These two varieties are planted as a Field Blend on the Saxonvale Vineyard. The entire Hunter has Shiraz vines, but we are not sure who had the foresight to plant the Mourvèdre back in the late 1960’s. However, we now have this vineyard and are glad they did. The original plantings were trained as ‘bush vines’ and the variety mix is about 85% Shiraz and 15% Mourvèdre. We first released this wine in 2005 and it is a consistent favourite with a real cult following.

2018 WHITE LABEL TIMBERVINES TEMPRANILLO GRACIANO SHIRAZ

Inspired by some great Spanish wines and their versatility with food, we pioneered the inter-planting (field blend) of these 3 varieties together here in the Hunter Valley in 2010. Picked at the same time and vinified together as a single wine we find the Tempranillo provides the rich fruit, Graciano gives lifted floral notes and acidity and the Shiraz provides the tannin and extra structure.

2018 WHITE LABEL SAXONVALE CABERNET SAUVIGNON

The Hunter Valley is mainly known for Shiraz, not so much for the other noble variety of France, Cabernet Sauvignon. Having said that, a handful of Hunter producers make excellent Cabernet when planted with the right clone to the right soils and we think we are one of them. Our old vines ensure yields are kept low which allows the fruit to achieve full ripeness at lower alcohols compared with cabernet grown in other warm climate regions.

2018 WHITE LABEL FORDWICH HILL SHIRAZ

Hunter Valley Shiraz is generally a lower alcohol more savoury alternative to most big Australian Shiraz. Featuring medium bodied soft tannins and more elegance and acid than most. I select the grapes for this limited volume shiraz from the volcanic soil vineyard of the easterly facing Fordwich Hill. This aspect allows for the accumulation of great flavour whilst maintaining the natural acidity of the wine.

We are proud sponsors of the Norths Rugby Club. Enjoy our Shoremans Dozen pack consisting of our certified sustainably farmed wines.

We have 100 hectares of distinguished Margan vineyards, across two locations in Broke, Hunter Valley. These vineyards are planted to a mixture of 50-year-old traditional Hunter varieties and pioneering alternatives we have planted ourselves. Most of the vineyards are planted on the unique soil of the Fordwich Sill providing our wines with their special sense of place. Enjoy these while you support Norths Rugby take home the 2021 Shute Shield!

Shoremans Dozen contains:

1 x 2019 Ceres Hill Semilllon

1 x 2015 Saxonvale Verdelho

1 x 2018 Timbervines Tempranillo Graciano Shiraz

1 x 2018 Saxonvale Shiraz Mourvedre

3 x 2018 Margan Merlot

3 x 2017 Margan Semillon

2 x 2019 Margan Shiraz

2019 WHITE LABEL CERES HILL SEMILLON

This Semillon is a tribute to the start of Margan Wines as it is from the first vineyard planted by us almost three decades ago on the slope above the winery. The grapes traditionally have been for our Original Semillon wines, but these vines are now mature and are showing a unique style that we want to capture so we now label the wine under Ceres Hill Semillon

Growing Season

Small bunches and intensely flavoured fruit with bright aromatics were a characteristic of the 2019 vintage, resulting in beautifully ripe and healthy fruit that we hand-picked in mid-January. Fruit quality was exceptionally high especially in Chardonnay and Semillon.

Vineyard

The vineyard faces east and has less sun exposure allowing for slower, even ripening. The soil is grey, alluvial clay which forces the vines to work hard giving lower yields and more concentrated fruit. This grey soil is distinct from the dolerite soil on the Fordwich Sill and gives Semillon with higher acidity and finer flavours. We ensure extra concentration in the fruit by keeping yields low and ‘fruit thinning’ when necessary which requires cutting off under ripe grapes during the growing season so the vine can concentrate its energy to ripening the remaining bunches on the vine. 

Winemaking

The grapes were handpicked when just ripe, to maintain fine flavours and naturally high acidity. The juice was fermented on full solids using indigenous yeasts which offered a uniquely different style of Semillon contributing more generous aromatics than what is traditionally expected from Hunter Valley Semillon. In the winery, we leave the wine on lees to develop palate texture.

