Just Crushed Autumn 2023

Winery Review

Our Hunter Valley fruit is now safely in the winery, with reds happily fermenting away and the winery team preparing some of our whites to be put into barrel. We're seeing fantastic quality from the Hunter this year - yields are a little lighter, however the fruit is of exceptional quality with generous flavour. Our 'Alluvius' Single Vineyard Semillon is shaping up to be a standout from the 2023 Hunter Valley vintage.

We're now shifting our focus across to our other vineyards - Orange, Wrattonbully and Coonawarra - which will be keeping us on our toes with fruit ripening at an even pace across the three regions. We're starting in Orange with an early harvest of our grapes to be used for our 'Silenus' Sparkling, and will quickly be moving onto other varieties such as Riesling and Pinot Noir.

Hot conditions in Wrattonbully and Coonawarra are making for concentrated berries with rich colour and flavour. Crops are looking healthy and showing great potential for wines of depth and complexity; we're really excited for what the vintage is bringing us, with all four regions showing big potential.

Nick Kruger, Assistant Winemaker

Cheers,

Vintage 2023 is well and truly underway...

from the Wine Club Crew: Shaz, Susie and Mark

Another new year brings another beautiful vintage!

Hope everyone is well rested over the Christmas / New Year break and already kicking goals for 2023, can’t believe it’s March already!! The Wine Club team have had a relaxing holiday (especially Shaz ) and back in the full swing of things in the wine club.

We have plenty happening here in the Hunter Valley with vintage so don’t forget to book our Harvest Lunches starting in May. The cellar door is full of wine enthusiasts giving 5-star reviews and our wine club’s busy planning another year of spectacular food and wine events which you will not want to miss.

We are kickstarting the event calendar off with our Luncheon held at the well renowned Sydney Harbour view restaurant ‘Sails at Lavender Bay’. An elegant degustation matched with some of our finest Limited Release and Single Vineyard wines. Contact the club today for your tickets before they sell out.

We look forward to catching up with you all soon at one of our events or be sure to book into a members tasting at the cellar door.

Wishing you all the best for the year ahead!

Autumn Favourites Savour a Silky Merlot

TASTING NOTES

Wrattonbully Vineyard on the Limestone Coast. This clone has only recently been introduced into Australia and is selected for its flavours and fine tannins and produces the best Merlot parcels from the vineyard. We have separated the fruit from this block as it shows more flavour and intensity with excellent structure. Beautiful rich soft Merlot characteristics with a firm structure. The palate is loaded with clean red fruit flavours and great texture from maturation in fine French oak.

VINTAGE

untimely start with frost in early November but conditions improved for the remainder of the vintage season.The reduced crop levels produced fruit that ripened with very good tannin structures. Merlot had the best flavours we have seen from this vineyard and our 8R Merlot is outstanding. Overall wines produced from this region had very small crops but with outstanding quality.

WINEMAKING

harvested in two separate picks and fermented in static fermenters. Once primary and secondary ferment finished, the resulting wine was pressed off skins and put to French oak barriques (25% new). Left for 20 months, the resulting wines were selected for blending and wine prepared for bottling.

Single Vineyard

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

96 Points 2021 Halliday Australian Wine Companion GOLD Medal 2021 Limestone Coast Wine Show

Autumn Favourites –A Classy Chardonnay

Single Vineyard

‘Pump Shed’ Wrattonbully Chardonnay 2020

TASTING NOTES | The Pump Shed Chardonnay derives its name from our premium Chardonnay that is grown on the same block that houses our Wrattonbully vineyards ‘pump shed’ which irrigates the vines as needed. A very vital shed!

From Bernard 76 clone Chardonnay vines on our Wrattonbully vineyard, the 2020 vintage produced very small crops leading to concentrated flavours and excellent acid balance. Careful handling with a judicious use of oak has crafted a restrained and complex Chardonnay with great fruit intensity.

VINTAGE | Although our South Australian vineyards escaped any influence of the national bushfires the vintage did experience cold inclement weather during flowering and fruit set in November and December which led to very small crops. As a benefit of the reduced cropping levels, the fruit ripened fully and produced some exceptional wines across the board.

WINEMAKING | The block was hand picked in the cool morning before being chilled and whole bunch pressed. The resulting juice was fermented on solids in a 3,000L French oak vat named Allen and the balance in old French oak puncheons for 10 months. The resulting wine was blended, stabilised and prepared for bottling.

This may well be the best wine under the Pepper Tree banner, tucking in a skein of mineral match-struck pungency amidst folds of stone fruits, nougatine, a waxy mandarin scent with a lick of quinine to kumquat bitterness to finish. Impressive palate-staining intensity... Delicious drinking that is more reminiscent of a flavourful wine from California than the more linear Aussie norm.

2021 HALLIDAY COMPAnIOn WebsIte

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

96 Points 2021 Halliday Australian Wine Companion GOLD Medal 2021 Limestone Coast Wine Show

Meet our Cellar

RICKO C

DAVE | Cellar Door Sales

My role at Pepper Tree is Cellar Door Sales. I’ve been with the PTW crew for 1 year now.

