‘Black Blood I’ Cellar Vineyard ShirazHugh Hamilton is the 5th generation of a large wine dynasty and is regarded as the black sheep of the family. So when it comes to tasting his wines, you can expect to enjoy the difference. The black sheep experience is extraordinary. Hugh is a master of a most reprobate range of varieties from the classics to the more eclectic.

Hugh Hamilton WinesMcMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale , South AustraliaP: +61 8 8323 8689 | F: +61 8 8323 9488W: www.hughhamiltonwines .com.au

Vintage Estate Vineyards Region Grape Varieties2010 The Cellar Block McLaren Vale Shiraz (100%)

BackgroundThe Scarce Earth project is a McLaren Vale initiative designed to showcase the diverse characteristics of McLaren Vale ‘terroir’. Each wine must be made from grapes grown on a single identifiable vineyard. The selected wine has to pass three expert tasting panels to ensure that the wine reflects that sense of place (ie. Where the grapes are grown) and express their true fruit flavours (ie. Specifically not overpowered by oak). The Cellar Vineyard has self-mulching black cracking black clay, otherwise known as Bay of Biscay, which provides great viticultural country if planted to the right crop and is well understood and managed. The Biscay block Shiraz was originally divided into 2 sections: both planted at the same time, but half (16 rows) trained with a ‘single cordon’, and the other half with two cordons, one above the other. They behave slightly differently. From this we chose the most distinctive four barrels of the ‘Single Wire’ portion and earmarked them as a wine to carry the ‘Scarce Earth’ mantle.

Winemaker’s NotesGiven the criteria of expressing true fruit flavours we took a soft hand in the winery. We gently crushed the whole berries and matured the wine in 100% French oak, but only 20% in new barriques, the rest in up to 4 year old oak. Old oak is more for structure than flavour because while we want the fruit flavours to the fore, we don’t want a wine that is all-show and no-go. After 19 months in a deep slumber we then carefully woke and bottled this baby to be shown off to the wider world in April 2012. 678 bottles produced.

Colour DrinkUnbelievably deep dense red. We don’t support the notion of collecting wine for collection’s sake, but we will certainly

retain a few cases of what is destined to become something quite valuable in future. It will live for many years.

Bouquet & PalateFull bodied, complex flavours and aromas of dark dense plums with mocha coffee, chocolate, clove and liquorice spice all holding hands in the background. Inky and bold earthy finish. Firm tannins, yet generous. A wine from the earth, and of the earth.

Food MatchPerfect with rich and robust dishes like cassoulet, beef & Guinness pie, char-grilled rib eye or Stilton cheese.

AnalysisTA: 6.3 g/L | pH: 3.62 | ALC: 14.6 % | Residual Sugar: 1.3 g/l

Fast FactsHarvest Date: 25th February 2010Harvest Method: Hand PickedBottling Date: 14th December 2012

‘Jekyll & Hyde’ Shiraz ViognierHugh Hamilton is the 5th generation of a large wine dynasty and is regarded as the black sheep of the family. So when it comes to tasting his wines, you can expect to enjoy the difference. The black sheep experience is extraordinary. Hugh is a master of a most reprobate range of varieties from the classics to the more eclectic.

Vintage Estate Vineyards Region Grape Varieties2010 Original Church Block McLaren Vale Shiraz (‘SH’; 95%) Viognier (‘VG’; 5%)

BackgroundIf you are a wine geek, you know of ‘co-fermentation’; a process in which two varieties (in this case, red Shiraz and white Viognier) are picked on the same day and blended at the crusher. This produces a result quite different to blending ‘finished’ red and white wines. The tannin and fragrance of the small amount of Viognier are amplified by the process, and the resultant wine is more fragrant and shows greater depth and even-ness of tannin structure than we’d otherwise see. (We swiped the idea from the Frogs.)

Winemaker’s NotesVarietal Viognier whites are delicately fragrant: apricots, white flowers, stone fruits and gingery notes. Its influence in this case – as a blender with Shiraz – is greater on the palate than the nose, however. Here its tannins offer a note of gritty complexity, and fruitiness a gentle spicy depth, that make the blend genuinely fascinating.

Colour DrinkInky purple-red. The J&H is one of our best wines, built to age for many years. It’ll see out a decade.

