Nugan Estate: Awesome Australian Wines!

 by Tobin Sharp

Nugan Estate is a premium producer of estate grown wine based in Griffith, New South Wales, Australia.

It is part of the Nugan Group, which was founded in 1940 on fruit and vegetable packing and expanded in the 1970s into juice production – later becoming one of the largest exporters of niche juice products to Asia. In 1993 Nugan Group further diversified its operations planting vineyards and selling fruit under contract. From there, winemaking was a natural progression.

Today Nugan Estate owns 590 hectares of vineyards in Australia’s finest wine growing regions of Riverina, King Valley and McLaren Vale – making it the 18th largest vineyard holders in Australia. In addition, Nugan Estate sources premium quality grape from the renowned Coonawarra region.

Family operated by Michelle, Matthew and Tiffany Nugan, Nugan Estate is one of Australia’s Top 20 Wine Exporters and is complemented by a premium wine portfolio, extra virgin olive oil and the award winning Griffith restaurant, Michelin.

Matt Nugan visited our shop not too long ago on a promo tour and, lucky for us, brought his wines along for us to sample. Impressed would be an understatement when it comes to our reaction on the quality of his family wines and their more-than-fair (downright bargain!) pricing. Stunned? That might be it. The wines were fantastic, showcasing Aussie terroir and the amount of sunshine they get (Beautiful ripe fruit? Yes, please!). In American parlance, a clear home run-- in Aussie, an easy "sixer" (in cricket terms, of course!).

Nugan Estate 2012 Riverina "Drover's Hut" Chardonnay $14.95 [378098]
Easy-drinking, balanced, clean Chardonnay. The nose shows tropical fruits, orchard fruits, sweet brown spices and a touch of lemon grass. Great viscosity on the palate with flavors of more stone fruits, mango, white peach, lots of Fuji apple, and a touch of minerality in the finish. Enjoy with or without food-- pairs perfectly with sunny days and easy company.

ANTONIO GALLONI 90 POINTS - "Light yellow. Ripe nectarine, melon and tangerine on the fragrant nose and in the mouth. In a lush, open-knit style, with a jolt of bracing acidity adding lift and focus. Picks up a stony, almost Chablis-like hint of minerality on the finish, which lingers with very good tenacity and focus."
 

Nugan Estate 2013 Riverina "Stomper's" Cabernet Sauvignon $14.95 [381848]
Cherry fruit fills the nose as touches of olive tapenade, black licorice and ripe rapsberry fill in the gaps, all surmounted by a layer of mint and hint of tobacco-- enticing and fairly complex for this price niveau. The palate is lush and loaded with cherries and raspberries but not cloying. Savory touches of forest floor, spice box and black pepper add to the ripe red fruits. The finish is clean and uplifting as bracing acidity and brisk tannins keep it looking up. A great warm weather red, keep a few bottles of "Stomper's" handy when the grill comes out and the company arrives.

ANTONIO GALLONI 90 POINTS - "Brilliant ruby. Fresh, spice-tinged dark berries and cherry on the nose, with notes of floral oils and cured tobacco adding complexity. Bright cherry and blackcurrant flavors show good depth as well as vivacity, with a jolt of black pepper adding spicy bite. Finishes floral and gently sweet, leaving a hint of candied rose behind."

 

 Nugan Estate 2012 Coonawarra "Alcira Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon $21.98 [378428]
Eucalyptus and mint, two classic descriptors for the Aussie terroir, are clearly in the nose as hints of pencil lead and fennel are surmounted by dark red fruits, jammy raspberry and cassis: beautiful, rich and deep. The tannins in this "Alcira" Cab are fine and silky, uplifting broad flavors of dark cherries, cassis and cacao. A pinch of spice and earth lead to a long, smooth finish with, again, lasting deep, dark red fruits.

Nugan Estate 2012 Riverina "Scruffy's" Shiraz $14.95 [378497]
Concentrated raspberry and boysenberry fruit fill the nose, almost a jammy, fruit-leather version, as bits of red licorice, mint, cherry cola and herbal woodiness create a fine supporting cast of scents. In the mouth, fresh fruits reign, sweet berries, cherries and raspberries; light herbals, black tea and incense weave their way between the sweet fruit, adding depth and richness. Easy to quaff, perfectly delightful, great for Spring and Summer.

ANTONIO GALLONI 90 POINTS - "Dark purple. Spicy blackcurrant and cherry aromas are complemented by Asian spices and floral oils. Lively and precise on the palate, offering gently sweet, incisive dark fruit flavors and a hint of spicecake. Finishes on a gentle tannic note, with very good clarity and an echo of candied flowers."