Tasting Notes

This wine has a lovely aromatics of lemon myrtle and chamomile flower. The palate shows zesty fruit of white grapefruit, lemons and lime sherbet. The texture is dry with river stone and mineral notes and the finish is long and refreshing with tingling acidity.

Wine Composition

pH                                                         3.08

Titratable Acidity                                 7.8g/L

Alcohol                                                  11.5%

Residual Sugar                                     < 1g/L

Vine Age

50 years

Food Match

Tuna sashimi with pear, soy and yuzu

Cellaring Potential

10 + years

Hunter Valley Semillon is globally recognised as one of the truly great wine styles of the world because of its remarkable ability to age and the complexity it develops along the way. For our Aged Release Semillon, we bottle the wine early for freshness and lay it down for five years of bottle age before release.

Growing Season

The 2015 vintage was a classic white vintage in the Hunter. The fruit from this vintage was selected for its finesse and balance that have allowed me to make a Semillon with lots of acid and a fine structure, with age ability unlike any other area in Australia can produce.

Vineyard

We select a single block of our low yielding 50yr old Semillon vines which are grown on the red volcanic soils of the Fordwich Sill. We hand pick the block, slightly early to ensure a higher acid, lower potential alcohol and a leaner structure.

Winemaking

The juice was fermented at cool temperatures to preserve delicate fruit characters. Our Aged Release Semillon has been made in a very pure style to reflect the traditions of the area. Strength of acid and line and length are the keys to the ageing style and this wine has been specifically made to have this covered. 5 years of bottle maturation allows both the young wine and the older wine to be seen in the one glass. This wine shows great ageing potential, well beyond the five years at release.

Tasting Notes

Semillon at five years of age shows just why this is one of the great wine styles of the world. It has a wealth of complex flavours, a soft but lingering acidity and a never-ending finish. The colour will still be pale straw and the nose shows lemon peel, lime zest and a touch of honeysuckle. The palate will have a range of citrus flavours- lemon grass, grapefruit, lime sorbet as well as a touch of honey and macadamia. The finish is long and lingering.

Wine Composition

pH                                          3.12       

Titratable Acidity                 7.2g/L   

Alcohol                                  11.5%     

Residual Sugar                     <1g/L     

Food Match

Freshly shucked oysters with finger lime and cracked pepper

Cellaring Potential

20 years +

2015 WHITE LABEL SAXONVALE VERDELHO

Margan Verdelho has been coming from the old Saxonvale vineyards on the red volcanic soils of the Fordwich Sill for many years now. We usually do a 3 pick program for it where I pick early for acid, middle for balance and late for tropical rich spiciness. In 2015 we picked Block 15 (a 5 acre 40 year old block) separately because it had all of the components I look for in the one batch of fruit. The natural ripeness and acidity balance will ensure this wine drinks well young but also will mature beautifully.

Growing Season

The 2015 vintage was a classic white vintage in the Hunter. The fruit from this vintage was selected for its finesse and balance that have allowed us to make a fine white wine.

Vineyard

These old vines were planted in the 1970’s and produce low yielding and concentrated fruit. The vineyard is a small 5-acre block of 15 rows facing north south, planted on red volcanic clay of the Fordwich Sill.

Winemaking

The grapes for this wine were handpicked, highly clarified and cold fermented with aromatic yeasts in stainless steel tanks to maintain elegance and subtle aromas. This wine doesn’t see any oak and is bottled early to maintain freshness.

Tasting Notes

The rich volcanic soils of the Fordwich Sill leaves its footprint by way of a uniquely generous mid palate weight at a young age allowing this wine to be easily approached now and also age gracefully over the next 5-10yrs. Aromatics of white stone fruits are followed by a palate with guava and pineapple with a zippy acidity cleansing the palate.

