January 2012 E-Newsletter

A Year in Review and a Year to Look Forward to

2011 proved to be an amazing year for Gundog Estate.

The harvest was mixed with the typical highs and lows

that characterise grape growing, and agriculture in gen-

eral. Extremely difficult growing conditions finally

cleared in the Hunter just in time for the critical harvest

months of January and February. In fact, sudden hot

weather accelerated ripening and advanced sugar levels

to unusual highs; the result being fantastically generous

styles of Semillon, and outstanding Shiraz with great fruit

drive.

However, as the skies above the Hunter cleared for vin-

tage, the rest of Australia, including Canberra, suffered at

the hands of high rainfall and cool temperatures. While

we are able to harvest our earlier-picked Cabernet Sauvi-

gnon to make our vibrant Rosé, our Shiraz was left on the

vine; simply running out of days to ripen. The lack of a

Canberra Shiraz has left a hole in our production, and

will present challenges for us in 2012 as we try to keep

up with demand. However we are extremely excited by

the imminent release of our first vintage (2011) of Hunter

Valley Shiraz, which we hope to launch in March.

Much of the current demand for our wines is being gener-

ated as a result of the opening of our Pokolbin cellar

door, the Gundog Hunter Cellar & Gourmet Pantry. A

huge development for our family, the cellar door has ex-

ceeded all expectations and has proven to be a great fo-

rum for meeting new members and spreading the word

about our wines. We have also been flattered by the sup-

port shown by the local wine producers, and hospitality

businesses for the new cellar door.

Response to our wines by wine media in 2011 was also

fantastic. Aside from a great spread of reviews across the

range, we also received a prestigious five star winery

rating in the 2012 Wine Companion written by leading

wine critic James Halliday. This was a landmark

achievement for Gundog Estate and certainly represents

one of the great highlights for 2011. The other excep-

tional piece of recognition arrived in the December edi-

tion of Gourmet Traveller Magazine (see article next

page), where another of Australia’s leading wine critics,

Max Allen, named Gundog Estate one of the most excit-

ing new brands for 2011.

I believe much of the media attention we received was in

response to our focussed, premium, single-vineyard and

single-variety approach to winemaking. We were also

rewarded for experimentation, and pushing the bounda-

ries of conventional winemaking with wines like the 2011

Gundog Wild Semillon and the 2011 Semi-Sweet Semil-

lon. Both wines met with great praise in the cellar door,

particularly the Wild Semillon, selling out after only a

couple of months. In 2012, we look to further advance

these styles, and to introduce additional innovative and

(hopefully) revolutionary wines into the range.

Another highlight for 2011 was the release of our flag-

ship Shiraz—the 2010 Marksman’s. Produced in a very

cool season, where low yields enhanced flavour and con-

centration, we knew this wine would be special when the

fruit arrived at the winery. Crafted in a style to age, the

Marksman’s pays homage to the Syrah produced along

the Rhone Valley in France and typifies the quality of

super-premium, single vineyard, cool climate Shiraz.

Launched in November, we’ve already sold a third of the

tiny (150 dozen) production.

In 2012 we will also compliment our premium wine and

food offering with the opening of the Gundog Hunter’s

Retreat; a freshly renovated single-bedroom apartment

attached to our cellar door in the heart of Hunter Valley

wine country. Perfect for weekend or mid-week escapes,

the accommodation offering has been tailored around the

needs of our members. This has been an exciting project

for the last part of 2011, and we’ll let you know as soon

as it’s ready (hopefully end of February).

So as the Hunter vineyards dramatically approach harvest

time, we are preparing for another big year at Gundog

Estate. Whatever the new year holds, our approach to

winemaking and business will remain focussed around

quality above all else, and we will hold true to the phi-

losophies that have underpinned our business from the

outset. Most importantly, we very much look forward to

sharing another vintage with our fantastic cellar club

members, whose support in 2011 was overwhelming.

All the best for 2012!

MB

Media Cl ippings

GUNDOG 2009 SHIRAZ

―Here’s a nice surprise. Beautifully

made. If I were dishing out medals I’d

give it a gold on smell alone. Ripe

brambly black fruit, cream, lavender

and Chinese five spice lends it an ex-

otic perfume – larger format oak I be-

lieve, and it matches the Canberra fruit

perfectly. It’s medium weight, con-

trolled, silky and chocolaty through the

mouth with a fine web of tannin, unob-

trusive acidity and dry spicy finish.

Plenty of charm and class. Lovely

wine. Effortless drinkability too.‖

93 points

Friday Sept 30, 2011 by Gary Walsh

www.winefront.com.au

Class of 2011 “Max Allen tasted thousands of wines this

year: these are his favourite new

Australian labels.”