Nugan Estate 2013 Alfredo "Second Pass" Shiraz $19.95 [381882]
The "Second Pass" Shiraz is sourced from the Nugan family’s premium vineyards in Australia. After fermentation, the wine was pressed onto the pomace and yeast lees of our premium “Alfredo” Dry Grape Shiraz adding to the wines’ intensity, á la the Ripasso style found in Italy's Valpolicella region. Thereafter, the wine was matured in French and American oak for 12 months resulting in a wine of concentration and quality.

Dark berries, mint leaf and herbal wood fills the nose as more scents reverberate: black licorice, strawberry tea, mixed brown spices, dark perfumed florals. Sweet fruit buoyed by lush tannins start on the palate with more layers growing with each sip: cherries and berries meet breakfast tea and violet petals, rhubarb, tobacco, dark chocolate and brown earth. Sweet, rich, complex. The tannins and excellent acidity keep it aloft and light on the palate even with all its richness of flavor. Great with grilled meats (from lamb to cow) and game, strong hard cheeses.

ANTONIO GALLONI 92 POINTS - "Inky purple. Heady, expansive aromas of dark fruit liqueur, potpourri and incense, with a hint of smoky minerality adding vivacity. Offers juicy, penetrating cherry and dark berry flavors and an exotic floral pastille quality that builds in the glass. Shows excellent clarity and thrust on the finish, with silky tannins coming in late."

Chardonnay Symposium May 12-14

7th Annual International Chardonnay Symposium
May 12-14, 2016
 

Please join us at our annual global gathering of the world’s top Chardonnay producers at the 7th Annual International Chardonnay Symposium, hosted by the stunning coastal communities of Pismo Beach, Avila Beach and the Edna Valley wine region.
 
Our Symposium showcases the finest wines from the world’s most notable Chardonnay wine producing regions, like Chablis, Russian River, Australia, Napa Valley, Chile, South Africa and beyond. This year’s French Forum will have an expert-led exploration of France’s quintessential Chardonnay regions, such as Chablis Champagne, Montrachet, Pouilly-Fuissé, Languedoc-Roussillon and Meursault. Moderated by Master Sommelier Bob Bath, from the Culinary Institute of America, it includes Claude Rouquet from the Boisset Collection, Bruno Laclotte from Charton et Trebuchet, Bernard Retornez from Maison Louis Latour, Kyle Kaplan from Piper-Heidsieck, and Geoffroy de La Besnardière from Domaine de l’Arjolle.
 
The French Forum is but one of the many fascinating panel discussions. Others include: Wente Clone Comparative Tasting, What’s Oak Got to Do With It?,Pairing Chardonnay With Artisanal Cheeses, Taste the Difference: Exploring California’s Distinct Chardonnay Regions and Hone Your Chardonnay Blind-Tasting Skills. Other exceptional events include The Grand Tasting at Greengate Ranch & Vineyard, Vintners’ Wine Tech Symposium, Sommelier Chardonnay Challenge, La Paulée Dinner & Vintners Awards Ceremony, and this year’s featured  Pét-Nat and Sparkling Wine & Oysters Gala.
 
As one of our preferred subscribers, we have extended our discount code “hitime2016" for you to receive 20% off your Symposium tickets. For more details on this event and to purchase your tickets, click here!
 
This is an exclusive event and we look forward to seeing you!

Spring Paella Party, Saturday, March 26th

Wine Bar Notes - Tobin Sharp

Though he now has a proper stand to cook on, we could not pass up a chance to showcase Todd's ability to adapt to & overcome any obstacle attempting to keep him from his paella.

This is a good thing as we have a Spring Paella Party at the wine bar tomorrow, Saturday, March 26! We will drink Spanish wines and seize the day. $30, 2-8:30pm.

Next Week at the Wine Bar:
Ten Dollar Tuesday 3/29 - The Wines of Gérard Bertrand. 6-8pm, $10!

Thursday, 3/31 - California Chardonnays!
Spring is here, and we’ll kick it off by tasting some fantastic Chardonnays! What kind, you ask? Well, let’s taste Kistler, Hudson, Rochioli, Patz & Hall, and many more! $25, 4:30-8:30pm.

Hartford Family Winery: Impressive Wines from Russian River AVA

by Dan Williams

Robert Parker has commented that "Hartford Family Winery is one of the most impressively run wineries in the Russian River AVA."  Why is that?  Because Don Hartford knows how to find the right spots for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and knows how to coax the most out of those berries!

