Wine Assessment Sheet  1998 – 2006

1998 Brilliant year

Whites: Showing beautiful development and lovely structure. Have a look at some now and extended cellaring encouraged. Reds: Very full bodied year which have never lost their vigour. Big, juicy styles but starting to soften and drinking superbly now.

1999 Very good year

Whites: Typical Semillon characters of honey and toast now obvious and very delicate on the palate.  Finely structured wines of great finesse. Great food wines, try some now.
Reds: Finely structured wines which should be enjoyed sooner rather than later but will hold up in the short term.

2000 Textbook year

Whites: Continuing to turn and developing with grace. Rich styles that are drinking very well now but try to develop further.
Reds: Old guard Hunters!   Sweet leather, plums, chocolate and earth, stuff which made the Hunter famous.   Get into them now.

2001 Fruit driven year

Whites: Lovely soft styles with delicate fruit and drinking superbly already. Lovely wines.
Reds: Will not need to be cellared for much longer. Beautiful developed characters abound. Drink soon.

2002 Good year

Whites: Just starting to turn and will be typical styles of high quality in the near future.   Start drinking soon.
Reds: Typical Hunter styles which I suggested in the last assessment will be best in 2007. That’s now, enjoy!

2003 Drought year

Whites:  Keep until 2008 before you start drinking and see where they sit in your palate.   Were awesome young wines but not quite developed, as yet.
Reds: One of the great red years. Fantastic regional styles with lots of upfront fruit. Sinclair shiraz a knockout! Enjoy some now and your palate will tell you if you want to lie some down for the future.

2004 Good average year

Whites:  Generous styles with great fruit and again drank very well as young wines. Hold on until 2009 if you can.
Reds: Luscious styles with fine tannin structures. Delightful wines which are drinking well now and short term cellaring advised. Drink before 2010.

2005 Textbook year

Whites:  Wines which were made for the future. Be brave and keep in the cellar, these wines will be Hunter classics. 2011 and onwards, if you can.
Reds: Balance, balance, balance. Across the board, wines of lovely complex fruit and beautiful balance. Drink some now and try some in 2009 and onwards.

2006 Hot year

Whites: Sharp, crisp wines with obvious luscious, upfront fruit. A year in which  the wines are drinking superbly young, i.e. now, and if cellaring, have a look in 2010.
Reds: Awesome, concentrated, rich, complex fruit with lots of upfrontness and loads of personality. Terrific styles-don’t miss out!