Tim's Ravings

40 years ago Bob Roberts came to Mudgee, shoved a few thousand sticks in the ground, and hoped they would grow. 

Bob had a vision, developed in the company of the fathers of the modern Australian wine industry at Bulletin Place in Sydney. The group included the likes of Len Evans and Max Lake who shared the ’wine bug’ that, as I can testify, is far more virulent than any strain of the flu!

Bob’s vision was different though - he always has been an awkward bugger. His vision was egalitarian – he wanted to make dry table wines, in the style of Burgundy and Bordeaux, at affordable prices.

And while Evans, Lake and their ilk headed for the Hunter Valley for its history and proximity to Sydney, Bob chose Mudgee. It seemed to Bob that Mudgee, with history of its own, but more importantly a cooler, drier climate had better pre-requisites for Cabernet in particular, so he broke with the pack, bought a rundown orchard and rolled-up his sleeves.

His hunch about the climate proved correct with Mudgee soon establishing itself as a better producer of full bodied dry red table wine than most.

There was another thing the awkward bugger firmly believed in – the key to any of the classic styles is that the wine must age. In a nutshell that the grapes should provide the basis for the winemaker to make something that will soften and blossom after some time in the bottle.

Today Huntington Estate is one of the few Aussie wineries left with this ideal. The market demands wines that are to be drunk young and fresh. But I have a belief of my own: that there are still more than a few people out there who love the more crafted styles of wine that are made to stand the test of time. Bob knew his wines would stand the test of time, but he wouldn’t have been human if he hadn’t had some doubts that Huntington Estate would make it too. Congratulations Bob!

The question all Aussie winemakers are asking themselves at the moment is what the trend will be over the next decades. Will customers continue to want fresher and simple wines? What’s the next hot variety? But to me the question is largely irrelevant – I’m no slave to fashion, and neither are true lovers of fine wine. What won’t change is that for those in the know, craft and time will remain the true test. And yes, I am confident that Huntington Estate will be here in another 40 years – I am an awkward bugger too, it’s one of the secrets Bob shared with me.