CRUICKSHANK Callatoota Estate Tasting Report
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 4:57 pm
CRUICKSHANK Callatoota Estate Tasting Report (Upper Hunter)
I re-discovered the Callatoota wines with John Cruickshank last Friday in the MLC centre tasting in Sydney. I have tasted his wines but I was not impressed by them. This time, however, I found at least four lovely wines to my liking.
Callatoota Estate was established by John Cruickshank in 1973 in the Wybong Valley in the Upper Hunter. Ten hectares are planted of which 7 hectares are Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 hectares are Shiraz and 1 hectare is Cabernet Franc. No white varieties are planted.
The "in-between" Callatoota Rosé wine is surprisingly good! In this tasting, the younger vintages shone, proving that winemaker Laurie Nicholls is heading in the right direction. I bought some wines on the day and all prices stated are for a single bottle purchase.
2004 ROSÉ
This excellent, fresh rosé reminded me of similar wines drunk with my wife on the French Riviéra 2 years ago. This example is mostly cabernet with some shiraz. The wine is refreshingly delicious.
Colour bright ruby red. Fresh raspberry, crushed strawberry on the nose. Excellent, cooling palate with beautifully balanced dry fruit. Very well made. Definitely French style. Quite long dry finish, a food wine. I think it’s a good rosé. Drink now for its vitality and life. Well priced at AU $15.
SPARKLING SHIRAZ
I love this style and to try this one from the Hunter made my heart beat faster. This NV is a crowd pleaser.
Colour deep red. Fantastic black cherry, plum aromas on the nose. Powerful mousse and huge sweet fruit flavours on the palate. Lovely crisp and dry finish. A well balanced uncomplicated wine that is delicious to drink now but will last 2-3 more years in your cellar. The highlights are the beautiful rich black cherry flavours on the palate. As good as the Peter Rumball NV or the 1999 Seppelt Sparkling Shiraz. In fact, I prefer this to those. Both wine and price (AU $16) are refreshing.
2002 Pressings CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Quite simply, OUTSTANDING for a Hunter cabernet. I can only think of Lakes Folly from the region as better. This is the best Cruickshank wine I’ve ever tried. The reflective price (AU $30) will also give you a hint that it’s an upper class wine from the Upper Hunter. The “pressings†usually represent a special wine in the Callatoota Estate line up. John planted 4 hectares of an excellent clone of cabernet in 1973. This was further increased with another 3 hectares in 1986 and 1987.
Colour dense deep red. Ripe and aromatic varietal nose of cabernet and rich exploding fruit on the palate. A very gorgeous wine with authentic cabernet flavours. A velvety smooth seduction. ItÂ’s a terrific drink already so pop open a bottle. It has good weight and structure, and will age for 6 more years. This is a very well balanced, seriously delicious wine. It won trophy for the best cabernet in the 2003 Hunter Valley Boutique Winemakers Show.
2002 SHIRAZ
You can disagree with me if you like but I just loved this old fashioned authentic Hunter shiraz! It’s made in a certain fruit driven, currently out of fashion, style like some Rutherglen shiraz but it gets an “A†from me for authenticity. It's a style I love drinking, very close in character to the 1996 Rosehill from Mount Pleasant.
Colour dark cherry red. Aromatic plum and forest floor on the nose with burnt autumn leaves. Savoury but richly sweet plummy shiraz on the palate. Lots of gamy undergrowth and secondary characters on the back palate, like that of the 2001 Graveyard from Brokenwood. A true Hunter style. YouÂ’d guess it easily in a blind tasting. Gorgeous fruit, savoury finish, well balanced. A nice little wine for AU $18, I really enjoyed it (and will enjoy it more in the future). Drink now to 2010.
Two of the Wines I Really Enjoyed
I also tasted the following:
2000 CABERNET FRANC
IÂ’m not sure that this variety is destined to stand on itÂ’s own. A very pleasant but lighter style wine that is tasty but has a short finish. AU $20.
1999 Show Reserve CABERNET SAUVIGNON
A fine and classy wine at the price with good concentration but certainly lacks excitement. AU $16.
1999 Pressings CABERNET SAUVIGNON
DoesnÂ’t have the qualities of the outstanding 2002. A smooth and lighter style of wine with some good fierce tannins on the finish. AU $18.
1999 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Only an every day drinking style. It has some decent fruit and finishes dry. AU $12.
1999 TWO CABERNETS
A 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc. A pretty simple light red. AU $15.
In the end I must tell you that this estate has some great Cabernet fruit and promises to make outstanding Hunter Shiraz. I believe the yet-to-be-released 2003 Shiraz is outstanding. Callatoota is an original little estate on the rise producing delicious little wines for little money. Definitely worth a try.
