Our Wines
Sparkling Wines
Our logo of Dionysian dancers draws on the Greek wine tradition. Women, followers of the god of wine, joined in communion with him by drinking wine and frenzied dancing. We found this image in the Dionysian theater of the ruined Greco-Roman wine trading city of Jerash in the middle east. We make our Spritzanti and Sparkling wines in this tradition they are party wines you can celebrate with on all occasions.Spritzanti Lizzie
The Spritzanti Semillon Lizzie is another party wine. Made as a wedding wine it has restrained bubbles, more spritzig really, is sweeter with complex flavours that can satisfy your thirst. Great to welcome your guests or with cake and desserts when a sticky just won’t do.
Sparkling Red
The John Basil was made with a base wine of Merlot and undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle, using the traditional method. Currently unavailable.
Rosalind Blush
The Sangiovese grape variety lends itself to the Charmat process of secondary fermentation producing fine delicate long-lasting bubbles – and a refreshing vibrant exciting wine ideal for our Australian lifestyle.
The wine has a bright translucent blush appearance with fine bubbles that persist. It has a crisp attractive nose with fresh strawberry and watermelon, an excellent structure with a good mouthfeel, crisp fruit on the palate with a slightly savoury and long lasting finish. It is rather moreish!
White Wines
Our white wines include classic Hunter Semillon, the Angus, grown on the creek bed soils. The flavours of Hunter Semillon are seen as unique due to The Terroir of the Hunter Valley here it is a mix of warm climate, mid to late summer rainfall, with clay on limestone and sandy Rothbury creek bed soil types are quintessential to the styles we produce. Chardonnay cuttings originally came to the Hunter direct from Clos du Vougeot vineyard in Burgundy in the 1830’s. In our winery, we make a Chardonnay with grapes taken off Lovedale Road.Semillon
The most famous grape variety identified with the Hunter Valley. The terroir has moulded a unique style based on the vines planted on the well-drained creek bed soils and harvested early before the damaging summer rains. We have a one-hectare block on a tributary of the renowned Rothbury Creek. The grapes are hand picked, destemmed and pressed with minimal skin contact to avoid bitterness and only the free run juice is used. The must is cooled before undergoing a controlled fermentation in a stainless steel tank and early bottling to harness this wines freshness and vitality. This wine is unoaked in the classic Hunter tradition.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay, more than any other grape variety, is intrinsically sensitive and reflects both the Terroir and the approach of the winemaker. Our philosophy is to produce a wine that reflects the climate and rich limestone soil of the vineyard with a restrained influence from the winemaking process. We produce a leaner aromatic style with liveliness from the natural acid, typical appel, melon, peach and nectarine fruit well integrated with the restrained oak. You will find our Pebbles Brief Chardonnay has a unique, refined style that reflects our approach to winemaking and letting the fruit speak for itself. This Chardonnay should age well and you will be rewarded with its increasing complexity over time.
Rosé of Sangiovese
A much sought after rose style made following 2 hours of skin contact after destemming the Sangiovese grapes. The juice is bleed off and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. It is fined and bottled early to preserve its fruitfulness. The wine is fresh and fruity with cranberry and cherry flavours and a flowery aroma. For Sydney summer lunches and modern Australian cuisine with a touch of Asian influence.
Classic White
This is a new style of wine for us a White blend of Semillon and Chardonnay, two of the top white verities of the Hunter. Currently out of stock.
Red Wines
Our red wines include a highly rated traditional style long lasting Hunter Shiraz and highly rated Justine Merlot from the clay on the limestone soils. A Cabernet-Merlot blend remains one of our most popular wines. They exhibit great varietal character. We have pioneered Sangiovese in the Hunter, a well-matched climate, producing a Rosato di Jupiter, a straight Saphira Sangiovese as well as the blended style of Sangiovese Catherine Di'M.Merlot
As in Bordeaux, Merlot is best grown on elevated hilltop clay soil which we have a 1.3-hectare block. The roots are protected from drying out by the clay and with crop thinning we achieve rich ripe fruit. Initial barrel and stainless steel fermentation are transferred to French oak barrels for malolactic ferment and aged for about 12-16 months. The colour is purple red with rich dark berry flavours. The wines structure and ageing potential are excellent.
