Ernest Hill are a boutique producer from the Hunter Valley. They make several Shiraz wines that typically sell out rather quickly via their mailing list, however they also have some good quality whites and a range of dessert wines. On the white front today we have the Ernest Hill “Rosalie Joan” Verdelho 2008.
Quite aromatic with lime zest, rose petals and hints of lychee. The palate is dry with just a hint of sweetness, showing lemon, lime and fresh pineapple flavours, a little honey and a riesling-like acidic backbone. A serious white wine, decent length too.
Bravo Ernest Hill for showing us that Hunter Verdelho can be more than tropical cordial. The lychee/rose petal aromas remind me of Guwurztraminer, accordingly the wine pairs rather well with a spicy thai curry.
Score: 91/100
Price: $20
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.1%
Other Opinions: Ernest Hill
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, we have a couple more bottles to enjoy this summer
So far this is my pick of the Verdelho on the market today - well, the portion of the market I have tried at least! This Verdelho isn’t a wafer thin, watered-down, tropical-flavoured wine “drink” - this is, believe it or not, a great little drop of wine!
Sure, some of those aspects are there; the tropical fruit flavours and the strong, full-bodied “fresh” sensation from when you serve it perfectly chilled. What sets this Verdelho out from the pack, though, is that has a lovely spice/acidity to it, much similar to my favourite Semillon blends. And as with some of my favourite Semillons, this Vedelho and Thai food works wonders, a delicious contrast to the potent Thai flavours that I enjoy.
Some people have written off Verdelho completely as a poor, tasteless man’s white wine - based on the Tamburlaine Verdelho though, I don’t see how. Verdelho is definitely here to stay, and for some value-infused everyday-drinking I’m glad it is! Sure, a lot of the Verdelho I’ve tried since has been sub-par, but it’ll all be worth it if I can find more like this one.
Also did you know the first Australian Verdelho was (supposedly) in Camden? I should investigate this history of wine more closely I think, perhaps in my mouth, especially since it is right around the corner from where I now work! As another side note, glad to see a website that still uses blinking text!
Would I buy this wine again? I’m sure the 2003 vintage is long gone, but I’ll definitely be picking up future vintages from our good organic friends over at Tamburlaine! Also, good to see Tamburlaine wine at Woolworth’s Liquor of late! I should poke my head in for a Vedelho over summer…
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