Pinot Noir is one of the most fickle grapes in the world for wine production.  It’s not like Syrah, in that it can thrive in a wide variety of soils and climates.  No… Pinot Noir is picky.  It only shows its best when it’s in one of a very few specific types of soil, with minimal rain during the growing season, and in cooler regions.  Maybe that’s why Pinot Noir is so revered by consumers and collectors, and certain bottlings of Pinot Noir are among the most expensive wines in the world.

Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley and its surrounding areas are known as having the ability to produce some of the best Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay) in the world.  The cooling influence from the Pacific Ocean combined with the loamy soils that are a mix of sand, clay, and old ocean floor, are an ideal combination for these Burgundian varietals.  Don and Jennifer Hartford fell in love with the Pinot Noirs around their Russian River Valley home and began to learn why these wines were so special.  They found that making delicious wines of high personality is directly related to the difficult locations of their vineyard sources, along with limiting the yields of those vineyards.  "Character through adversity" is an expression that they believe applies to people and grapevines, and surviving adversity builds character, and personality, in both.  Since 1994, the Hartford Family Winery has crafted some of the most thrilling Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays out of Sonoma County and yet they have flown relatively under the radar.  Well… we’re here to change that last part!

The Hartford wines have received VERY high scores in the past few years; scores as high as 97 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.  Recently, we went through much of the lineup, and to say that we were completely floored by this current offering would be an understatement.  We are fortunate to taste a large number of wines here at Hi-Time, but it’s not often that the entire lineup from one winery really makes us “sit up straight and pay attention--" these Hartford wines did just that!

That being said, here’s a list of some of the standout wines from that recent tasting-- including the pictured-at-left Old Vine Zin.  Some of these wines are extremely limited, so you might not want to hesitate!

HARTFORD 2013 CHARDONNAY RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
$23.95 [228800]
One taste of this Chardonnay, and we were hooked!  This Russian River Valley Chardonnay comes from a collection of small vineyards located throughout the Russian River Valley AVA.  These vineyards are a combination of Hartford Court's estate properties such as Fog Dance, Arrendell and Bloomfield, as well as a handful of neighboring vineyards located in the heart of the Russian River Valley. The sites express the essence of the Russian River Valley by showcasing the best of the sub-regions within this world class AVA.  Aged for 9 months in French oak barrels, the 2013 Hartford Court Russian River Valley Chardonnay offers subtle aromas of jasmine flower, citrus oil, ripe apple and pear.  The elegant aromatics are complemented by fresh kiwi, lemon drop and Pippin apple flavors.  The fruit-focused mid-palate is followed by subtle mineral notes and a hint of crystallized ginger in the finish.


HARTFORD 2013 CHARDONNAY “FOUR HEARTS” RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY $30.99 [228870]
ROBERT PARKER 93 POINTS! – “From the Laguna Ridge sub-region of Russian River, the bottled 2013 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyard (1,200 cases made) is fashioned from such older Chardonnay clones as the Wente, Sees and Rued. It displays tremendous acidity, wonderful ripeness, a leaner, and a more premier cru Chablis-like style than the Three Jacks and Stone Cote cuvées. It should drink well for 5-7 years."

HARTFORD 2012 PINOT NOIR RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
$27.95 [228860]
It’s hard to find a better Russian River Valley Pinot Noir for the money than this one right here!  This bottling is a mélange of fruit from several key and distinct vineyards from across the valley.  In fact, much of this wine is comprised of barrels from their single-vineyard program!  Aromas of blackberries, boysenberry, nutmeg and smoke are followed by flavors of Bing cherries, wild raspberries, roasted plum and allspice. A compelling & dense entry followed by a sweet and juicy mouthfeel is supported by balanced acidity, fine grain tannins and an intriguingly complex finish.


HARTFORD 2012 PINOT NOIR “HAILEY’S” SONOMA COAST
$65.95 [228850]
ROBERT PARKER 96 POINTS! – “The 2012 Pinot Noir Hailey’s Block comes from a cold, windy area in Green Valley. In reality, it is a sub-portion of the Arrendell Vineyard. The wine, which sees 44% new French oak, possesses stunning intensity as well as notes of spring flowers, raspberries, wild strawberries and sweet black cherries, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and a broad, savory richness. Drink 2015-2025."

HARTFORD 2012 ZINFANDEL “OLD VINE”
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY $29.99 [228810]
ROBERT PARKER 91 POINTS! – “The 2012 Zinfandel Russian River, their largest production cuvee (over 2,500 cases), was aged in 20% new French oak for nine months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. It tips the scales at 15% alcohol. It exhibits an opaque blue/purple color along with plenty of briery, berry fruit intermixed with hints of incense, Christmas fruitcake and spice. This exuberant, richly fruity, full-bodied Zin can be drunk over the next 4-5 years.”