Hungerford Hill, established in 1967 is renowned as one of the Hunter’s older wine brands with ‘family’ lying at the heart of the journey. Throughout its 50 + year journey Hungerford Hill has experienced the joys of being family-owned and run, along with the ups and downs of ownership under a giant corporation, before being returned a family-based ownership from 2002.
With over 50 vintages under its belt and with veteran NSW specialist Bryan Currie in the cellar with over 20 years in crafting local wine, we are excited to share the latest releases from Hungerford Hill with a more extensive and technical insight into these wines below.
Hungerford Hills New Releases
2021 Tumbarumba Sauvignon Blanc.
We are excited to see this wine back in stock after 18 months!
Vineyard(s): Single Vineyard wine off 40+ year old vines in the Reeve Vineyard, one of the pioneer vineyards of the region.
Vintage summary: Cool Vintage.
Ferment: Combination of Stainless steel with a small portion of new barrel fermented for three months.
Tasting note: Fleshy, aromatic and well balanced. This new release reflects the cooler vintage with racy acidity complementing the citrus and passionfruit flavours. And with a small portion fermented in barrel to build texture, this sauvignon blanc is a winner for the warmer months ahead (that’s right folks…Spring is en route!).
2021 Hilltops Fiano
Vineyard(s): Fruit for this wine is purchased from Grove Estate in Hilltops, NSW with Bryan having worked with this grower for over 20 years.
Vintage summary: Cool Vintage.
Ferment: Stainless steel.
Tasting note: Cool climate Fiano that is picked late and displays attractive aromas of citrus and orange blossom. Fermented on solids, the palate is full of personality with apricots, orange blossom and honeydew melon enveloped by rich, rounded texture that’s fresh and balanced.
2021 Tumbarumba Pinot Gris
Vineyard(s): The original vineyard site burnt down in the fires of 2020. Fruit for this vintage was purchased from a grower that Bryan has a strong relationship with, and continued supply has been locked in for the foreseeable future.
Vintage summary: Cool Vintage that thankfully escaped hail.
Ferment: Stainless steel. Pressings were barrel fermented and blended back into the wine to build texture.
Tasting note: Superbly made with nuances of citrus, mineral and tinned pears. The body is rich and complex with a touch of Botrytis creating a distinct style. With the pressings barrel fermented and blended back into the wine, this Gris has heaps of texture with flavours of Pear juice and lavender persisting to the finish. True to the style Gris embodies, luscious with great viscosity & mouthfeel.
2020 Hunter Valley Shiraz
Vineyard(s): All Estate grown fruit with grapes handpicked from three vineyards.
1. Sweetwater vineyard lies on Red ‘Terra Rossa’ Soils and produces exceptional Shiraz and Cabernet, great length, purity of fruit with very measured acidity.
2. Dalwood vineyard comprises of exceptional Chardonnay and Semillon grown on sandy loam. This vineyard produces the lighter red fruited wines for this cuvee.
3. Hungerford Hill’s St Vernay is a heavier dense red soil type producing full bodied fruit for the richer component of this wines.
Vintage summary: A drought year comprising of low yields with highly concentrated fruit. Due to the bushfires of 2020, all vineyards where tested, by sending off small 20kg parcels of fruit were sent off to ensure only great parcels were used to make this year’s vintage of which Hungerford Hill was very lucky to escape.
Ferment: Mixture of open and closed fermenters with the wine seeing 21 days on skins. Wine was pressed off to barrel and underwent full Malolactic fermentation. 15% new oak was used with the wine aged for 14 months in barrel.
Tasting note: Dark and broody, this hunter Shiraz explodes from your glass with blackfruit and hints of new oak aromas. The palate is ripe, concentrated and rich with good depth. A warming spice carries through to the finish with chewy earthy tannins lingering on.
Reviews/Scores: ‘A dark and youthful purple in the glass, a really lovely colour. Aromas of blueberry, violets, pot-pourri, anise and earthiness. A lovely palate, mid-weight, blue fruits, coffee grounds, graphite, layered and long. The tannins are firm and shapely, the length, texture and mouthfeel very complex and impressive 21 JUL 2021. 95/100 – 5 stars. Ranked #1 of 49 2020 Shiraz from Australia – Aaron Brasher.
Interested in trying the Hungerford Hill range or would like to receive more information about the wines? We’d love to hear from you.