2012 Cellar Reserve Braemore released to coincide with the first day of Spring

Thomas Wines has released it's 2012 Cellar Reserve Braemore Semillon to coincide with the first day of Spring.

Hunter Valley Semillon is one of the world's most uniquely regional wine styles. The Braemore Semillon has achieved an enviable reputation in recent years as being one of the finest examples of classic Hunter Valley Semillon.

With six years in bottle, the 2012 Cellar Reserve Braemore Semillon has just started to emerge with classic bottle aged Hunter Semillon complexities. The nose has nuances of buttered toast and honeycomb, layered over fresh grassy, citrus like fruit. The palate has developed an attractive richness, yet maintains an amazing delicacy and freshness with vibrant fruit and a fine, focused line of acidity.

In a superb drinking zone right now, it will continue to evolve over the next decade and beyond.

Available to taste & purchase in Cellar Door or via our website from 1st September, 2018.

30/08/2018 at 11:37 AM Permalink

Halliday awards nine wines, 92 plus points

The 2019 James Halliday Wine Companion has been launched with Thomas Wines scoring 92 or above for nine wines.

96 points - 2017 The OC Semillon (SOLD OUT - 2018 now available) - $26
96 points - 2017 Braemore Semillon (SOLD OUT - 2018 now available) - $33
96 points - 2012 Cellar Reserve Braemore - (Released 1 September 2018) - $65

92 points - 2016 Two of a Kind Shiraz - $24
93 points - 2016 Synergy Shiraz -$24
94 points - 2016 Sweetwater Shiraz - $35
94 points - 2016 The Dam Block Shiraz - $40
94 points - 2016 Elenay Shiraz - $50
95 points - 2016 Kiss Shiraz (very limited stock available) - $75

The Shiraz are all current releases & available online or via Cellar Door.

02/08/2018 at 11:24 AM Permalink

Semsational Semillon & Seafood Sessions set for September

Thomas Wines presents a series of #semsational sessions celebrating the release of our 2012 Cellar Reserve Braemore Semillon and featuring our range of 2018 Single Vineyard Semillons.

The series includes cooking classes together with lunches & dinner and a pop-up cellar door (with the added benefit of oysters & cheeses paired to the Semillons), each being hosted by Winemaker Andrew Thomas.

The Cooking Classes, being held in Sydney & Brisbane, have VERY limited tickets available & include Italian, Thai, Japanese & Pan Asian - all paired with our range of Semillon.

For Newcastle we'll be relaxing harbourside with a #semsational long leisurely seafood lunch; and for our Sydney Semillon lovers we'll be bringing the Cellar Door to you, pairing our Semillons with oysters & Hunter Valley Cheeses.

For specific details & to BOOK before tickets sell out please click here.

Any further questions please do not hesitate to call Rowena 02 4998 7134.

30/07/2018 at 3:14 PM Permalink

2018 Single Vineyard Semillon Released

The 2018 Single Vineyard Semillons have been released.

The 2017 Single Vineyard Semillons have sold out.

In lieu of rather depleted list we’ve released the 2018’s ahead of schedule, saving the release of the 2012 Cellar Reserve Braemore for the first day of Spring.

2018 Single Vineyard Semillons

Thommo tells us “The 2018 Vintage is virtually a carbon copy of the outstanding 2017 vintage, the warm and dry conditions experienced throughout January and February of 2018 have produced Semillons with generous fruit weight within the typical purity and precision of the classic Hunter Valley style. These wines are exceptionally approachable in their youth, yet the best examples from the region (particularly Braemore) will also have some remarkable cellaring potential.”

Despite a relatively similar winemaking approach, the subtle differences in the Single Vineyard range of Semillons never cease to amaze our visitors.

Fordwich Hill, from the far west of the Valley in the sub-region of Broke, is a riper, more generous proportioned style of Hunter Semillon. Broke receives slightly less annual rainfall and the red volcanic soils produce an earlier ripening Semillon with distinctive aromatics. On the first weekend in Cellar Door, this Semillon was definitely one of our Visitor’s favourites.

The Murphy's Vineyard is located on the far east of the valley in the Lovedale area. Situated adjacent to Black Creek in Wilderness Road, it has deep sandy soils. This produces a delicate Semillon with a floral lift of citrus blossom and grapefruit notes.