Cheers,
Attila
I re-discovered the Callatoota wines with John Cruickshank last Friday in the MLC centre tasting in Sydney. I have tasted his wines but I was not impressed by them. This time, however, I found at least four lovely wines to my liking.
Callatoota Estate was established by John Cruickshank in 1973 in the Wybong Valley in the Upper Hunter. Ten hectares are planted of which 7 hectares are Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 hectares are Shiraz and 1 hectare is Cabernet Franc. No white varieties are planted.
The "in-between" Callatoota Rosé wine is surprisingly good! In this tasting, the younger vintages shone, proving that winemaker Laurie Nicholls is heading in the right direction. I bought some wines on the day and all prices stated are for a single bottle purchase.
2004 ROSÉ
This excellent, fresh rosé reminded me of similar wines drunk with my wife on the French Riviéra 2 years ago. This example is mostly cabernet with some shiraz. The wine is refreshingly delicious.
Colour bright ruby red. Fresh raspberry, crushed strawberry on the nose. Excellent, cooling palate with beautifully balanced dry fruit. Very well made. Definitely French style. Quite long dry finish, a food wine. I think it’s a good rosé. Drink now for its vitality and life. Well priced at AU $15.
SPARKLING SHIRAZ
I love this style and to try this one from the Hunter made my heart beat faster. This NV is a crowd pleaser.
Colour deep red. Fantastic black cherry, plum aromas on the nose. Powerful mousse and huge sweet fruit flavours on the palate. Lovely crisp and dry finish. A well balanced uncomplicated wine that is delicious to drink now but will last 2-3 more years in your cellar. The highlights are the beautiful rich black cherry flavours on the palate. As good as the Peter Rumball NV or the 1999 Seppelt Sparkling Shiraz. In fact, I prefer this to those. Both wine and price (AU $16) are refreshing.
2002 Pressings CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Quite simply, OUTSTANDING for a Hunter cabernet. I can only think of Lakes Folly from the region as better. This is the best Cruickshank wine I’ve ever tried. The reflective price (AU $30) will also give you a hint that it’s an upper class wine from the Upper Hunter. The “pressings†usually represent a special wine in the Callatoota Estate line up. John planted 4 hectares of an excellent clone of cabernet in 1973. This was further increased with another 3 hectares in 1986 and 1987.
Colour dense deep red. Ripe and aromatic varietal nose of cabernet and rich exploding fruit on the palate. A very gorgeous wine with authentic cabernet flavours. A velvety smooth seduction. ItÂ’s a terrific drink already so pop open a bottle. It has good weight and structure, and will age for 6 more years. This is a very well balanced, seriously delicious wine. It won trophy for the best cabernet in the 2003 Hunter Valley Boutique Winemakers Show.
2002 SHIRAZ
You can disagree with me if you like but I just loved this old fashioned authentic Hunter shiraz! It’s made in a certain fruit driven, currently out of fashion, style like some Rutherglen shiraz but it gets an “A†from me for authenticity. It's a style I love drinking, very close in character to the 1996 Rosehill from Mount Pleasant.
Colour dark cherry red. Aromatic plum and forest floor on the nose with burnt autumn leaves. Savoury but richly sweet plummy shiraz on the palate. Lots of gamy undergrowth and secondary characters on the back palate, like that of the 2001 Graveyard from Brokenwood. A true Hunter style. YouÂ’d guess it easily in a blind tasting. Gorgeous fruit, savoury finish, well balanced. A nice little wine for AU $18, I really enjoyed it (and will enjoy it more in the future). Drink now to 2010.
Two of the Wines I Really Enjoyed
I also tasted the following:
2000 CABERNET FRANC
IÂ’m not sure that this variety is destined to stand on itÂ’s own. A very pleasant but lighter style wine that is tasty but has a short finish. AU $20.
1999 Show Reserve CABERNET SAUVIGNON
A fine and classy wine at the price with good concentration but certainly lacks excitement. AU $16.
1999 Pressings CABERNET SAUVIGNON
DoesnÂ’t have the qualities of the outstanding 2002. A smooth and lighter style of wine with some good fierce tannins on the finish. AU $18.
1999 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Only an every day drinking style. It has some decent fruit and finishes dry. AU $12.
1999 TWO CABERNETS
A 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc. A pretty simple light red. AU $15.
In the end I must tell you that this estate has some great Cabernet fruit and promises to make outstanding Hunter Shiraz. I believe the yet-to-be-released 2003 Shiraz is outstanding. Callatoota is an original little estate on the rise producing delicious little wines for little money. Definitely worth a try.
Cheers,
Attila