WITH a mere five hectares of vines Adam and Alexys Elbourne's Marrowbone Road, Pokolbin, vineyard regularly manages to match it with bigger producers in Hunter wine awards.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That was recently demonstrated in the 2021 Hunter Valley Wine Show when the Elbourne 2019 HAE Shiraz shared 2019 shiraz class 95-point gold medal plaudits with the Mount Pleasant's 2019 Old Hill, 2019 Old Paddock 1921 Vines, 2019 Maurice O'Shea and the 96-point De Iuliis 2019 Limited Release Shiraz.
The De Iuliis claimed the Doug Seabrook Trophy for best red wine of the show, the Hector Tulloch Trophy for best shiraz and the Elliott Family Trophy for best two-year-old shiraz.
The Elbourne 2019 HAE Shiraz won't be released until next year, but the current-release 2018 is reviewed below.
The James Halliday 2018 Wine Companion rated Elbourne among Australia's 10 best new producers, awarding the 2011 and 2014 shiraz reds 96 points and the 2012 chardonnay 95.
The 2011 shiraz won a gold medal in the 2012 and older shiraz class at the 2014 Hunter Wine Show and the 2012 chardonnay won the chardonnay trophy in the 2013 Hunter Valley Boutique Winemakers' Show at Maitland.
IN THE NEWS:
Adam, who previously ran a Hornsby-based bathroom supplies import business, and Alexys, a Cessnock-practising dentist who was Maitland born and raised, became Hunter vignerons in 2009 when they bought Marrowbone Road land behind the Elfin Hill Motel.
On the 22-hectare property they also run and have set up home with their two children, six-year-old Hugo and three-year-old Grace - the chardonnay for Grace and the HAE shiraz for Hugo Arthur Elbourne.
An annual highlight of the Elbourne operation is getting a volunteer posse of 20 or so relatives, friends and Elbourne wine club members to spend a weekend hand-picking the grapes.
Their hard work is rewarded by Adam and Alexys providing a big after-harvest lunch.
Although the Marrowbone Road shiraz and chardonnay grapes are cardinal to the Elbourne portfolio, Adam and Alexys are proud to "punch above their weight" and have added bought-in tempranillo, verdelho, sagrantino, vermentino and sangiovese to their varietal mix.
Grapes bought from a small De Beyers Road, Pokolbin, vineyard have provided an interesting six-year-vertical array of $50 2013, 2016 and 2019 Oliver Press Tempranillo releases.
The wines are available on elbournewines.com.au or for tasting and purchase at the vineyard on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
WINE REVIEWS
ENTICING BEEFY SHIRAZ
SHINING purple-tinted crimson and with 14.7% alcohol, the Elbourne 2018 HAE Hunter Valley Shiraz entices with berry pastille and forest floor scents and vibrant cassis front-palate flavour. The middle palate shows Satsumsa plum, briar, spice and cedary oak and the finish dusty tannins.
PRICE: $65.
DRINK WITH: slow-braised beef cheeks in red wine sauce and potato dumplings.
AGEING: 10 years.
RATING: 5 stars (out of 6)
TEMPRANILLO AGES WELL
TASTED with the 2016 and 2019, this Elbourne 2013 Olive Press Tempranillo gives new insights into ageing of the classic Spanish-origin grape. It has 13.2% alcohol, bright garnet hues, potpourri scents and spicy blackberry front-palate flavour. Maraschino cherry, mint, herb and mocha oak show on the middle and a finish of ferric tannins.
PRICE: $50.
DRINK WITH: pork chops.
AGEING: six years.
RATING: 4.5 stars
GRACEFUL CHARDONNAY
THIS fine, multi-faceted Elbourne 2018 The Grace Chardonnay is brassy-hued and has fig and crushed almond scents and ripe golden peach front-palate flavour. The middle shows mango, citrus, nougat and vanillin oak and slatey acid refreshes at the finish. Buy at elbournewines.com.au and the vineyard Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
PRICE: $50.
DRINK WITH: lobster mornay.
AGEING: seven years.
RATING: 5 stars
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark: newcastleherald.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News