BouquetThis spicy little number is made from our Church block Shiraz, of which we have one plot of 6 rows, and another of 21 – plus a few hun-dred kilos of the neighbouring Viognier. As it is some of our best fruit, it sees some of our best French oak barrels (which, by the way, have cost north of $1000 each for several years, despite our alarmingly high Aussie dollar). So while the toast and coffee of trés cher French oak is evident in this youngster, it remains ‘fruit-driven’, with spicy, inky, red- and black-berry perfume.

PalateWe like using the word ‘plush’ for the Jekyll. But that doesn’t mean soft, necessarily, as our seriously good fruit (teamed with those lovely barrels) has a serious structure to match. The tannins from both varieties meld together and underpin the spicy, rich fruit, leading to great length and balance. So plush means even and velvety, but not without power.

Food MatchA classic dish of the Rhone region (where this blend hails from) is Chevreau a l’Ail et Herbes Sauvages. Otherwise known as baby goat with garlic and wild herbs. The English version doesn’t sound as fancy, but we’re sure it’s just as delicious!

AnalysisTA: 6.2 g/L | pH: 3.6 | ALC: 14.7% | Residual Sugar: 4.0 g/L

Fast FactsHarvest Date: 2nd March 2010

Harvest Method: Hand & Machine Picked

Bottling Date: 14th December 2011

Hugh Hamilton WinesMcMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale , South AustraliaP: +61 8 8323 8689 | F: +61 8 8323 9488W: www.hughhamiltonwines .com.au

‘The Oddball’ SaperaviHugh Hamilton is the 5th generation of a large wine dynasty and is regarded as the black sheep of the family. So when it comes to tasting his wines, you can expect to enjoy the difference. The black sheep experience is extraordinary. Hugh is a master of a most reprobate range of varieties from the classics to the more eclectic.

Hugh Hamilton WinesMcMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale , South AustraliaP: +61 8 8323 8689 | F: +61 8 8323 9488W: www.hughhamiltonwines .com.au

Vintage Estate Vineyards Region Grape Varieties2010 ‘Original Church Block’ McLaren Vale Saperavi (100%)

BackgroundThe genesis of Saperavi at Hugh Hamilton’s was Georgian winemaker Lado Uzunashvili, who I met in Adelaide when he was a new arrival to this country in the late 90’s. Stories of his country’s great red grape captivated me, and despite its absolute rarity in Australia, I decided to give it a go… and so we planted 3 rows on the sandy loam of the Church block just off McMurtrie Rd in 2001. And then planted more… we now have possibly the largest planting of this rare and very special grape in Australia!

Winemaker’s Notes“It’s Saperavi,” he said, referring to the grape, which in Georgian means pigment. It was densely red and cool and stained my lips like blood. No wonder then that it is incredibly deep deeply coloured and tannic grape. It demands different treatment to all other varieties – we’re essentially ‘hands off’ winemakers, but the Oddball requires a very gentle touch. It is not on skins for long, and only receives half the pump-overs and plunges of equivalent Shiraz or Cabernet. We need to ‘tame the tannins’.

Colour DrinkSaperavi is famous for its bright yet very deep crimson red. It’s great to look at…

… and even better to drink. It has great ageing potential but a lively fresh intensity that makes it electrifying when young –notwithstanding bold tannins.

BouquetWe characterise Saperavi as being ‘spicy’- exotics like cardamom, coriander, cloves and fenugreek. And it’s fruity - ripe Satsuma plums and hints of cherry. And florals - think violets and roses.

PalateAs a young wine (this note written late May 2012), the Oddball is lively and fruit-forward, with those cherries and plums. But as a high-tannin grape, it’s a study in mouthfeel. The tannins coat the mouth – especially the upper palate – which means that it avoids dry astringency and bitterness. It is seductive despite its assertiveness. A special grape.

Food MatchYou need protein to work with a wine like this; get the biggest slab of cow you can, cook it over red-hot coals and howl at the moon like our ancestors. Alternatively, a medium rare eye fillet with a red wine reduction will do just fine.

Analysis TA: 6.2 g/L | pH: 3.52 | ALC: 15.0 % | Residual Sugar: < 1.0 g/L

Fast FactsHarvest Date: 20th March 2010Harvest Method: Hand pickedBottling Date: 12th October 2011

‘The Mongrel’ Sangiovese Blend

Hugh Hamilton is the 5th generation of a large wine dynasty and is regarded as the black sheep of the family.

So when it comes to tasting his wines, you can expect to enjoy the difference. The black sheep experience is

extraordinary. Hugh is a master of a most reprobate range of varieties from the classics to the more eclectic.