Wine Composition

pH                                                          3.23

Titratable Acidity                                7.2g/L

Alcohol                                                  13%

Residual Sugar                                     < 1g/L

Vine Age

40 years

Food Match

Chargrilled scampi with chilli garlic butter and sweet corn salsa

Cellaring Potential

Enjoy young and fresh, will cellar over the next five to ten years

2019 WHITE LABEL TIMBERVINES CHARDONNAY

Our Timbervines Chardonnay block of only 3 acres was planted in 1972 on the red volcanic soil of the Fordwich Sill and continuously produces high quality concentrated fruit with a distinct lime acid backbone. Naturally fermented on full solids in 1-2year old puncheons, this modern Australian chardonnay shows the perfect balance of subtle oak, texture, elegant fruit, and long acidity.

Growing Season

Small bunches and intensely flavoured fruit with bright aromatics were a characteristic of the 2019 vintage, resulting in beautifully ripe and healthy fruit that we hand picked in mid January. Fruit quality was exceptionally high especially in Chardonnay and Semillon.

Vineyard

This vineyard has dealt with dry conditions very well, over the past three consecutive drought years, producing a lovely canopy that has provided shading for the fruit and protection from any sunburn. The fruit has a distinct lime flavour and high natural acidity, the reason for this block being selected for our prestigious White Label.

Winemaking

The wine is wild fermented, on full solids in 80% new French Oak and 20% one 1yr old oak puncheons. We lees stir this wine once a week for 9 months to build mid pallet richness, the wine undergoes no MLF to retain acidity and balance texture.

Tasting Notes

This wine has a lovely balance of savoury aromas and lemon butter from the indigenous yeasts and time on solids. The palate is rich with white stone fruits and a lime acid backbone. The oak is integrated and provides a bacon fat complexity to the palate.

Wine Composition

pH                                                          3.30

Titratable Acidity                                7.6g/L

Alcohol                                                  12.5%

Residual Sugar                                     < 1g/L

Vine Age

50 years

Food Match

Wild mushroom risotto with parmesan reggiano and black truffle

Cellaring Potential

10 + years

2019 WHITE LABEL SAXONVALE MOURVÈDRE
The entire Hunter has Shiraz vines, but we are not sure who had the foresight to plant a field blend of Shiraz with Mourvèdre back in the late 1960’s. We now have this vineyard and are glad they did. We usually blend the Mourvèdre with Shiraz, however In 2019 the quality of Mourvèdre was exceptional so we handpicked a selection of the rows at the top of the block and kept this fruit separate through fermentation and maturation. When we took it out of barrel 18 months later, we deemed the quality of this batch high enough to bottle as a straight Mourvèdre which we had never done before. It is the first and the only Mourvèdre made in the Hunter.

Growing Season

Small bunches and intensely flavoured fruit with bright aromatics was a characteristic of the 2019 vintage, resulting in beautifully ripe and healthy fruit that we hand picked in mid January. Fruit quality was exceptionally high

Vineyard

Our Saxonvale Vineyard has fifty year old Shiraz and Mourvèdre vines which are interplanted as a field blend on a three hectare block growing on the red volcanic soils of the Fordwich Sill. We usually harvest this block together as a field blend, but in exceptional vintages we hand a small amount of Mourvèdre to express as a single variety.

Winemaking

The Fruit for this wine was handpicked and fermented in a temperature-controlled environment.  After fermentation, the wine was placed in old used French oak barriques and puncheons where it matured for 18 months prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes

Deep ruby in colour with aromas of raspberry, cherry, and mulberry. The palate is rich with bright red berry fruits and cherry cola, soft tannins and fresh acidity drive the finish.

Wine Composition

pH                                                          3.45

Titratable Acidity                                 6.9g/L

Alcohol                                                  14.0%

Residual Sugar                                     <1g/L

Food Match

Duck breast with confit cherry and cauliflower puree

Cellaring Potential

Enjoy now or cellar over the next ten years.

Accolades

Gold Medal Hunter Valley Wine Show 2020

Gold Medal NSW Wine Show 2020

Trophy Best Other Red Varietal NSW Wine Show 2020

Margan Barbera was the variety that established us as ‘pioneers of alternative varieties’. Andrew is a big fan of Italian varieties and we researched this grape to see if it would work here in the Hunter. Back in the late 1990’s the region mainly had the standard line up of iconic Hunters – Semillon, Shiraz and also Chardonnay- and we wanted to see what else would work. Barbera originates from the North West of Italy and we were the first to plant this red grape here in 1998. It’s a long story but the clone we have planted is an Italian original and produces wines of true varietal definition and Italian personality.