The OC, named after Oakey Creek Road, comes off the flats close to the southern stretch of the Brokeback Ranges. The soils here are transitional sandy/loam and still contain small amounts of organic matter. The resultant Semillon screams freshness; it’s pure and bright with amazing length, and nervy acidity.

And then there’s Braemore. We can just see the Braemore Vineyard from the Cellar Door. Located on Hermitage Road it has amazing deep sandy/loam alluvial soil consistently producing exceptional Semillon. The Braemore Semillon features vibrancy and remarkable longevity, we think the following description from Thommo sums it up perfectly … “intensity, in a feather weight frame”.

For every day drinking we’ve also released the 2018 Synergy, Two of a Kind and Six Degrees Semillons. At $17/bottle for Members these are ideal to have handy in the fridge for any occasion.

We’d love to take you through the range in Cellar Door or you can purchase them online here

Visit us soon.

Cheers,

The Cellar Door Team - Rowena, Nico, Brooke and Curtis

20/07/2018 at 10:55 AM Permalink

One of Australia's Best Kept Secrets

A great read from Ray Isles of Travel + Leisure Magazine, it includes some tips for your next visit, of course, including Thomas Wines in the itinerary.

02/07/2018 at 12:39 AM Permalink

Braemore - one of the Hunter's Greatest Vineyards

A great read from Daniel Honan of Newcastle Herald with this great story on our Braemore Vineyard.

Enjoy.

20/05/2018 at 2:14 PM Permalink

In the Kiss(ing) Booth

In a first for Thomas Wines, Winemaker Andrew Thomas will be taking ten guests (each day) on an intimate exploration of the Thomas Wines Kiss Shiraz.

You will taste & discuss five vintages starting with a 2017 sample from the barrel, moving through to our newly released 2016 Kiss Shiraz finishing with a journey through the cellar to include the famed 2014 vintage.

Our Kiss(ing) Booth Wines

• Kiss 2017 (from barrel)
• Kiss 2016 (our new relaese)
• Kiss 2014 (from the cellar)
• Kiss 2011 (from the cellar)
• Kiss 2007 (from the cellar)

ONE WEEKEND ONLY.

SATURDAY 26 MAY & Sunday 27 May at 10am.
$75pp or $50pp for Thomas Wines Members.

Bookings Essential & via our website. Strictly limited (to a very intimate 10 guests).

18/05/2018 at 4:27 PM Permalink

2016 Shiraz Released Saturday 5 May, 2018

The 2016 Vintage

The 2016 vintage growing season started with some good rain prior to bud-burst, providing some excellent sub-soil moisture to keep the vines in good order throughout the growing season. Relatively mild conditions prevailed through to the end of 2015, followed by some challenging rain events throughout the early part of January. A relatively early start to vintage with the first Semillon harvested on the 21st January, but the earlier rain delayed the ripening of the Shiraz which we started on the 17th February. When the vineyards had finally reached full phenological (fruit and tannin) ripeness we harvested our entire vintage of shiraz in five days. Our approach to bunch thinning around verasion (first week of January), and the extra ‘hang time’ on these red vineyards is testament to the resultant quality that we now have in bottle.

The Wines

Stylistically, the 2016's are showing amazingly bright, perfumed and lifted primary fruit with a silky/slippery texture within their elegantly structured core - reminiscent of some of the long lived 'Hunter River Burgundies' of years gone by. They are similar in style to the 2015’s, but with some extra fruit sweetness and palate weight.

I look at this range of 2016 reds as a group, and I am absolutely delighted with the way they have shaped up. Whilst I like to take some of the credit, it is really these outstanding pedigree vineyards, that I am fortunate enough to have in my portfolio, that give these wines their unique quality stamp year after year. Bottled in July last year and now 10 months in bottle, each wine displays its own individual/stylistic personality that we know and love, and I am confident that you will be equally impressed. 

My sentimental favourite, is of course, the 2016 Kiss Shiraz with its vibrant red and blue fruits, immaculately integrated French oak, and its restrained intensity within such a tightly structured core. It's this internal concentration that sees Kiss rise above many a Hunter Shiraz (particularly from this vintage) and is also what provides its remarkable longevity. This wine clearly demonstrates that you can achieve amazing intensity within a medium weight frame. We are now seeing each vintage of Kiss sell out within a few months of release, and I expect this vintage will be no exception.
2016 Kiss was awarded a Gold medal at the 2017 Hunter Valley Wine Show.
Only 513 six packs, 100 magnums and 12 Double Magnums bottled.
Magnums available for purchase at Cellar Door or the website.

