semillon is one of these wines. The
Semillon has undoubtedly a different flavour profile to most
other Semillons produced in the region. The wine has a funky
yeasty aroma and when tasting the Wild Thing you may
notice a juicy, slightly more textured Semillon, yet the wine
still retains a citrus finish and refreshing acids. The use of
wild yeast is often seen as being slightly risky. The increased
complexity generated make for an interesting tasting
experience and point of difference at a time when many are
seeking a wine made with a minimal interventionist approach.

Tim the Chef - Cider glazed Christmas Ham

1 Leg ham (bone in ham)

2 stubbies of dirty granny apple cider
250ml honey
125ml apple cider vinegar
60gm Dijon mustard
25gms butter
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Method
Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score the surface of the ham,
making diamond shapes 1cm. Cover and bake at 140 for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the cider, honey, vinegar and
mustard; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes,
stirring frequently. Stir in the butter, chili powder and allspice. Set aside
250ml for serving. Cook the remaining sauce until thickened; spoon over
ham. Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes longer Warm reserved sauce; serve
with ham.

To Breathe or Not to Breathe Part 2

(Part 1 in our last newsletter; Call Bill if you want him to send it to you!)

Last time we determined that each wine is unique in regard to how long it should
breathe. Not to mention the wine drinker! Consequently, sometimes aeration is a
good idea and sometimes it is not. In fact, unless we pierce the closure and sip the
wine quickly through a straw, all wine will receive some aeration, e.g. when it is
poured into the glass. Additional aeration is provided by drinkers who swirl their
wines. So the real question is not whether to let a wine breathe or not, rather what
amount of aeration is appropriate. This will vary from wine to wine and drinker to
drinker. Despite the nonexistence of general rules, if we better understand what is
going on when we aerate wine we can make better judgments about how much is
best in each case.
In his master class several years ago, Georg Riedel explained why decanting can
improve the flavour of young wines. As CO2 is one of the products of fermentation,
there is a fair amount of dissolved CO2 in wine. Dissolved in liquid, CO2 becomes
carbonic acid. Especially in wines sealed with a screw cap, the CO2 remains in the
wine until it is opened. Riedel postulated that releasing the CO2 lowers the acidity,
making the fruit flavours of the wine to shine through. Wine contains a variety of
acids, tartaric, malic and citric to name a few. These are all naturally present in
fruit. Carbonic acid is not a fruit acid, however. Thus I further surmise that releasing
CO2 from the wine allows its fruit flavour to come to the fore.
Back to the original question: Does letting it breathe improve wines aroma, flavour
and texture? In my experience at the cellar door most wines do not smell or taste
their best immediately upon opening. Some wine has unpleasant aromas that
dissipate soon after the wine is open. Some wine is closed, and it takes a while
before it opens up expressing their full aroma and flavour. However, all wine
eventually degrades with exposure to air. First it goes a bit flat. Then it smells
oxidised, in other words porty or madierised. Left exposed to air long enough
and you will be left with vinegar. And every wine differs insofar as how long the
process takes. I have consumed Semllioneven aged Semillonthat tasted better
two hours after decantation. Some of the reds available at the cellar door taste
better 24 hours after opening. I remember one fully mature ten-year-old Hunter
Shiraz that once decanted was beautiful for about twenty minutes whereupon it
degraded quickly thereafter. One way to find out is to ask someone familiar with
the wine. And you can always suck it and see. In general, if a wine tastes too
acidic right from the bottle then try decanting it. If it is still too acidic, swirl it a bit.
And of course remember what may be criticised as harsh acidity by one may be
praised as fresh crispness by another.
Be careful not to overdo it. I have even seen advocates of using a kitchen blender
to aerate wine... If you put a wine in the blender and it comes out flat and lifeless
you can never undo the process and revive it! I never use any means of aeration
more vigourous that a swirl in the decanter. Sometimes aeration makes the wine
taste different, but not necessarily better or worse. I have experienced wine that
evolved in the glass for several hours whilst we swirled and smelled it. Having the
patience to observe wine evolving over the night is one of the true pleasures of
imbibing.
Bill Herfel Our very knowledgeable Cellarmaster!

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Mail to: Hunter Valley Resort, Corner Hermitage Road & Mistletoe Lane, Pokolbin 2320
Email to: wines@HunterResort.com.au
Phone: 02 49987777 ext 5 Fax: 02 49987787