Shiraz
Planted on the middle slope with a northeasterly aspect and good drainage, the chocolate clay on limestone contributes to the vibrant fruit we produced from this block. About 20% of the juice is barrel fermented, the rest in stainless steel. The wines undergo malolactic fermentation in French and American oak and are aged for 12-16 months. About 1/3 new oak is used each year. Typically medium to dark red colours with blackberries, chocolate, tobacco and Hunter sweet tar & leather characters. The tannins are soft and round with a lingering taste. The wines reflect the seasons being more intense in dry years.
Classic Red
This is a blended style of wine, made of Shiraz one of Australia’s most popular styles. Made from locally sourced fruit.
Sangiovese
The noble grape of Italy – Sangiovese has proved very successful in our vineyard for its flavours and style. The climate is warm during the growing season and can rain at harvest time just like Tuscany! Catherine Di’M Sangiovese/Merlot Blend is made in a Super Tuscan style, a perfect match with any meal. Saphira Sangiovese is produced only in the best years, this wine is aged in 30% new oak and the remainder in old oak barrels. It is bottled after one year and held for another year before release. They are medium body reds, ruby in colour with aromas of blackberries, cherries and redcurrant. The tannins are soft, dry and persistent. Recommended with spicy sauced pasta and mild tasting red meats. Currently only available to Club Members.
Cabernet Merlot
For those who enjoy the Cabernet Merlot blend of Bordeaux classics, The James, this has the addition of Hunter softness that comes from our Terroir. The low yielding Cabernet Sauvignon grapes come from a well-drained creek bed site while the Merlot enjoys the clay soil at the top of the hill. The nose is attractive with those dark berry aromas allied to gently toasted oak. Tintilla Estate Cabernet Merlot is generally medium bodied with well-balanced fruit, oak and fine tannins. There is a good persistent finish. Ideally matched with food where the balance between flavours should not be one sided.
Fortified Wines
A fine old Hunter tradition is to produce liquor wines. In this process the fermentation is arrested, while the sugar level is still quite high, with the addition of Brandy spirit, producing a fruit rich naturally sweet wine. The wine is barrel fermented and left on lees for about 10 months after fortifying to gain in complexity. It is then either bottled as a Vintage Liquor Wine or Aged in a Tawny style. We use our Shiraz and Semillon grapes in this process, with limited edition barrel aged fortified Semillon and barrel aged fortified Shiraz.Edwardo Fortified Semillon
An aperitif style of wine made by arresting the Semillon ferment at a Beaume of 9 with pure alcohol. The wine is aged for six to twelve months in old oak and bottled as a vintage style. A complex wine best served chilled with a slice of lime. At 18.5% alcohol, it is a great party starter.
Vincento 10-year Barrel Aged Fortified Semillon
Liqueur fortified wines were the backbone of our early winemaking industry, having the ability to travel well and bring great pleasure to the consumer. Semillon, the great white grape of the Hunter, lends itself into making this liqueur wine, named after St. Vincent the patron saint of the wine grape grower.
Shortland Fortified Shiraz
Made from rich ripe Shiraz grapes. The fermentation is arrested at a Beaume of 9 with the addition of Brandy and pure alcohol. The must is aged on the lees and racketed at six months. The wine is bottled unfiltered to obtain maximum flavours. Recommended to enjoy in front of a log fire with cheese and good company.
Old Parish 21-year Barrel Aged Fortified Shiraz
From our first vintage at Tintilla Estate in 1997 we decided to make a small quantity of Fortified wine to sell initially as a vintage style but we also put aside some of this rich fruity wine for extended ageing & blending in a “solera”, composed of vintages going back some 25 yrs plus.