I really enjoy showcasing Pepper Tree Wines and offering a fantastic wine tasting experience.

I really enjoy the 2014 'Alluvius' Semillon and can’t talk highly enough of the Wrattonbully Cabernet (Single Vineyard and Limited Release).

I recommend camping and reading thriller novels with these wines! Davo the Greato.

SHAZ | Cellar Door Sales

I am part of the Cellar Door sales team, it’s the best job I’ve ever had. I love the people I work with, the people I meet, and the beautiful wines that bring us all together.

Currently I am really enjoying the 2013 'Venus Block' Chardonnay but happy to sip on any of our delicious reds as well.

My happiness away from work comes from a blend of travel, live concerts and musicals, spending time with my family (including my three very energetic Kelpie/ Border Collie dogs), and keeping fit so I can continue to live my best life.

My role at Pepper Tree is Cellar Door Sales. I have worked in this industry for four years and have a genuine passion for wine. My favourite wines are the 'Venus Block' Chardonnay and the 'Tallavera' Shiraz!

Cellar Door Crew!

D Cellar Door Sales

When I’m not exploring my own palate through Tasmania and Mudgee you’ll find me at the Newcastle races attempting to back the right horse!

DEANO | Cellar Door Manager

The Cellar Door has been busy as of late, as the winery moves into the busy 2023 vintage we see the rotation of new vintages of both whites and reds arrive in the Cellar. In particular our new Hunter Valley 2021 ‘Venator’ Chardonnay and Shiraz, both drinking beautifully. The team and myself would love to see as many of you as possible. Be sure to book in so that we can remind you why Pepper Tree truly is one of the best!

On a side note I am the Bear Grylls of PTW so if you need any fishing, camping or general survival tips I’m your man.

KRISTY | Cellar Door Supervisor

My role at Pepper Tree is Cellar Door Supervisor. I’ve been with the team for over 6 months now and thoroughly enjoy the environment and the social interaction of the Cellar Door.

When I haven’t got the caravan hitched up and enjoying a passionfruit martini on the coast, I’ll be at the Cellar expressing my interest in Rosé and the Single Vineyard 'Coquun' Shiraz.

I’ve worked in the Hunter Valley for over 30 years and being surrounded by good wines and good company Pepper Tree just doesn’t feel like work!

Cellar Door Selections

Light and fresh whites are still going down a treat while we're feeling the last of the Summer heat! For the reds we're really enjoying our new release Cabernet, and we can't go past our 17' Coquun for those more special occassions!

AUTUMN FAVOURITES FROM THE CELLAR DOOR

2021 SINGLE VINEYARD ‘Alluvius’

Semillon

Hunter Valley

2022 LIMITED RELEASE

‘Home Block’

Verdelho

Hunter Valley

2020 LIMITED RELEASE

Cabernet Sauvignon

Coonawarra

2017 SINGLE VINEYARD ‘Coquun’

Shiraz

Hunter Valley

RRP $ 55.00

PER BTL

95 POINTS THE REAL REVIEW

96 POINTS THE REAL REVIEW

Join us to celebrate Harvest!

2023 Annual Harvest Lunches

Welcome back to our Harvest Lunches on the beautiful grounds of Pepper Tree.

The day’s festivities will take place in an open marquee next to the cellar door, and we invite you to enjoy the great wine, great food, and great music, mixing with your favourite people!!

Food will be catered by the highly esteemed Muse Restaurant, and live music will be performed by Nic Saxon.

Be quick to purchase as our Harvest Lunches are our well-established Members favourite, and will certainly sell out quickly!

Venue The Grounds of Pepper Tree — 86 Halls Road, Pokolbin NSW

Dates Saturday 27 TH May & 3 RD June

Start 11.00 pm - 4.00 pm

TICKETS $220.00 PEPPER TREE WINES 12

We hope to see you there!

The Best of Four Worlds Tasting Experience.

The Best of Four Worlds tasting showcases Pepper Tree's finest and most highly rated Single Vineyard and Museum Release wines, from only our best blocks within our 'four' vineyard locations.

Booking the ‘Best of Four Worlds’ will give you access to a pre-selected collection of current vintage wines and their aged counterparts, so you can appreciate the magic of bottle ageing first-hand!

The $30.00 tasting fee will be redeemed upon any purchase of 6 or more wines (this offer is per individual purchase). Tasting duration is approximately 45 minutes.

COST $ 30.00

Tastings by appointment:

Please visit our website bookings page: peppertreewines.com.au/experiences

PER PERSON

Another load ready to go to the press!

grape bins

Semillon - Destined for our 'Alluvius' PTW WINERY

The press in action hunter valley vineyard

Nick collecting a sample HUNTER VALLEY VINEYARD

Verdelho

PTW winery

Dave admiring the grapes HUNTER VALLEY VINEYARD

The juices flowing PTW WINERY

Early morning check of the grapes hunter valley vineyard