Growing Season

The 2018 vintage had perfect ripening conditions with dry, warm days paired with cooler nights resulting in beautifully ripe and healthy fruit which we picked early February.

Vineyard

Our Barbera vineyard was planted In 1998 with cuttings from an original Italian clone on our Ceres Hill vineyard, just behind the winery on a streak of red volcanic soil. The great thing about Barbera is that it holds its acidity while achieving full flavour (phenological) ripeness making It very suitable to growing In the changing climate.

Winemaking

We hand pick the grapes at optimal ripeness and ferment under cool conditions using cultured, aromatic yeast. The wine was placed in a mixture of small and large older French oak barriques (225 litres) and puncheons (500 litres) where it matured for 12 months prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes

The wine is vivid purple in its youth with lifted aromas of red fruits- strawberry, raspberry, cherry and red current. The palate reflects the nose but also has savoury bramble berry and fresh mulberry notes. Touches of spicy star anise add extra interest and the tannins are soft and silky. The bright acidity gives a long, refreshing finish.

Wine Composition

pH                                                          3.44

Titratable Acidity                                7.0g/L

Alcohol                                                  14.0%

Residual Sugar                                     <1g/L

Food Match

It is a great food wine as the acid cuts through richer red meats like lamb. It matches well with hard cheese and is lighter in body and alcohol than many red wines. 

Cellaring Potential

10-15yrs

2018 WHITE LABEL TIMBERVINES TEMPRANILLO GRACIANO SHIRAZ

Inspired by some great Spanish wines and their versatility with food, we pioneered the inter-planting (field blend) of these 3 varieties together here in the Hunter Valley in 2010. Picked at the same time and vinified together as a single wine we find the Tempranillo provides the rich fruit, Graciano gives lifted floral notes and acidity and the Shiraz provides the tannin and extra structure.

Growing Season

Low yielding, high quality, clean fruit at full ripeness was a hallmark of the excellent 2018 vintage. In 2018 this vineyard was picked in the last week of February celebrating the end of vintage and the end of working weekends!

Vineyard

The grapes are from our Timbervines Vineyard planted to red volcanic soils and cover a tiny 2 hectares. The three varieties are inter planted as a Field Blend. The challenge when making wine from a field blend is that the different varieties ripen at different stages so the art of making good wine involves balancing these ripeness’s. We enjoy the unpredictability of this and that the conditions of the vintage and the terroir will dictate the style of wine each year.

Winemaking

All three varieties were harvested and fermented together under cool conditions using cultured aromatic yeast.  After fermentation the wine was placed in a mixture of new and used French and American oak barriques and puncheons where it matured for 12 months prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes

This is perfectly balanced, medium bodied wine with bright plush fruit, silky tannins and well-defined acidity which gives a long, refreshing finish. The nose has violets and black fruits and the palate has loads of forest berries, a touch of dark chocolate, soft tannins and refreshing acidity.

Wine Composition

pH                                                          3.46

Titratable Acidity                                7.1g/L

Alcohol                                                  13.5%

Residual Sugar                                     < 1g/L

Vine Age

10 years

Food Match

Duck and pork belly cassoulet, with creamy parmesan polenta

Cellaring Potential

20 + years

These two varieties are planted as a Field Blend on the Saxonvale Vineyard. The entire Hunter has Shiraz vines, but we are not sure who had the foresight to plant the Mourvèdre back in the late 1960’s. However, we now have this vineyard and are glad they did. The original plantings were trained as ‘bush vines’ and the variety mix is about 85% Shiraz and 15% Mourvèdre. We first released this wine in 2005 and it is a consistent favourite with a real cult following.