Hugh Hamilton Wines

McMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale, South Australia

P: +61 8 8323 8689 | F: +61 8 8323 9488

W: www.hughhamiltonwines.com.au

Vintage Estate Vineyards Region Grape Varieties

2010 Sangiovese & Shiraz: Original

Church Block

McLaren Vale Sangiovese (Italian) – 83%

Merlot (French) – 12%

Shiraz (French) – 5%

Background

The Mongrel blend started out as an accident! My first crop of Sangio was very shy, and to be able to bottle a realistic

quantity, I needed to increase the blend. On the tasting bench, the impact of both Merlot and Tempranillo was amaaaazing!

They added depth, fragrance and interest, while not swamping the Sangio’s core brightness and texture. A star was born…

Winemaker’s Notes

The Mongrel is the first red we bottle each year, and is intended to be the most approachable. So it’s unashamedly not a

massive, brooding, oak-driven beastie. No; think of it more as a fragrant, medium-weight, well-structured but bright,

enticing wine. Some people call these styles ‘luncheon wines’, as though that is a negative. Well, we like ‘doing lunch’, and

are not scared of a glass of red while we’re at it. And neither should you – as long as you don’t overdo it!

Colour Drink

Bright cherry-red. Whenever and wherever you want. But we suggest 2-3 years from release.

Bouquet

The classic aroma term for Sangio is “cherry”, and who are we to argue? It matches the cherry colour, after all. Think of a

bowl of fresh red cherries, with a little drizzle of kirsch. But with the inclusion of Tempranillo and Merlot comes a touch

of earth, a hint of eucalypt, some plummy depth, and a hint of spice.

You won’t see oak; while this wine is matured in our most mature French oak barriques, the aim of this is simply to bring

the wine out of its shell, not to add layers of extra aromas or flavours.

Palate

Medium weight is the key term here; it allows us to make a feature of the lively fruit, edgy acidity and drying tannin which

are the signature of Sangio. But once we have added the mid-palate flesh of Merlot and an extra twist of gritty late-palate

tannin from Tempranillo (plus the latter’s lovely ripe fragrance), we have a great all-rounder.

Food Match

Lunch, eh? Let’s see: pork fillets. Lamb shaslicks, with cherry tomatoes and red onion. Maybe Peking duck, as long as the

sauce is not too sweet. Even a fresh baguette, with roast Mediterranean veggies (eggplant, zucchini, capsicum), fresh rocket

and a light aioli.

Analysis

TA: 6.0g/L | pH: 3.42 | ALC: 15.0% | Residual Sugar: 1.8 g/L

Fast Facts

Harvest Date: Sangiovese: 10th

Mar. 2010; Tempranillo 18th

Feb. 2010;

Merlot 2nd

Mar. 2010

Harvest Method: Machine picked

Bottling Date: 8th

November 2010

‘The Rascal’ Shiraz

Hugh Hamilton is the 5th generation of a large wine dynasty and is regarded as the black sheep of the family.

So when it comes to tasting his wines, you can expect to enjoy the difference. The black sheep experience is

extraordinary. Hugh is a master of a most reprobate range of varieties from the classics to the more eclectic.

Hugh Hamilton Wines

McMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale, South Australia

P: +61 8 8323 8689 | F: +61 8 8323 9488

W: www.hughhamiltonwines.com.au

Vintage Estate Vineyards Region Grape Varieties

2010 Church, Cellar and Black Sheep blocks McLaren Vale Shiraz

Background

“Shiraz and McLaren Vale”. What a famous pairing. Are there others? The Royal Family and Corgis? Gin and Tonic? Bogart and

Bacall? But why the connection? Pedigree and history: the variety has shown its suitability for so long to the region’s maritime

but warm climate, and old yet well-preserved soils, that it’s hard to imagine one without the other. Shiraz in McLaren Vale grows

well, always ripens, and with correct vineyard management, produces wines of great depth, flavour and structure.

Winemaker’s Notes

We have several blocks of Shiraz. The ‘Cellar’ block is planted on deep, black, cracking clay – known in SA as ‘Biscay’ soil. A

kilometre away, we have the original ‘church’ block on lighter but variable grey loam; and over at the ‘Black Sheep’ block, we

have blocks on sand as well as alluvial loams. All ripen differently, with very different fragrance and flavour. We pick, ferment,

press and mature each separately, in order to ensure that the best, most suitable parcels work beautifully together when blended.

Colour Drink

Deep purple red. Both the hue and depth of fine

McLaren Vale Shiraz are terrific, year in, year out.

