Established back in 1967 as a boutique estate in the Hunter Valley, Hungerford Hill has been owned by the Kirby family of the well-known James N Kirby engineering business since 2002. They’ve overseen the wineries growth into a multi-regional wine-making operation now embracing not only the Hunter, but NSW’s Tumbarumba, Gundagai, Hilltops and Orange regions.
Grown as it has, it has stuck by its boutique estate philosophies, and just recently under its Classic series label released a Gundagai Shiraz, a Hilltops Cabernet and an Orange Merlot from the 2013 vintage.
The 2013 Classic Gundagai Shiraz is an elegant, medium to full-bodied wine that reflects just how well this variety does in the warm temperate Gundagai climate at around 200 to 300m altitude on the NSW side of the border with Victoria.
With typically varietal dark fruit and black pepper notes it’s one to pair-up with Asian pork spareribs or Peking Duck, or with barbecued honey/chilli marinated steaks.
One to note: If you enjoy a bubbly anytime because, let’s face it, you just like the flavour and the sensation of bubbles, Spain’s Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut is one to consider always having a bottle of in fridge or cellar.
This is one of the largest-selling sparkling wines in the world and officially a Cava – a wine made to the traditional Methode Champenoise. A blend of Parellada, Macabeo and Xarel-lo white grapes it was fermented for 10 to 12 days, racked and clarified, and then bottled for secondary fermentation in the bottle.
With flavours of green and citrus fruits and nice Mediterranean aromas in the glass, this is a bubbly with loads of sparkle and more-ish-ness about it. Well priced too at $16 to just drink and enjoy on its own, or to share with friends over a late-morning Sunday brunch of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, or Quiche Lorraine.