Growing Season

Low yielding, high quality, clean fruit at full ripeness was a hallmark of the excellent 2018 vintage. Mourvèdre is a late ripening variety making this field blend one of our last picks every year. In 2018 this vineyard was picked in the last week of February.

Vineyard

Planted as a field blend, the grapes were picked from a 3 hectare block on our Saxonvale vineyard. Mourvèdre thrives in a hot, dry climate and produces small bunches of intensely flavoured berries. The Mourvèdre ripens later than the Shiraz so we wait until it is ready and pick it all together. The Shiraz is very ripe at this stage, so the style of wine is bigger and has a higher potential alcohol than our other reds.

Winemaking

The grapes were picked and co-fermented under cool conditions using cultured aromatic yeast. The wine was then placed in new and old French oak barriques where it matured for 12 months prior to bottling. The intense tannins of the Mourvèdre help lift the spicy notes of the Shiraz.

Tasting Notes

Aromas of blackberry and black currants, followed by a palate of cocoa and rich forest fruits. Fine tannins and subtle oak frame the fruit providing a fuller style of Hunter Valley Shiraz with lifted aromatics from the Mourvèdre.

Wine Composition

pH                                                          3.48

Titratable Acidity                                7.1g/L

Alcohol                                                  14%

Residual Sugar                                     < 1g/L

Vine Age

60 years

Food Match

Slow cooked lamb shoulder, heirloom carrots, parsnip puree

Cellaring Potential

20 + years

Growing Season

Small bunches and intensely flavoured fruit with bright aromatics was a characteristic of the 2019 vintage, resulting in beautifully ripe and healthy fruit that we hand picked in mid January. Fruit quality was exceptionally high.

Vineyard

Whilst looking for diversity in shiraz within our vineyards, 9 years ago Andrew asked some his mates who owned Heritage Vineyards in Pokolbin for some buds to graft over a 30-hectare block of 50 year old Shiraz vines. We grafted 6 different clones of Shiraz onto the 50yr old rootstocks, and 9 years later we now have six different clones producing some very interesting results. The BC4 block always stood out from other blocks due to its vibrancy of fruit and soft framed tannins and is the first block of these heritage clones that we have bottled separately as a standalone wine.

Winemaking

We use ‘partial carbonic maceration’ which is a fermentation technique made famous from the Beaujolais region in France. It results in a complex, bright and fruit forward red wine with soft, velvety tannins. The wine was placed in a mixture of 3 and 5-year-old French oak puncheons (500 litres) for six months before bottling early to be enjoyed as a fresh, fruit driven style.

Tasting Notes

Bright purple in colour with lifted aromas of blueberries, blackberries, and violets. The palate has loads of vibrant blue and black fruits, a touch of liquorice and juicy mulberries. The tannins are soft and silky, and the finish is refreshing.

Wine Composition

pH                                                          3.45

Titratable Acidity                                  6.9g/L

Alcohol                                                  13.5%

Residual Sugar                                     <1g/L

Food Match

Steak tartare with toasted brioche and quails eggs

Cellaring Potential

10 to 15 years

2018 WHITE LABEL FORDWICH HILL SHIRAZ

Hunter Valley Shiraz is generally a lower alcohol more savoury alternative to most big Australian Shiraz. Featuring medium bodied soft tannins and more elegance and acid than most. I select the grapes for this limited volume shiraz from the volcanic soil vineyard of the easterly facing Fordwich Hill. This aspect allows for the accumulation of great flavour whilst maintaining the natural acidity of the wine.

Growing Season

Low yielding, high quality, clean fruit at full ripeness was a hallmark of the excellent 2018 vintage. The 2018 vintage had the earliest start we have ever experienced with the first fruit coming in on the 4^th of January. Our Fordwich Hill Shiraz was hand picked the second week in February and showcased great flavour and tannin balance.

Vineyard

This Shiraz is grown on our Fordwich Hill vineyard, a small 3-hectare Easterly facing block planted on red volcanic soils in the early 1970’s. The age of these vines result in natural low yields and intensely concentrated fruit. 

