First Creek 'Hunter Valley' Chardonnay 2018

First Creek have exceptional vineyard resources in the Hunter Valley, Orange and Hilltops regions of NSW. In a roundabout way they began when Greg Silkman bought The Tamburlaine winery in 1986, then went on to acquire Allanmere Wines before buying up even more high quality vineyards. Winemaker Liz has an amazing palate which is evident by her being awarded dux of the prestigious Len Evans tutorial, which James Halliday describes as the most exclusive wine school in the world. She has also been crowned Winemaker of the year at the Hunter Valley Legends awards. We can very happily vouch for their quality, as does James Halliday. Halliday rates First Creek Wines as a 5-red star producer, and offers the following… ‘The quality of the wines has been consistently exemplary, and there is every reason to believe this will continue in the years to come.’

Most notable for being the first major wine region in Australia, the Hunter Valley had vines planted as early as 1789. The authorities at the time encouraged wine production, thinking that folks overindulging wine was preferable to filling up on strong spirits. Responsible Drinking back in the 1700's!

History

It was James Busby, after snapping up a chunk of the valley between Branxton and Singleton, who ushered in the region's (and in large part Australia's) presence on the world stage as a notable producer of acclaimed wines. Busby travelled throughout Europe and South Africa in 1831 collecting cuttings from over 500 vineyards, including Syrah from Hermitage in the Rhône. Many of these were planted in the Hunter, and notables like George Wyndham (Wyndham Estate) used cuttings from Busby's Kirkton vineyards. By 1876 there were approximately 1800 vines in the Hunter, and vineyards were growing north and south along the valley.

And all the hard work was