Lost in the Hunter.

This past week we were on the road in the hunter valley to pick up some retailers and couldn’t resist to do some wine tastings (when in Rome)…we stopped by the Hope Estate and tasted most if not all wines on their tastings menu –leaving us quite chatty with our sommelier. We must have spent two hours with the cellar door to our selves. After a few good laughs regarding friggats and funnypants (nevermind) we decided to buy a few bottles to take home with us…


Our Favorites:




HOPE Estate 2009 Chardonnay- The perfect chardonnay- a great balance

Hope state that the key to Chardonnay is complexity and balance and with their 2009 they nailed it. In our opinion the way Chardonnay is meant to taste!
Notes: 100% French oak barriques support the fruit flavours and lend subtle sweet nutty
oak integration. Lees ageing has accentuated the buttery malo characters.



Palate: Ripe nectarine, peach balanced by the fresh citrus and melon, with a nutty, creamy butterscotch finish. A little oak achieve a complex and full mouth feel with persistent flavours and a very long, crisp, refreshing finish.






HOPE Estate 2007 Ripper Shiraz- nutmeg pepper plums and chocolate….mmmm.

Don’t you just love a good shiraz on a cool winters night? Well to be honest I have a terrible soft spot for Shiraz on most nights.

The 'Ripper' Shiraz is grown at Hope Estate's 28 hectare vineyard at Donnybrook in the Geographe region of Western Australia. The shiraz grapes are crushed on the west coast and then transported by truck across the Nullabor Plains to the Hunter Valley on the east coast where they are fermented and bottle. The must is chilled for this three day roadtrip and arrives with amazing colour and tannin extraction. Tasting Notes



Notes: 30% French oak and 70% American oak
Fermentation and maturation for 12-15 months

Palate: Huge berry fruit, spicy nutmeg and chocolate characters fill the palate. The oak is well balanced with acidity leading to a long finish of persistent fruit, fine grained tannins and cool climate mint notes. A full bodied, warm wine.



*Might we add the Virgin Hills 2004, a very Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Malbec was exquisite and should not be missed. Well worth it for those seeking a wine experience beyond the famous Australian blockbuster reds, Virgin Hills is the next step...





So…if you are on a journey in the Hunter make sure you stop by the HOPE Estate for some good wine, a good chat, and did I mention a fantastic view? Also, it’s a prime music venue in the hunter with guests Dolly Parton and Elton John set to play this year.