Bunnamagoo Estate is located on the outskirts of Mudgee and this was a surprise to me because I went to Mudgee but I didn't see the winery on its list of cellar doors to visit. Apparently, the winery is in the process of completing construction of its cellar door along Henry Lawson Drive, which I was told that it will be completed this June 2009. I was also told that the winery will have the third biggest winery in Mudgee, the first being Oatley and the second being Andrew Harris Vineyards. At the Easter Show, I had the opportunity to taste their wines and meet winemaker, Robert Black. In the 2009 James Halliday Wine Companion, the winery was given four stars, which is considered a very good producer.
According to the handouts they were giving out. The soils of their vineyards are deep, volcanic basalts and this contributes to the great complexity of their wines. The Estate produces a range of wines such as their pinot noir-chadonnay sparking and their botrytis Semillon. They have two ranges of wines, the Mount Lawson Range, which is their entry label wines priced from $15 onwards and their Bunnamagoo Range, which is from $20 onwards. I find them well priced and of good value after tasting both their ranges.
As I tasted their wines, I noticed an emerging pattern in their wines. A consistency of French oak is apparent in Robert's wines but 3 wines that day caught my attention.
Bunnamagoo 2006 Shiraz 15% alch
Nose of blackberry, chocolate, sweet and fruity. An enticing nose with hints of complexity. On the palate, medium bodied, balanced vanillan oak and smooth tannins. What I like about this wine is that it doesn't have the heat from the alcohol or taste excessively ripe. At $20 lovely to drink.
Bunnamagoo 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon 14.5% alch
Nose of blackberry, vanillan, blackcurrant leaf. On the palate, cedar, fine grained tannins, The mid-palate doesn't die off but is substituted by the cedary oak and gives the wine some extra length.
Bunnamagoo 2006 Autumn Semillon 9% alch (375ml)
A botrytised wine with a nice label featuring a piece of art taken from the Kids Earth Fund Collection (http://www.kidsearthfund.org.au/). The proceeds of each sale goes to the fund to enrich the lives of the children through art. The estate doesn't earn much margin from this wine. Cost $15 per bottle
Aromas of apricots, honey, lemon rind and slight cedary oal. With 9% alch, the wine is easy to drink with citrus acidity to match the sweetness. Makes a wonderful and affordable gift to ladies, and supports a good cause.
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