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Tim's Ravings
Vignerons do not have a natural inclination towards optimism.
Vignerons do not have a natural inclination towards optimism, and I’ll tell you why.It starts in winter each when pruners brave freezing cold and bitter winds to prune the dormant vines. It takes many months and is always a race to beat Spring’s wake-up call for the sleeping vineThen comes budburst, when the vine starts [...]
Dear Aunt Agony Wine...
Dear Aunt Wine Agony,I have a particular grievance that may be ruining my life. It prevents me from enjoying dinner parties and I am even afraid to invite friends around for drinks anymore. I am a social outcast, desolated by blandness.In short, the wines I see lately in bottle shops are overpriced, overhyped and just plain boring. The Wine World seems [...]
Tannins
Tannin is a strange beast, it is responsible not just for astringency and grip but also helps a red wine feel smooth and even sweet. The fact that one element can be responsible for both bitterness and silkiness is one of the most beguiling aspects of making wine.Mudgee – and Huntington Estate in particular – has some of the best, most [...]
Mudgee Reds
Mudgee produces the best red wines in Australia.This is a claim that I am sure will be disputed by many but allow me some space to explain exactly why I feel this.There is no doubt our style of red wine is unique; we have high levels of high quality tannin and acid that can the [...]
Old wines, old vines and me.
I have often spoken of the need for old vines to produce our wines. Here goes an attempt to explain why.Firstly, what counts as an old vine? There are no official definitions but the general view is that anything over 30 years is old, although some vines in Australia’s more historic districts have managed to [...]
An exciting mix of craft and science…
A bottle of wine from a single vineyard is truly rare and special.All year, year after year, vines are rooted to the one spot, growing and ripening their fruit amid sometimes dramatic climate changes. This year it’s floods, last year it was drought.The vigneron requires discipline and experience to be able to react to the [...]
How do you buy wine?
Buying fine wine today is nothing like it was 40 years ago. Back then, when Huntington Estate was established, there were merchants galore, mostly operating independent wine shops.These merchants travelled extensively through wine regions in Australia and overseas, finding the best wines. They discovered and nurtured winemaking talent and celebrated diversity, and in response the [...]
A Great Time to Visit Mudgee
The weather in Mudgee is glorious at the moment; cool, crisp nights followed by clear, sunny days. Winter and Spring is a great time here, invariably green and languid.For those who haven’t been to Mudgee lately, allow me to paint the scene. Mudgee has rejuvenated its famous streetscape in recent years and is one of [...]
It's Our Birthday!
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, [...]
I'm Not into Facelifts
I am not into facelifts or other enhancements, as you can see from my photo. I mean, just look at Madonna.In the end, age and time don’t lie. So it is with wine.Traditionally wines - red ones in particular – have been made to age. Its what the French and Italians do so well, particularly [...]
