7 minute read
Pumping Latin-blooded wines in the Hunter’s veins
The Hunter Valley - internationally recognized and renowned for its unique expression of Shiraz and Semillon, but with increasingly hotter vintages on the agenda, winemakers are increasingly interested in producing hardy Spanish and Italian varieties here. So far the results would make the most Latin-blooded proud.
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Anumber of Hunter Valley winemakers have joined together to showcase their wines to the trade and press, aptly named #huntergathering. During the latest gathering, one subject that stood out during discussions was the eagerness to experiment with alternative varietals, most notably those with their origins in Spain and Italy. Why? Well, the Hunter Valley has always been an abnormally hot region to grow vines. This has served the region well because its unique climate conditions produce spectacular long, living Semillons, that with age, exhibit honey, butter and nutty characters and flavours that are revered around the world. Then there is the Hunter interpretation of Shiraz, earthy, tannic, long-lived and known for its unique aroma and palate of ‘sweaty saddles’ brought on from the humid conditions and significant rainfall the region often experiences during the growing season. But the region is getting hotter, and for the past three years its average levels of rainfall has plummeted. New South Wales and Australia recorded the hottest January-May mean temperatures since records began. We are experiencing global warming and wine regions are desperately doing whatever they can to mitigate and adapt to the changing climatic conditions. The Hunter is no exception.
Enter the tough skinned, heat and drought resistant varieties of La Mancha in Spain and central and southern Italy. The Hunter Valley was one of the first regions to experiment with Pinot Grigio. As an area unsuitable for Sauvignon Blanc, and not having a wine that was competing in a market consumed by its love affair with the acidic bright and zesty style, some producers gave Pinot Grigio a crack.
David Hook of David Hook wines says back when they first started to produce Pinot Grigio commercially they couldn’t have predicted it would become the next big white variety. The Hunter Valley can claim to have the oldest commercial Pinot Grigio vines. Suddenly a
Andrew Margan
seed was sewn for the benefits of experimenting with varieties that suit the Hunter’s climate.
“When we first produced Pinot Grigio commercially we couldn’t sell it at Cellar Door, now it’s our biggest selling white wine by far,” Hook says.
Hook also produces Barbera and has done for the past 15 years. “Barbara has found a nice home in the Hunter because of its thick skin and it doesn’t mind the heat, it keeps its acid well too,” he says.
Other varieties that have been produced in the Hunter for the past decade or so include the Tuscan Sangiovese, Piedmont’s Nebbiolo and Spain’s ubiquitous Tempranillo, but recently winemakers are really pushing the alternative barrow even further and cultivating the likes of Sagrantino, Pecorino, Fiano, Montepulciano and Vermentino from Italy, the latter more in the Upper Hunter where it is cooler, and Albarino and Verdelho from Spain.
Mike de Iulius is a champion for this movement and has produced two vintages of Fiano, one in 2017 and another from the latest vintage.
“There is some great potential for Fiano in the Hunter, with the longer, hotter summers, it is a variety that is well suited to extreme heat. It holds is acidity well and it is also quite thick-skinned making it disease resistant,” he says.
“We have also been growing Montepulciano for a number of years. It can be a bit of a challenge to get ripe in the Hunter and requires a lot of attention in the vineyard. At this stage we are only playing with a small amount – 300 vines – which gives us about 50 or so dozen, so we haven’t been producing it commercially yet.”
McWilliams’ Mount Pleasant winemaker, Adrian Sparks, has produced a Fiano and a Tempranillo Touriga blend but has also recently planted Mencia, Sagrantino and Vermentino.
Sparks says at Mount Pleasant they have planted Mencia and Sagrantino because they are thickskinned and he says “almost bullet proof” but late ripening, which can be tough in the Hunter. He says they have planted three quarters of an acre each and will tend to those vines carefully to gauge how the fruit performs.
This tactic worked well with Fiano, which they have now produced for the past four vintages, and sell in small volumes at cellar door.
“The Fiano appeals to the Chardonnay drinker due to its acidity and great structure,” says Sparks.
Pecorino is one to watch. It was recently released for planting after being presented last year by Chalmers Nursery as a variety that has all the characteristics to perform well in the Hunter. At the tasting it was the stand out wine. David Hook says this Italian white has a real chance to be a significant player in the Hunter. Pecorino is from Marche in eastern Italy and is early ripening which suits the Hunter perfectly. It is also resistant to powdery and downy mildews so would cope well with the Hunter’s notorious humidity. The wines are dry and minerally, fresh and zesty, with herbal notes. On release it was taken on by three Hunter producers, including Suzanne and Ian Little from The Little Wine Company. Suzanne Little says she will plant a small amount in Spring for first vintage release in 2021. “It’s exciting. You basically take a punt. They are not tried and tested but it is choosing a variety drinks trade|57
for climatic consideration in its purest form.” Little says, as a white, Pecorino shows a crunchiness, and a texture and flavour, that doesn’t compete with the light and lean Hunter Valley Semillon. Could Pecorino be the next big white for the Hunter?
Little said when they established The Little Wine Company 20 years ago they kicked off with Sangiovese because they didn’t feel in a position to compete with the big players’ Shiraz and Semillon. This punt has served them well; now they have broadened their portfolio to Tempranillo, Barbera and Vermentino. The Little Wine Company’s first vintage of Albarino will be released in 2020.
“Tempranillo is easy for the Hunter, it’s supposed to be an early ripener and although it doesn’t ripen too early here it isn’t too late either. Barbera is another good one for us,” says Little.
Little also agrees these varieties are a great insurance policy. When they had what she calls a ‘shabby’ vintage in 2012, they couldn’t pick any of the Shiraz but the Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Barbera performed well.
Hunter stalwart, Andrew Margan of Margan Wines, has also been commercially producing alternative Spanish and Italian varieties such as Albarino and Barbera, while also blending the Hunter’s classic Shiraz with Mourvedre and three ways with Tempranillo and Graciano. He says the change is a result of winemakers in the Hunter having more access to these varieties in recent years but says there are many that are not yet available here.
Andrew Margan
“There are lots of reasons why many, never planted before, varieties can make even better wines than some of the traditional varieties. A warming climate is changing acid levels, ripening times and vintage compaction.”
He says a changing consumer market wants lower, alcohol, more elegant flavours and different tastes.
“Alternative varieties with slower ripening windows, higher acids at ripeness and different palate structures can deliver on many levels.
“Albarino and Barbera are both high acid varieties that allow for lower alcohol, ripe flavoured wines with good natural acidity. We were the first in the Hunter Valley to plant both these varieties and have a high opinion of the wines being made from both of them.”
The Hunter Valley will continue to concentrate on what they do well with Shiraz and Semillon, but the winemakers agree, it is good to engage consumers who are looking for something different with the Hunter Valley brand.
“We need to be looking forward. We are one of the few regions known for two varietals. We need to respect that, but we also need to look at what will work for us in 20 years.
“We have to try new things to see what works and as a region we work together on that,” said Sparks.
