Easy Hunter Valley charm from Degen Estate

Sasha Degen slipped a few bottles of the Degen estate wines into a box for me to take home during my 36-hour Hunter adventure back in July. Now they’re open on the cold, hard (white) light of the tasting bench and looking alright.

Sourced from what the Degens call ‘the smallest commercial vineyard in the lower Hunter Valley’ on their property just over the hill east of Bimbadgen, the range here is focused on Chardonnay, Semillon & Shiraz. Degen Estate is part of a pack of small wine Hunter Valley wine producers that you just don’t see outside of the region, with wines sold at cellar door, without the volume to go much further. Consistency is the biggest problem with these boutique operations, especially as winemaking can shift around a bit, but I thought these Degen wines offered plenty of approachable aged Hunter Valley drinking.

Anyway, a few highlights.

Degen Estate Chardonnay 2016

Fully mature, but gee, you wouldn’t pick this as eight years old! Golden straw in the glass. There’s a hot of lanolin and biscuit with some chubby edges, but more a lean style underneath than something bold. Indeed, it’s really lemon citrussy with this sandy Semillon-like mode to it. I really don’t mind this.

Best drinking: nowish. 17.7/20, 92/100. 12.3%, $50.

Degen Estate Shiraz 2016

Eight years old and looking just fine. Red earth, leather, a little dusty caramel, dark chocolate and plum. It’s savoury, even a little mushroomy and spicy, but ripe and plenty generous enough. Again, there’s an easy mid-weight ease to this – secondary, yet not old, and really quite drinkable in a particular Hunter way.

Best drinking: nowish, no hurry. 17.5/20, 91/100. 13%, $30.

Degen Estate Shiraz 2018

Diffuse red plum fruit nose and a light, cherried palate with a distinctive Hunter red earth streak and a light and juicy frame. In good health and very youthful, with easy primary fruit. It lacks the more throaty intensity compared to the 2016, but pleasant drinking.

Best drinking: nowish. 17/20, 90/100. 13%, $30.