Winemaking

We ferment using partial ‘carbonic maceration’ to enhance the bright fruit aromatics and give a complex red wine with smooth tannins. The wine was placed in a mixture of 1 and 2-year-old French oak barriques for 12 months.

Tasting Notes

Bright blueberry aromatics a distinct flavour we see each year from the fruit off our Fordwich Hill vineyard. The palate is full of raspberry and mulberry fruits with a touch of chocolate framed with subtle oak and velvety tannins.

Wine Composition

pH                                                          3.44

Titratable Acidity                                7.2g/L

Alcohol                                                  13.5%

Residual Sugar                                     < 1g/L

Vine Age

50 years

Food Match

Dry Aged Waygu, Potato Gratin, Béarnaise

Cellaring Potential

20 + years

Accolades

Gold medal NSW Wine Show

96 points James Halliday

Silver Medal NSW Wine Show

94 points Mike Bennie The Wine Front

92 points Nick Butler The Real Review

2018 WHITE LABEL SAXONVALE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
The Hunter Valley is mainly known for Shiraz, not so much for the other noble variety of France, Cabernet Sauvignon. Having said that, a handful of Hunter producers make excellent Cabernet when planted with the right clone to the right soils and we think we are one of them. Our old vines ensure yields are kept low which allows the fruit to achieve full ripeness at lower alcohols compared with cabernet grown in other warm climate regions

Growing Season

The 2018 vintage had perfect ripening conditions with dry, warm days paired with cooler nights resulting in beautifully ripe and healthy fruit.

Vineyard

Cabernet is usually the last of the varieties to bud, ripen and be picked here in the Hunter. Our vines were planted on our Saxonvale Vineyard on the Fordwich Sill in the late 1960’s and covers a small 3-hectare block. They produced the great Lindemans Saxonvale Cabernets of 1984, 85 and 86. We took over this vineyard in 2007 and are the proud custodians of these old, low yielding vines.  

Winemaking

The fruit is handpicked, and the juice is fermented at cool temperatures using aromatic yeasts. We mature the wine in a combination of new and old American and French barriques for 12 months, we select the best barrels based on freshness of aromatics and structural tannins to be bottled in limited quantities under our prestigious white label.

Tasting Notes

Vivid purple in colour as a young wine and displaying intense dark fruit aromas. The palate is rich and earthy with blackcurrant, spiced fruit, dark chocolate, vanilla bean and a touch of Chinese five-spice. The tannins are firm and structured, and the finish is long and lingering.

Wine Composition

pH                                                           3.49

Titratable Acidity                                  7.5g/L

Alcohol                                                   13.5%

Residual Sugar                                       <1g/L

Food Match

Venison backstrap with beetroot puree and burnt shallots

Cellaring Potential

10 to 20 years

Ripasso is the Italian term used in reference to the re-passing of a wine from one ferment over the skins of another. In our case we have passed some of our 2016 vintage shiraz from our 40-year-old Timbervines vineyard over the skins of several different varieties from the 2017 vintage. The mystery for the drinker is to figure out what skins we have used for the re-fermentation.

Growing Season

The 2016 vintage was a cooler vintage In the Hunter Valley producing more elegant softer styles of Shiraz. This base wine was passed over the 2017 vintage which was a warmer vintage and enabled us to build more body and stronger tannins In to the 2016 base wine.

Vineyard

The fruit that makes up the Shiraz base wine from 2016 was handpicked off 40yr old vines grown on the rich red volcanic soils of the Fordwich Sill. We choose a block that has the ability to build more complexity in to the fruit. The skins that we pass this wine over are chosen based on the vineyards that are performing best that particular year, as well as what additional nuances of tannin and flavour will complement the base wine to build complexity.

Winemaking

Only in very good vintages like 2016 do I keep a small volume of top-quality shiraz in reserve in oak to re-ferment it over another later excellent vintage. It must be a vintage where we get perfectly ripe fruit to ensure the finished wine has taken up only ripe tannins and fruit characters. The base wine from 2016 had plush fruit and elegant aromatics with medium tannins and it was re-fermented over different varieties in the 2017 vintage. This has given the wine lots of dense tannins and deep complex fruit characters. It has spent nearly two years in small new and two-year old French oak barriques. This wine is fun to make and is different every year we make it!

