imbibe newsletter christmas 2014

8/10/2019 Imbibe Newsletter Christmas 2014

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We have a new name for our brewery!

We now offer 12 craft brews on tap, to look at, to admire, and to

taste Regulars will be relieved to hear we continue to offer

our unique beer tasting paddle, and that we are still making

onsite ourtraditional Alcoholic Ginger Beer.

With the name change also comes a new blackboard menu and

a total refurbishment, which we hope you will agree is stunning.

So please stop by soon and check out our new craft brews and

facilities.

Cheers and Merry Christmas

along with a safe Happy New Yearfrom all of us...

Imbibe Christmas 2014

Do you just LOVE dessert?

We have just opened La Glace Dessert Bar and Gourmet Produce

La Glace is the oldest and probably best confectionary in Denmark.Founded in the middle of old Copenhagen in 1870. it has throughsix generations delivered joy and quality to Copenhagen and its

visitors.

The owners of Hunter Valley Resort also have generations of Danishheritage. Great grandparents, grandparents, and parents of thecurrent generation were all hoteliers in Copenhagen. And La Glacewas their favourite cafe growing up.

In the best of Danish tradition, please come in and visit La GlaceDessert Bar at Hunter Valley Resort for the freshest Ice Creams,Chocolate, Cakes, also local Jam & Olive oils, candles, soap, and of

course awesome organic coffee...

Hunter Valley ResortABN 89 003 384 307Hermitage RoadPokolbin NSW 2320P: 02 49987777 ext 5F: 02 [email protected]


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Whites 2012 Lisa McGuigan WILD

THING SEMILLON

This Semillon is from the HunterValley 2012 vintage, the perfect

region to grow Semillon. As thename suggests wild yeast hasbeen used to ferment this wine,which gives a slight fragrance of'pong' but still retains crisp citrusnotes and lovely toasty characters.

2013 The Hel Family -Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

A blend of 85% Hunter Semillonand 15% Orange SauvignonBlanc made specially for Hele

Family reserve. Although only15% Sauvignon Blanc , theorange component of the winegenerates a fruity, slightlytextured wine with a trulysatisfying mouthfeel. TheSemillon of course provides alively citrus freshness to thefinish. A staff favourite.

2014 Polin & Polin Convicts &Catholics Verdelho

With colour of light straw, the winehas an elegant nose of citrus andmelon backed with mineralcharacteristics. The palate is soft,crisp and fruity and is supported byseductive acidity. Great structureand length lead to a mouthwatering finish. A great wine for ahot summer day sitting on thedeck. Drink now.

2011 Polin & Polin Convicts &Catholics Chardonnay

The 2011 chardonnay is the firstrelease in the Convicts &Catholics range. The wine is inthe contemporary style beingmore fruit forward and lessoaked than the chardonnays ofdays gone by. Generous aromasof melon and citrus and a lightcrisp finish. Enjoy with yourfavourite chicken or seafooddish.

2013 Majors Lane Pinot Grigio

These low yielding vines locatedin the heart of Lovedale produce awine that fresh and vibrant. A hintof citrus up the sides of the palletand tropical fruit flavours throughthe middle. This gives the winebeautiful complexity and cleanfinish. Food match-: Antipastoplatter

2012 Stormy Ridge Verdelho

An elegant wine with soft/creamylees texture and a long finish.Full flavoured with citrusdominant, lime and mineral witha floral edge of elderflower. Thefruit weight and acidity arebeautifully balanced. Would workparticularly well with some lateafternoon seafood appetisers.


3/8

Reds

2009 Crisford Cabernet Franc,Petit Verdot, Merlot

Neal Crisford hand crafts this

wine primarily from Cabernet

Franc grapes he grows on his

small Hermitage Road vineyard.Aroma of plum, anise and cherry

with ripe black cherries on the

palate. Round and easy finishing

with firm soft tannins. Two

glasses and a companion on the

veranda at sunset is all you

need. Well maybe add a fresh

pat de foie gras and lightlytoasted bread if you are hungry.

2012 Andrew Thomas - Two Of AKind ShirazThe blend consists of Hunter ValleyShiraz (38%) and McLaren ValeShiraz (62%). The dominance ofthe McLaren Vale parcel in this

vintage shines through with intense,fleshy, dark berry and plum like fruit,which is nicely supported by thevibrant red berry fruit, spice andsavoury texture from the Huntershiraz. This wine has the attributesto cellar well over the next five toten years, yet its fruit intensity andsupple tannin structure make it

enjoyable in its youth, particularlywith food.

2013 Margan Family - SHIRAZDark plum in colour this wine isdisplaying ripe berries, hints ofblack pepper and regionalearthiness typical of HunterValley Shiraz. Palate length is

enhanced with subtle integrationof new and used oak which addscomplexity and depth to thewine. Although drinking well now,the firm tannin structure willensure this Shiraz will developfurther over the next 7-10 years.

2013 Lisa McGuigan Pinot Noir

Way to go Lisa! By popular demand,

Lisa McGuigan has supplied us with

our first Pinot Noir offering in years.

Translucent light garnet in colour

with Black Forrest Cake, freshmown hay and allspice on the nose.

Flavours of Morello cherries and

chocolate dominate the elegant

palate. Round and elegant, but no

light weight with firm chalky tannins

on the finish. Made in the Hunter

2013 Majors Lane Wines

Peppercorn Block ShirazAnother cracker by Elvis at

Majors Lane! A bit deeper than

the 2011. Medium red colour

with bright crimson meniscus.

Deep aroma of leather

Chesterf ield couch with

molasses and dried plum.

Complex palate of blackcurrentand gingerbread dominant on

the palate. Pronounced green

peppercorn.