This year the 2016 Elenay Shiraz is made up of selected barrels from the Sweetwater (45%), Kiss (40%) and Dam Block (15%) parcels. My selection criteria involves looking at the newer barrels within each parcel, and identifying those with the 'juicy' fruit weight to handle the level of oak. The result is definitely punchy/overt in the oak department, but as you know this is the Elenay style. This is a wine that drinks very nicely now but will reward those patient enough to cellar and allow time for the oak to fold in. Awarded two trophies including Best Red Wine of the Show at the 2017 Hunter Valley Boutique Wine Show. Only 383 dozen bottled.

The second vintage release of this new single vineyard wine to my range, 2016 Dam Block Shiraz is from a small 0.8Ha block of slightly younger vines just across the dam from the Kiss Shiraz vineyard. The inaugural 2015 release proved very popular with our customers. We have been taking this fruit for some years now, and it has always been an important component of my Two of a Kind and Synergy Shiraz, as well as a few barrels making the grade for Elenay over the last few vintages. It shows similar dark blue fruits and the savoury texture of this pedigree vineyard, but at a slightly more affordable price. Only 291 dozen bottled.
 
The 2016 Sweetwater Shiraz is true to form with its distinctive floral notes dancing over and around its red and blue fruited frame. Its deliciously bright and juicy mid palate, provides some awesome current drinking appeal, but will also reward those of you who tuck a few bottles away in the cellar. This has to be one of the best buys in the Hunter Valley.

Last but not least is the 2016 Synergy Shiraz (100% Hunter) and 2016 Two of a Kind Shiraz (52% Hunter/48% McLaren Vale). Clearly two different styles, but both delivering excellent quality for every day drinking or medium term cellaring at an amazing value for money price. Order a pizza or light the BBQ and drink these wines to your hearts content. Seriously smashable....

Magnums.....!!!

Five years ago, I started bottling a limited run of exactly 100 individually numbered magnums of both Braemore Semillon and Kiss Shiraz each vintage. The 2016 Kiss Shiraz magnums will be available in Cellar Door and on the website from Saturday.

Cheers,

Thommo

02/05/2018 at 3:16 PM Permalink

The Kiss & Tell Tour

The annual release of Thomas Wines new vintage reds is always highly anticipated by wine lovers & collectors. Whilst all our 2016 shiraz are looking outstanding, the very limited quantities and cult following of Kiss Shiraz will ensure that it will be the talk of these events.

We will be presenting 10 wines (including some back vintage Kiss) paired to perfection over four courses prepared by talented Chefs and hosted in intimate venues.

You’ll find it difficult to keep this a secret, but it’s okay to Kiss & Tell…..

Seats are limited for full details, dates and to BOOK NOW click here.

THE STARS OF THE TOUR
2016 Two of a Kind Shiraz
2016 Synergy Shiraz

2016 Sweetwater Shiraz
2016 Dam Block Shiraz
2016 Elenay Shiraz

2016 Kiss Shiraz
2006 Kiss Shiraz

2013 Kiss Shiraz (en Magnum)

21/03/2018 at 2:48 PM Permalink

Shiraz Harvest 2018

There was a sigh of relief from the Winery team last night, the last of the Hunter Valley fruit was now in the winery. This doesn't mean all the work is finished for Vintage 2018, & definitely not for the year, but it does mean the fruit is safely fermenting or in barrel & away from anything that Mother Nature can unleash.

Shiraz harvest followed fast on the heels of the Semillon. Thommo tells us this is one of the most compressed vintages he has experienced in his 32 vintages in the Hunter.The Winery team, with a couple from Cellar Door, even took to the Vineyard to assist picking the Dam Block Shiraz. 

The Shiraz is looking awesome, a little down on quantity but impeccably clean, ripe & full of flavour. The Sweetwater came in first & has just been put to barrel, the Cote d'Or is being pressed off, with the Kiss, Dam Block & DJV still ticking through the final stages of fermentation. 

Now just to wait on the arrival of the Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc and the McLaren Vale Shiraz, and to keep up with the plunging, the pump overs, the barrel work, fining & filtering ...... we're glad we're in the Cellar Door. 

If you get the chance, pop in & see us at the Cellar Door & taste a preview of Vintage 2018, we'll have samples of the shiraz until they finish fermentation.

Cheers,

Rowena, Emma, Nico, Steph & Marissa.

15/02/2018 at 8:40 AM Permalink