Tasting Notes

Medium - Full bodied displaying a subtle combination of spice, plush black forest fruit and tobacco like coupled with nuances of violet and blue fruits and firm velvety tannins.

Wine Composition

pH                                                           3.46

Titratable Acidity                                   6.7g/L

Alcohol                                                   13.5%

Residual Sugar                                       <1g/L 

Food Match

Wagyu brisket, mushroom, celeriac and glazed onion

Cellaring Potential

15 - 20 years

Accolades

Silver Medal Hunter Valley Wine Show 2019

Silver Medal Sydney Wine Show 2019

19 HUESGEN & MARGAN TRABENER WŰRTZGARTEN RIESLING

Back in the vintage of 1981 when I was working at Tyrrell’s here in the Hunter Valley I had the pleasure of working beside a young German who had come to Australia for the harvest businesses in the late nineties. In 2018 I visited Germany with my family, to travel their wine regions, and once again caught up with Ado and his wonderful family. From that meeting we decided that we needed to make some wine together! Made using German handcrafted viticulture and handpicked at optimum ripeness before made using Australian winemaking techniques.

Tasting Notes

Picked at the ideal ripeness of 12.1 % sugar and 8 g/l of acid with ripe primary fruit characters of nashi pear and a prickly acidity. The wine evolved out of fermentation with hints of ginger and lychee and ripe pineapple on the nose. The palate is balanced and structured around its strength of ripe fruit and lifted acid backbone. A small level of phenolics left in the wine has helped to strengthen the back palate of the wine. It is built to drink now and to age.

Wine Composition

Titratable Acidity                                   7.6g/L    

Alcohol                                                   12%        

Residual Sugar                                       7 g/L       

Food Match

Truffle and mushroom risotto with Parmesan Reggiano

Cellaring Potential

20 years plus

With 40 years of winemaking experience making premium Hunter Valley Semillon Andrew Margan sat down with his barman son Ollie and decided the perfect Vermouth could be made from the Semillon grape as a base using home grown herbs and spices for the aromatics. The palate of the vermouth needed balance between bitterness and aromatics that allowed it to sit perfectly in a Negroni or be consumed just with ice. Hence the Margan Vermouth project was born and the first varietal, regional, vintage Vermouth, made from Hunter Valley Semillon, has been produced.  

Tasting Notes

This off-sweet style of vermouth was designed to subtly compliment the gin or rye used in many classic cocktails. It has a palate that balances bitterness and aromatics without being overly sweet, allowing it to sit perfectly in a Negroni or to be consumed over ice. The aromas of liquorice, orange peel, cinnamon transfer to a semi sweet palate of thyme, lemon balm and spring honey.

Winemaking

After much experimentation, Andrew, Ollie and the winery team agreed on the perfect blend of botanicals to use to make the vermouth with the majority of the 24 herbs and spices used being grown in the Margan Kitchen Garden. Old vine Semillon from the 2018 vintage was used as the base wine for the Vermouth to contribute excellent acidity and subtle primary flavours of citrus. Some of this base wine was sent to be distilled and used to steep the selected 24 botanicals, before being basket pressed and added back to the Semillon base wine. A combination of honey from our Margan bee hives and 2018 botrytis Semillon was added to produce a beautiful off-sweet red vermouth.

Suggested Cocktail Recipes

Margroni

30ml Margan Off-Sweet Vermouth

30ml Farmers Wife Gin

30ml Campari

Serve in a short glass with crushed ice.

Top with aranciata rosso and garnish with a twist of orange peel

Vermouth Cobbler

45ml Margan Off-Sweet Vermouth

45ml Fresh Orange juice

10ml  sugar syrup (1:1 sugar/water)

Build in a tall glass with crushed ice and garnish with a citrus wheel

Margan Spritzer

30ml Margan Off-Sweet Vermouth

30ml Margan Botrytis Semillon

15ml fresh lime juice

Build in short glass with crushed ice and top with Margan Blanc de Blancs