The 2017 Chardonnay fruit was handpicked in pristine condition. Lifted bouquet of nectarines and stone fruits with an underlay of toasty spice. Barrel ferment characters add complexity while flavours of citrus and cashew swirl around the palate to give a long flavoursome finish.

Poured into a glass, this Chardonnay from Hunter Valley displays a bright lemon to lime colour. A swirl of the glass reveals white peach aromas that are enhanced by a gentle touch of cashew nut. As a whiff of the wine is followed by a sip, upfront peach and melon flavours impress you, that are held together by tight acidity. Consume this wonderful white wine within 2 to 3 years from vintage. Pair it with white meat dishes such as chicken and fish preparations.

Floral fruit in youth, moving towards biscuity characters with age. A generally softer bodied palate with smoother acids than the Vat 1 and Belford Semillons.

Subtle lemon sorbet with grapefruit pith and a touch of lavender and bath salts. It’s a slow burn to start with but aromatic intensity builds in this wine as it throws off the shackles of extreme youth and the effects of bottling. It’s all about purity here with the citrus and minerals compressed into a tight and also empirical form, crystalline almost with detail and depth in a very focused space. The entry leads with refined lemon drops but grows to full volume expression, lemon, grapefruit and the most composed yet persistent acidity with a long and silky finish, Resonant Tension. The clarity of vineyard and variety arriving with precise detail and harmony.

2022 was a wet season in the Hunter region with over 180 millimetres ofrain in February alone. Mild weather and cooler conditions delayed harvestuntil the sun and welcoming winds dried out the vineyards. All was not lost,as the longer season introduced excellent flavours, natural acids and complexity into the wines. This single vineyard wine from Cael’s Gate was created from vines plantedin 1978. Elegant and restrained, this wine shows lemon peel, lime zest andoatmeal nuances. It is concentrated and finely flowing in the mouthdelivering delicate fruit intensity with linear mouth feel and racy acidity.Firmly structured and focused with an impressively long sleek finish.

This Semillon from a sustainably farmed vineyard in the Hunter Valley region was hand picked from 40 year old Semillon vines. The grapes were then fermented with skins, pressed, and barrel aged for 3 months in old Chardonnay French oak. There was no additions, fining or filtration of the wine when bottled. The result is a textural, juicy wine with a zesty dry finish, with flavours of mandarin marmalade and a hint of lemon.

Aromatics of lemongrass and herbal notes, fermented on skins for textural complexity, with a bright, fresh and balanced palate of juicy tropical fruits. Sourced from a premium Hunter Valley vineyard with 75% of fruit fermented on skins. This wine is textural, fruit forward which has the perfect amount of balance on the palate; a more complex style of Semillon!

Great example of classic Hunter Valley Semillon. Refreshing lime and herbaceous flavours with underlying toasty honey characters starting to develop.Still aging very well with many years to come.

Tasting notes: This wine is pale gold in colour with youthful green tinges. The aroma is fresh and intense with lime citrus and background of ripe peach fruit characters. The palate is clean and lively with a soft but crisp citrus acid finish Cellaring: This wine is ready to drink now, best drunk young while its perfume is most heady and the palate fresh. Food Accompaniment: Great with Asian cuisine, Mediterranean pasta, salad.

The love affair with alternative Italian varietals continues at David Hook wines. Pecorino is a new arrival, but it was well worth the wait. So latent yet complex.Pale lemon. Fresh and lifted aromas of citrus, stonefruit and stuck match. Quite rich, ripe and fruit-driven, with layers of white peach and melon, tangy lemon-lime acidity, creamy mouthfeel and texture, and a dry, mouth-watering finish.