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STRIKING GOLD WITH VINEYARD SITES
17/1/2010
By John Fordham
Geologist John Davis has made a habit of discovering vineyard sites and extracting from them pots of vinous gold.
He planted his first vineyard almost three decades ago and later acquired The Robson Vineyard – originally established by Murray Robson - at the Hunter Valley’s Mount View, under the new canopy of Briar Ridge.
With talented winemakers like Neil McGuigan and Karl Stockhausen given rope to express their considerable creative talents, Briar Ridge’s future was in particularly sound hands.
In recent times, Davis has spread his viticultural wings through the purchase of Pepper Tree at Pokolbin - ironically once the home of another Robson venture and later owned by former newspaper czar James Fairfax - as well as drawing fruit from his vineyards at Orange, Coonawarra and Wrattonbully.
The 2007 recruitment of seasoned winemaker Jim Chatto saw Pepper Tree’s standing and success rise even more sharply.
Having cut his teeth at wineries in Tasmania, Yarra Valley, France and Hungary, Chatto kicked his biggest career goal last year when he was voted the Hunter Valley’s Winemaker of the Year.
Leading his charge were two splendid examples of the region’s flagship white variety: 2009 Alluvius Reserve Hunter Valley Semillon ($30) and 2009 Limited Release Hunter Valley Semillon ($22).
The classically-elegant Alluvius hails from a vineyard on Pokolbin’s Hermitage Road, the crisp and lively Limited Release a product of the owner’s holding at nearby Mount View.
On the red front, 2007 Coquun Reserve Hunter Valley Shiraz ($31) captures the fruit power of the region’s other varietal standard bearer.
Also sourced from Mount View, it delivers spicy, earthy flavours.
Tapping into the Orange region, Pepper Tree’s 2009 Venus Block Reserve Chardonnay showcases the striking appeal of high-altitude fruit, which enabled Chatto to craft a wine with intense melon/fig flavours and toasty complexity.
Chardonnay has been a big winner out Orange way and this humdinger will only enhance this rapidly-emerging region’s standing.
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2008 Peter Lehmann Layers Red ($16). This five variety blend is aptly named, delivering layers of soft, easy-drinking flavours running off the power of Barossa Valley shiraz.
2007 Whistler Shiraz ($29). A cracker of a wine from the Barossa Valley floor, with ripe berry flavours finishing soft and long that match previous excellent bottlings.
2008 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay ($34). Delicate and complex fruit-dominated Yarra Valley wine featuring an amazing amalgam of rich flavours.
The Sunday Telegraph, January 17, 2010