It was a wonderful wine that somehow fell out of favour - and now there's a concerted push to return it to its former glory.
We're talking shiraz-pinot noir blends . . . known in the old days as Hunter Burgundy.
Nowadays, of course, call anything 'Burgundy' and you'll have the French wine police dusting off the guillotine, so shiraz-pinot it shall remain.
For many years, Hunter Burgundy was one of Australia's most desirable, long-living drops - best associated with legendary winemaker Maurice O'Shea, whose blending skills at McWilliams Mt Pleasant were revered.
He found that pinot brought a lightness and aromatic lift to the wine, yet there was still flavour aplenty and great ageing potential.
Now there's a growing band of Hunter winemakers who are determined that it should play a key role in the Hunter's wine future, not just its past.
Bruce Tyrrell and Scott Comyns are at the forefront.
"I remember having a yarn to Iain Riggs about it just before COVID and he felt the same as me - that as a region we should be pushing this wine," Tyrrell said.
"In fact, I think we should own shiraz-pinot. It's a hell of a lot easier to sell something if you're the only one doing it, or more importantly if you're the first one."
Comyns feels the same.
"As I get older I'm drinking more of those prettier, French-inspired styles of wine like shiraz-pinot," he said.
"And the fact that Maurice O'Shea was the first to do it makes it a natural link for the Hunter Valley.
"In fact, I do two versions at Comyns and Co - I do a shiraz-pinot and I also do a pinot dominant pinot-shiraz blend. They both do really well for us at the cellar door.
"For me, the key is getting the right shiraz to blend in the first place.
"The bigger shiraz style doesn't seem to work as well. You're after those medium-bodied, savoury wines with bright red fruit."
Tyrrell said the two varieties "just fit so well together".
"Try it with cabernet and it's not the same, but with shiraz you get that extra sweet fruit of pinot, it breaks the tannin down a bit and it's really clean and fresh," he said.
"This is something we can own, which gives us an advantage.
"Put out another shiraz, there's 20,000 of them out there now. But add pinot with some good medium-bodied to lighter shiraz and it's magic. Some of those old McWilliams Hunter Burgundies lasted 30 years."
There's a growing handful of Hunter winemakers in agreement: Mt Pleasant makes one, as does Silkman, Hart and Hunter and Macquariedale, to name just a few.
Several former Hunter winemakers have taken the blend with them to their new ventures.
Sarah Crowe (formerly Bimbadgen) produces one for the Yarra Yering label, while Simon Steele (Brokenwood) produces one for another Yarra Valley winery, Medhurst Wines.
In Orange, Jeff Byrne (Audrey Wilkinson) makes a shiraz-pinot under his Byrne Farm label.
They can't all be wrong . . . if you haven't tried one, do yourself a favour.
WINE REVIEWS
Extra brings the charm
Tyrrell's Special Release
Shiraz Pinot Noir, 2022
$38
This is a blend of 90 per cent shiraz and 10 per cent pinot noir - but doesn't that 10 per cent make a difference. It gives the nose a huge floral lift and brings a silky charm to the texture. Dark cherries and plums, earthy, terrific length and a bright, savoury acidity. Seriously good drinking.
Cellar, or put away now
Mount Pleasant Mount Henry
Shiraz Pinot Noir, 2022
$40
Deep ruby red with a spicy, red cherry and violet nose. A blend of 82 per cent shiraz and 18 pinot noir. So slippery and soft in the mouth, with cherries, blueberries and plum. A juicy, fleshy mid-palate, and a web of super-fine tannin. This could cellar really well, but it tastes so good now. Your call.
Dramatic aromatics
Comyns & Co Reserve
Shiraz Pinot Noir, 2021
$55
This has the highest ratio of pinot - 25 per cent - and the aromatics are through the roof. Those same flavour profiles apply - cherries and red fruits, savoury, velvety on the tongue, and a core of sweet fruit. A charmer. Comyns also does a less expensive ($35) pinot dominant blend. Again, very good.
