2009 Barwang Reds Showcase Classic Hilltops Vintage
The high altitude of the vines and cooling breezes from the Great Dividing Range has built the Hilltops a reputation for producing some of the country's most distinctive, high quality regional red wines.
Combined with classic vintage conditions, the release of the 2009 Barwang Shiraz and 2009 Barwang Cabernet Sauvignon showcases the strength of this emerging region.
The previous 2007 and 2008 vintages experienced some challenging conditions with drought in 2007 and heatwaves in 2008, but the 2009 returned to textbook, classic conditions of the Hilltops – warm, gentle, even temperatures which delivered bright aromatics and richness on the palate.
“The 2009 Barwang Cabernet Sauvignon and 2009 Barwang Shiraz both showcase a perfect marriage between power and elegance with benchmark Hilltops character,” Barwang Winemaker, Andrew Higgins said.
After serving in the Second World War as a rear-gunner with Pilot John Seppelt, sheep and wheat farmer Peter Robertson developed a deep interest in wine. Following an extreme drought in 1969, Robertson decided to diversify his crop planting the first vines in New South Wales' Hilltops region. Cleverly noting areas where wheat had thrived, Robertson planted in likeminded contours of the land.
Both Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon have thrived in the region showing full flavoured, but elegant and subtle characteristics.
“Our philosophy is to create premium wines with finesse and elegance. The Hilltops region, at an altitude of 520 metres is developing into a very exciting winegrowing region and we are really tapping into its true potential,” explained winemaker Andrew Higgins.
2009 Barwang Shiraz – Hilltops, NSW
The vibrant red purple colour opens to perfumed aromas of black spice, red cherry and plum that jump out of the glass with a subtle vanillin undertone. The palate is elegant and shows red fruits with supple and savoury tannins on the mid-palate. A lingering depth of spicy fruits and balanced oak complete the wine.
2009 Barwang Cabernet Sauvignon – Hilltops, NSW
Brooding aromas of dark chocolate, mulberry and freshly shaven graphite combine to give a complex, intensely lifted wine. This nose opens to a palate of black currant and mulberry fruits supported by a framework of structured tannin that adds length and body.
