SMH NSW Wine Cellar Door, Hyde Park Sydney

[Phil H]

I have just returned from the NSW wine promotion/Cellar Door at Hyde Park Sydney. (Saturday 25/2/12)
Overall an enjoyable experience with the weather fine,crowds moderate, well organized with a good layout.
I know these events are expensive to organize, however I found the cost of the tasting tokens unreasonable. $30 for 2 glasses and 5 tokens. Each token enabled a 60ml tasting or two 30ml tasting. Additional tokens were 5 for $20. Most exhibitors filled exactly to the line, and if the table had a lean, I'm sure I lost out on 5ml.
Being biased towards Orange wines, I was looking forward to tasting the current releases, however I was slightly disappointed.
My favourite exhibitors at the event are:
Centennial Vineyards: limited tasting selection, however all wines sampled were excellent. 2009 wood side Chardonnay, Brut Rose, 2009 Barbera and 2010 Pinot Noir
McWilliams Mount Pleasant: This winery never disappoints at whatever event I attend, both with the quality of wine and the customer service. Wines available at tasting included the current release Lovedale Semillon, Rosehill Shiraz and new release Pinot Noir. This was the first time I have tried the Pinot and was sceptical of a Pinot from the Hunter, however I was impressed. With a little bit of sweet talking, they were happy to bring out from under the table the current release of the OP&OH Shiraz , and a 2000 Maurice O'Shea Shiraz, which once again was fantastic.
I guess it is not the best environment to fully examine wines (plastic glasses, 30ml tasting which gives you three sips in 30degree direct sunlight) hence keep this in consideration if attending, and enjoy the event on Sunday if attending in the rare Sydney Sunshine.

[Polymer]

I'm not a big fan of events like this. It is a big improvement though when you can actually have tastes rather than use tickets for a full glass (or two tickets for a full glass). Either way, you end up paying a lot for a plastic cup and a few tastes...

I can see why they charge when they're going to have a big event where they expect a large crowd...but not sure it is the best way to get to try a bunch of different things and really that is what the wineries should want..that people get out and actually get to taste what they have on offer.

[Brucer]

Hi Phil,
Was the Lovedale the 07? Did you notice any spritz in the wine?
I did at the RAS tasting last week, and I shook the bottle, and it looked like a bottle of lemonade.

[Phil H]

Unfortunately I did not take note of the vintage, as i enjoyed it but would not consider buying it at the price. I was told that it had just been released and had a few gold medals(but i am not certain what for). I did not notice any fiz, however the bottle was 1/4 full(or 3/4 empty). I hope this helps somewhat.
Regards
Phil

[dave vino]

I don't know how people can taste and judge young semillon it's such a one dimensional drink when young. I feel for tasters in big wine shows.

[Michael McNally]

I don't know how people can taste and judge young semillon it's such a one dimensional drink when young. I feel for tasters in big wine shows.

That one dimension being battery acid, I tend to agree with you.

Did a tour through the Hunter in March. I had to stop tasting the new release semillons among the other wines in which I was interested. And I couldn't brush my teeth firmly for weeks!

Cheers

Michael

[Polymer]

Come on now..to be fair, young Semillon really isn't any more acidic than I'm seeing a lot of the dry Riesling come out of Australia...Last Riesling tasting I went to I actually came away with a slight chemical burn between my gums and lips there was so much acid...

That said, I love aged Hunter Semillon...Not a big fan of young semillon but there are a few out there that can taste pretty good.

I'm not sure why most places don't hold back their Semillon..Meerea Park does that (at least for their top 2 semillons) and I think it is a brilliant idea. If you don't do that, people just will not get exposed to how great it is with age and it will always stay relatively unpopular...

[GraemeG]

I don't think these sorts of Events are for 'wine buffs' so much as general epicureans.
If it saved me driving all day around the Hunter (or Canberra) and the glasses were 'real' glass, and conditions were better, and, so forth and so forth, I mmight be interested, but really, I figure they price the package so that you get enough to eat and drink for the money and enjoy the events.
It's hardly a substitute for a proper CD tasting in any way at all.
cheers,
Graeme

[Brucer]

I went a couple of years ago, and didnt bother lining up to buy the expensive tasting tickets.
Agree that its not for wine tragics , like us.

[cuttlefish]

Hi Phil,
Was the Lovedale the 07? Did you notice any spritz in the wine?
I did at the RAS tasting last week, and I shook the bottle, and it looked like a bottle of lemonade.

Did you shake all of the other bottles on tasting to get a better idea ?

[mf]

Hi Phil,
Was the Lovedale the 07? Did you notice any spritz in the wine?
I did at the RAS tasting last week, and I shook the bottle, and it looked like a bottle of lemonade.

I tasted a few Lovedale semillons at the RAS tasting as well (07,09,10) - I actually opened the 2010 bottle (first to taste it I guess) and noted that it was spritzy - it was the only wine I noted all day as spritzy. I tasted the already opened 07 and thought it was really good and did not notice any spritz - maybe you shook the spritz out of it for me!

[Brucer]

Hi Phil,
Was the Lovedale the 07? Did you notice any spritz in the wine?
I did at the RAS tasting last week, and I shook the bottle, and it looked like a bottle of lemonade.

I tasted a few Lovedale semillons at the RAS tasting as well (07,09,10) - I actually opened the 2010 bottle (first to taste it I guess) and noted that it was spritzy - it was the only wine I noted all day as spritzy. I tasted the already opened 07 and thought it was really good and did not notice any spritz - maybe you shook the spritz out of it for me!

There was one other semillon I found with Spritz, it was 09 Brokenwood Maxwell Vineyard semillon.
Both it and the 07 Lovedale got Silvers (17.0), so the Judges didnt mind it or didnt pick it up. Strange, like most wine show results.
Funny, I didnt pick it up on the 2010 Lovedale. My comment on that wine was...Not usual, acid.
Wine is a weird thing!