2013 Margan Family Merlot

Thank you Andrew and family.

Another easy drinker. Hunter Merlot

is different: lighter, more elegant

and tightly structured than those

from other regions. Medium

crimson in colour with earthy black

liquorice and truffle nose reveal

fresh red cherries on the palate.

Nice finish with firm acidity. This

wine is a natural match with many

foods.


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For reservations, please go to www.hunterresort.com.au

or call one of our friendly reservation team on 02 49987777Remember to mention you are an Imbibe Member to receive

your special 10% discount on the above packages...


5/8

For reservations, please go to www.hunterresort.com.au

or call one of our friendly reservation team on 02 49987777Remember to mention you are an Imbibe Member to receive

your special 10% discount on the above packages...


6/8

Wild thing... you make my heart sing...

Tim the Chef - Cider glazed Christmas Ham

1 Leg ham (bone in ham) 2 stubbies of dirty granny apple cider 250ml honey 125ml apple cider vinegar 60gm Dijon mustard 25gms butter 2 teaspoons chili powder 1/2 teaspoon allspice

Method

Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score the surface of the ham,

making diamond shapes 1cm. Cover and bake at 140 for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the cider, honey, vinegar and

mustard; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes,

stirring frequently. Stir in the butter, chili powder and allspice. Set aside

250ml for serving. Cook the remaining sauce until thickened; spoon over

ham. Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes longer Warm reserved sauce; serve

with ham.

Welcome Lisa McGuigan WinesGrowing up less than akilometre from our cellar door, Lisa McGuigan, was born withthe Hunter running through her veins. As a fourth generationwinemaker, Lisa has put all her passion into her new brand,Lisa McGuigan Wines. Sourcing fruit from the best regions

in Australia, her wines are made her in the Valley in closecollaboration with her good friend, former Hunter Winemakerof the Year, Liz Jackson. In recent times by far the majorityof Hunter Valley wines are made using an inoculated culturedyeast strain - the advantage being a more consistent andpredictable outcome. However, some winemakers haverecently been challenging themselves and crafting some trulypremium wines using the more traditional method of allowingnaturally occurring wild yeast to ferment the juice. The LisaMcGuigan Wild Thing Semillon is one of these wines. The

Semillon has undoubtedly a different flavour profile to mostother Semillons produced in the region. The wine has a funkyyeasty aroma and when tasting the Wild Thing you maynotice a juicy, slightly more textured Semillon, yet the winestill retains a citrus finish and refreshing acids. The use ofwild yeast is often seen as being slightly risky. The increasedcomplexity generated make for an interesting tastingexperience and point of difference at a time when many areseeking a wine made with a minimal interventionist approach.


7/8

To Breathe or Not to Breathe Part 2(Part 1 in our last newsletter; Call Bill if you want him to send it to you!)

Last time we determined that each wine is unique in regard to how long it shouldbreathe. Not to mention the wine drinker! Consequently, sometimes aeration is agood idea and sometimes it is not. In fact, unless we pierce the closure and sip thewine quickly through a straw, all wine will receive some aeration, e.g. when it ispoured into the glass. Additional aeration is provided by drinkers who swirl their

wines. So the real question is not whether to let a wine breathe or not, rather whatamount of aeration is appropriate. This will vary from wine to wine and drinker todrinker. Despite the nonexistence of general rules, if we better understand what isgoing on when we aerate wine we can make better judgments about how much isbest in each case.

In his master class several years ago, Georg Riedel explained why decanting canimprove the flavour of young wines. As CO2is one of the products of fermentation,there is a fair amount of dissolved CO2 in wine. Dissolved in liquid, CO2 becomescarbonic acid. Especially in wines sealed with a screw cap, the CO2 remainsin the

wine until it is opened. Riedel postulated that releasing the CO2 lowers the acidity,making the fruit flavours of the wine to shine through. Wine contains a variety ofacids, tartaric, malic and citric to name a few. These are all naturally present infruit. Carbonic acid is not a fruit acid, however. Thus I further surmise that releasingCO2from the wine allows its fruit flavour to come to the fore.

Back to the original question: Does letting it breathe improve wines aroma, flavourand texture? In my experience at the cellar door most wines do not smell or tastetheir best immediately upon opening. Some wine has unpleasant aromas thatdissipate soon after the wine is open. Some wine is closed, and it takes a while

before it opens up expressing their full aroma and flavour. However, all wineeventually degrades with exposure to air. First it goes a bit flat. Then it smellsoxidised, in other words porty or madierised. Left exposed to air long enoughand you will be left with vinegar. And every wine differs insofar as how long theprocess takes. I have consumed Semllioneven aged Semillonthat tasted bettertwo hours after decantation. Some of the reds available at the cellar door tastebetter 24 hours after opening. I remember one fully mature ten-year-old HunterShiraz that once decanted was beautiful for about twenty minutes whereupon itdegraded quickly thereafter. One way to find out is to ask someone familiar withthe wine. And you can always suck it and see. In general, if a wine tastes too

acidic right from the bottle then try decanting it. If it is still too acidic, swirl it a bit.And of course remember what may be criticised as harsh acidity by one may bepraised as fresh crispness by another.

Be careful not to overdo it. I have even seen advocates of using a kitchen blenderto aerate wine... If you put a wine in the blender and it comes out flat and lifelessyou can never undo the process and revive it! I never use any means of aerationmore vigourous that a swirl in the decanter. Sometimes aeration makes the winetaste different, but not necessarily better or worse. I have experienced wine thatevolved in the glass for several hours whilst we swirled and smelled it. Having the

patience to observe wine evolving over the night is one of the true pleasures ofimbibing.

Bill Herfel Our very knowledgeable Cellarmaster!


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