You can generally get the feel of a cellar door the moment you walk inside. Not that I pre-judge before sitting down but you can just tell by the enjoyment on the faces of others in the space and how the cellar door crew are going about their business.
When we walked into Usher Tinkler Cellar Door it was immediate to me that this was going to be a memorable experience. There was a good level of chatting amongst those seated at the tables with the occasional laughter breaking the hum of conversation, and the music was at a good ‘white noise’ volume that allowed for such conversation to flow easily.
The cellar door crew seemed to be well in tune with where people were in the stage of their tasting at every table. They engaged with them for an appropriate length of time so as not to impinge on the punter’s time with friends and/or family.
We were welcomed by Ed who directed us to a comfortable, Chesterfield style couch where everything was ready to go. There were eight wines on the list to try and, after reading the notes, I was keen to try every single one of them. It just seemed the right thing to do…of course.
Things kicked off very nicely with the spritely, minerally and flavoursome 2022 La Volpe Prosecco. Up next was the 2022 Death by Semillon and I really savoured this. It was different but good different with the texture and touch of funk really piquing my interest. The 2022 Usher Tinkler White is soooo easy drinking. It is freshness and flavour in a bottle.
The 2021 Reserve Chardonnay is pretty special, even ‘classy’ would be a better word. Everything is so in balance. The fruit profile, the oak presence, a little funkiness and the fine acidity all coupled with elegance and persistence.
Rosé has come along in leaps and bounds in recent years and here is another to get into your glass. The 2022 Usher Tinkler Rosé is a savoury delight and, it was lucky Ed didn’t leave the bottle with us, if you get my drift. 🙂
The Enneagram from the current 2023 vintage was definitely a curiosity wine for me. Made up of nine varieties, deliberately brought together (not leftovers) resulting in a wine that will, without a doubt, disappear quickly when friends are around.
Juiciness, flavour and drinkablility await under the screwcap of the 2022 Usher Tinkler Red. A delightful blend of Shiraz and Pinot Noir that is pretty in the glass and pretty damn good to taste and drink as well.
No additives, preservative free, no fining, no filtration? No problem. The 2023 Rebirth Shiraz has all of these attributes plus lovely and rich dark berry fruits, silky smooth tannins and plenty of personality.
A special way to finish was with a taste of the Mr T’s Rare Batch No#8 fortified Verdelho blend. A delicious, palate coating wine that is sweet but in such a way as to make it balanced and moreish rather than rich and syrupy. A delight!
When visiting the Hunter Valley, make sure you include the smaller artisan winemakers like Usher Tinkler. His array of wines are made up of fruit from his own vineyards and also have plenty of interest and intrigue blended into them.
Words from a Wine Glass 