Tyrrell's, Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV Sparkling

Green apple, lemon and lime. Quite tart but still very nice. I wonder how long this will go.

Tyrell 's VAT 47 2012 , Hunter Valley is from 100 year old vines, prepheloxera, from alluvial alluvium, and sandy, brown soil somewhere between Sydney and Melbourne. The chardonnay again showed itself to be absolutely typical, punchy, citrusy, minty, almost chalky, juicy and bright in aromatics, just as the Hunter Valley Sémillons do. Five years ago, it was reminiscent of "toilet stone in an old country inn in Tyrol". Today, some people didn't like the warmth, which it certainly had. …

I liked this as a younger wine I think, this bottle looks a little arms and legs. The aromas are dominated by creamy malo notes like banana nuts and churned butter. The green apple and primary white stone fruit seems to have receded into the background a bit. Still nice acidity and texture on the palate but overall this feels a little sterile and bland, not quite enough vitality and fruit intensity for the price and prestige claimed here.

13% ABV Light straw yellow with green tinge.. Lemon, lime white peach and quite distinct green olives.. It's buttery, toasty and has slight struck match.. For my taste, I'd like just a tad more stone fruit and mid palate weight. Having said that I do like the savoury saltiness. Medium body Medium + acodity Medium +++ Length

NobleRottersSydney - Hunter Valley (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney) : {screwcap, 13%} (Guest- Sian) Similar tart white fruit and spicy oak nose to the 2013, although the differences are more marked on the palate, where this loses a degree of freshness (not much in development) to its younger sibling. This rides on its fine-grained oak to a larger degree, is just light/medium-bodied, and finishes just a bit shorter than the 13. Comparisons are odious they say, and what would be …

Hunter Valley - 4 Cellar Doors (Hunter Valley) : {screwcap, 12.5%} Big and hefty, rich and buttery. Developing fast, with low/medium acid, medium/full body, plenty of flavour, but feels to be shedding interest rather than gaining it. Another vintage victim to drink up.

Nice fruit here. The aromas are a little tight and hard to discern at this stage. Though I have had this before - if I tasted it blind, I'd guess a much cooler area than the Hunter. It's more green apples and white peaches on the nose. The palate shows a creamier generosity to it, and the acidity drives out an aftertaste of great length.

Lovely texture, peach and melon flavours, creamy, oak is there but not dominant.

Way too young but was keen to try. Quite green but lovely flavours and unmistakeably chardonnay. Will be even better in another 5 years.

Hunter Wineries (2) - Broke Rd : {screwcap, 12.5%, A$36} Nuts and butter. Not too extreme though. Youthful but still weighty on the palate, medium/full-bodied. Hazelnut and stone-fruit flavours abound, with a touch of smoke. Medium-highly intense, it coats all the tongue with flavor, and has a textured, almost grainy feel to the medium/long finish. Still glories in plenty of acid, though. Wants 5 years’ cellaring at least.

Tyrrell's New Release Tasting (Drink Better Wine, North SYdney) : {screwcap, A$36} On the cusp of bottling, as usual at this time. Youthful, fleshy melon fruit. Subtle oak (30% new french barriques), and plenty of lees characters are apparent on the nose. The palate is quite dense and creamy, with white-flesh fruit flavours playing second fiddle to its mineral, earthy aspects. There’s great presence on the mid and back-palates (in a chardonnay context, I’d call this medium-full bodied), but it’s …