This tasting note is written in January 2012. I expect that if I write it

again in Jan 2022, I will still be singing this wine’s praise. Enough said.

Bouquet

Shiraz is a ‘fruity’ grape in that it produces wines with intense fragrance. In our case, that fragrance is an amalgam of ripe plum

and red fruits, sweet spice, liquorice, and black olives – and a hint of fine Italian panforté. As a young wine, the year and a half

that it spent in predominantly French oak barriques (approx. 20% of which were new) offers sweet notes of coffee and vanilla.

Palate

The challenge with McLaren Vale Shiraz is to ensure that its natural exuberance and generosity is not over-powering. This means

moderate alcohol (by the standards of the style, at least...), and a core of savoury tannins which means that the wine finishes dry.

By using batches from different blocks, each with subtly different character, we walk that tightrope and have produced a wine

which is savoury yet generous. 2010 was a terrific year, and the balance of fruit, tannin and oak in the ’10 Rascal is nigh-on

perfect.

Food Match

Despite its generosity, this wine is very drinkable, and matches a variety of foods. The classics of roast and grilled beef are a given;

more exotic choices include pheasant or squab with shitake mushroom glaze; or venison escalopes stuffed with ground chestnuts.

Analysis

TA: 6.1 g/L | pH: 3.59 | ALC: 14.5% | Residual Sugar: 1.4 g/L (it’s dry!)

Fast Facts

Harvest Date: 12 batches from 10 blocks, picked separately

from 18th

February to 20th

March 2010

Harvest Method: Some hand; some machine, by individual block

Bottling Date: 30th

November 2011

‘The Villain’ Cabernet Sauvignon

Hugh Hamilton is the 5th generation of a large wine dynasty and is regarded as the black sheep of the family. So when it comes to tasting his wines, you can expect to enjoy the difference. The black sheep experience is extraordinary. Hugh is a master of a most reprobate range of varieties from the classics to the more eclectic.

Hugh Hamilton Wines McMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale, South Australia P: +61 8 8323 8689 | F: +61 8 8323 9488 W: www.hughhamiltonwines.com.au

Vintage Estate Vineyards Region Grape Varieties 2010 The Cellar Block

The ‘Black Sheep’ sub-blocks McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon (100%)

Background Renowned as one of the world’s great red grapes, Cabernet arguably finds its greatest expression in the maritime climate of Bordeaux. McLaren Vale is warmer and drier, but shares those maritime conditions. Cabernet is characterized by small, dark, tough-skinned berries, which produce long-lived wines of intense colour and firm tannins.

Winemaker’s Notes We like growing and making Cabernet. Why? It’s the challenge of optimising the generosity and richness for which McLaren Vale reds are famous, while retaining varietal signature of one the world’s great grapes. Much like our ‘Rascal’ Shiraz, we work hard to get every block at its best, nurse each batch through fermentation and maturation, then choose the best and most balanced, and blend them to produce a wine which is better than each of its parts. (It’s fun, in a geeky, winemaker-y sort of way.)

Colour Drink Dark red with purple edges. Cabernet is a ‘keeper’… so while you can approach the Villain now, he’ll last a decade plus.

Bouquet As Cabernet ripens its essential characters evolve more than some other grapes. When un-ripe it’s reminiscent of capsicums (not so good…), but it then moves into aromas of mint, earth, sage and rosemary, plum and blackcurrant, and eventually ink and violets. By the time we picked the 2010 all trace of capsicum was long gone, so you will see those herbs and earth; also the sweeter, spicy plum and cassis (blackcurrant), and some inky depth. Plus some subtle toast from oak barrels; look carefully for that one!

Palate Good Cabernet is savoury, but good McLaren Vale reds have some impression of sweetness (while not having any residual sugar!). In Cabernet’s traditional home of Bordeaux it’s generally leaner; here we want some plushness, supported by fine, dry tannin. On the finish, look for the gentle astringency reminiscent of good dark chocolate, plus a hint of dried herb, and some persistent oak.

Food Match Lots of options here! Depending on the season and occasion, choose braised lamb shanks, venison with a red currant (or maybe even cassis) glaze; Szechwan beef; or simply a Good Firm Cheddar. Why the emphasis? To make sure that you get a Good one!

Analysis TA: 6.2 g/L | pH: 3.53 | ALC: 14.5 % | Residual Sugar: 1.6 g/L (it’s dry!)

Fast Facts Harvest Date: 5 occasions, depending on the block; 10th-19th March 2010 Harvest Method: Machine Picked Bottling Date: 27th September 2010