Bob McDonald

9.5

See previous Delectable note in December 2024. Amazingly pale for a 14 year old white. Aromatics of lemon, lanolin and wet straw. It hasn’t yet developed the toasty characters I was expecting, indicating still a long life ahead. Overall this is delicate on a light bodied leanish palate. Only 11% ABV. Lovers of big buttery Chardonnay may not appreciate this wine. 3 bottles left - I will try and have the next one in 12 to 18 months. — 19 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

See previous Delectable notes. The colour is dark Ruby red. Floral aromatics of violets and rose petals - a note of cracked pepper in this cooler vintage in a cooler terroir to begin with. Medium bodied with great concentration, persistence and length on the palate with red fruits, touches of meat and pepper. Gives up palate weight for those superb aromatics. My kind of wine (look at previous Delectable notes). — 3 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Lemon yellow in colour. Stone fruit (peach) and melon notes; medium to full bodied palate - low acid. A delicious Hunter Valley Chardonnay showing its warmer climate origins from the excellent 2014 vintage. A creamy leesy peachy luscious Chardonnay still producing the requisite acid cut. A pity there is not more of this made with a wider distribution. — 5 months ago

Mitch Finne

9.4

Fantastically fresh with a touch of richness. Pleasant stone fruit and light pear notes. Not a lick of astringent acid. Superb for $15. — a month ago

with Jason

Ross Hensley

9.0

Excellent example of New Zealand SVB Citrus forward good acidity. — 2 months ago

with J and Melba

Andrew Shaheen

9.0

Overachiever — 3 months ago

David Koenen

9.3

Gorgeous. Ripe exotic fruit, but with restraint, and tremendous minerality and focus. At its peak now if you’d ask me. — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Quite light straw colour . Slightly waxy toasty notes , lime cordial , lemon , white flowers . Really quite young and fresh. On the palate this has high acidity but a creamy , waxy note. Lime , grapefruit , lightly honied palate . Good length and lime, lightly toasty finish. Very fresh and vital . Really young still . From now and over the next 10-20 years . — 2 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

One doesn’t normally associate top flight Cabernet with the Hunter Valley but Lakes Folly , founded by ex surgeon Dr Max Lake (now past) turned that notion on its head and has been making top flight Cabernets for decades. This wine has strong mint aromas with some spice. Red fruited. Would stump a lot of tasters in a blind tasting as to its origins. If anyone can do Cabernets in the Hunter Valley it would be Lakes Folly. — 3 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Even though this wine is 27 years old I might have opened this a little early. This will cruise to its 40th birthday without a problem. This was the period when Hunter Valley decided to emulate the big ripe oaky styles of South Australia instead of sticking to the HV medium bodied savoury style which Maurice O’Shea himself pioneered back in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. A palate staining and concentrated palate of profound intensity with a black fruited perfume. An impressive wine but thankfully the Maurice O’Shea Shiraz of the last 10 to 15 years have returned to their medium bodied roots. — 6 months ago