“GUNDOG ESTATE, HUNTER VALLEY

Matt Burton—named as Hunter Valley Rising Star for

2010—is producing some excellent bottles under his

family’s label, Gundog Estate, from vineyards in Can-

berra and the Hunter. Unlike most Hunter sems, which

are very cleanly made, Burton’s 2011 wild Semillon was

fermented partially on skins, using natural yeasts. The

result is a white wine with sem’s usual chalky purity plus

some wonderful textural complexity and a lick of sweet-

ness.‖

December 2011, by Max Allen

Summer showers continue through the month of December, which is unseasonably cool. The vines are flourishing

and as the flowers transform into baby grape bunches and ―fruit set‖ occurs we watch closely for evidence of downy

or powdery mildew which can devastate the crop. So far so good. The ―growing‖ period of the viticultural year is a

fascinating time of change in the vineyard. One of the happy truths of life in the vineyard at this time is the opportu-

nity for contemplation one is allowed, as the vines demand hours of routine attention and inspection.

Recently I have become interested in how some seemingly unrelated events and situations can in fact be syndetically

linked, even at a personal level. Here is an example, with a story that begins around forty years ago.

On my first visit to Africa as a young film-maker in a market stall in Nairobi I came across a box of very old and well

worn glass trinkets mostly around the size of kids’ playing marbles and many with a small hole through them. They

were all characterised by strong and beautiful colours impregnating the glass and formed in complex patterns. This

was my introduction to trade beads, sometimes called slave beads, in acknowledgement of their most common trans-

action. Between the 16th and 20th centuries these coloured beads were used

by European and Arab traders to purchase gold, ivory and other goods as

well as human cargo. So extensive was their use that returning slave ships

were able to use their cargo of trade beads as ballast. African communities

had been trading with one another for more than 30,000 years using all sorts

of commodities as currency, but it was the introduction of the glass European

beads that really established the concept of portable, non-perishable wealth –

wealth that could be accumulated and easily displayed as evidence of status.

In subsequent visits to different parts of Africa, especially to the trading nations of the West African coast, I was able

to find many examples of these beautiful remnants of colonial foreign exchange. Unlike other currencies, like gold

and silver, whose value is linked to the metals’ scarcity, or banknotes that represented a promise to pay, the value of

trade beads was assessed purely on their physical beauty. This in practice had to represent an aesthetic negotiation

and agreement between all parties to a transaction. It was a cruel irony that these most beautiful of man-made objects

were primarily used for the darkest and most despicable of human trades.

It was when trying to find out more about the manufacture and supply of these small glass gems that the connection

to my world of fine wine was made. For 600 years the Venetian glassmakers dominated the production of trade

beads but there were several other important production centres within Europe, including Holland and Czechoslova-

kia. A major decorative glass producer in the late sixteen and seventeenth centuries was Johann Leopold Riedel, the

third generation of the Riedel family to manufacture glass in their Bohemia forest glass factory. Could this be the

same Riedel family company now producing the most exciting range of wine glasses in the world?

The history of the Riedel family reads like an abridged history of Europe starting with ―Ur Riedel‖ – the original

Riedel, Johann Christoph, who traded in glass and was murdered on the road in 1723, thieves believing he was carry-

ing a lot of money. Succeeding generations had to steer the fortunes of the family’s glass making around the Seven

Years War, the Bavarian War of Succession, the Napoleonic Wars and World War One. All of these conflicts and

political upheavals had significant impacts on the Riedel family and business and required innovation in glass prod-

ucts and great business acumen to keep the Riedel name at the forefront of glass. Most devastating was the Russian

internment, for ten years, of Walter Riedel, the 8th generation glassmaker, following the nationalisation of the Riedel

Company by the Czechoslovakian government as the Russians marched into Poland in 1945.

The modern history of Riedel is down to Walter’s son Claus who in 1946 leapt to freedom from a train in the Brem-

mer Pass and landed in Austria where, with funds loaned by the Swarovski family, he took over a bankrupt glass-

works and the Riedel factory of today was established (continued next page...).

Geoff’s Letter From the Vineyard 14th January

Here’s a fantastic wine blog I’ve been following of late.

Andrea Frost manages to blend a thorough understanding

of wine with tremendous passion and creativity. She

seems to have a wonderful ability to evoke emotion from

the reader through her well thought-out and entertaining

essays. Here is a snippet of her latest post, with the link

following. MB

“The Invention of Wine God was sitting on one side of the boardroom table with

his back against the window. A man walked in and intro-

duced himself as Kevin from the Innovation Depart-

ment.―Very well, let’s get on with this. I still need to hear

presentations from several other departments,‖ said God

who’d been listening to pitches on how best to allocate

his resources when he launched Earth in a few months’

time. ―So,‖ he said, looking down at his notes, ―your idea

is something called wine? Righto Kev, let’s hear it,‖ he

said, leaning back into his chair, but not before grabbing

a couple of mints from the bowl in the middle of the

boardroom table…‖

Click here to read more...

It was Claus Riedel who took the family in the new direction of stemware – unadorned, delicate, fine wine glasses

and in 1961 he displayed for the first time his vision of glasses specially made to enhance specific styles of wine. In

1973 the handmade Sommeliers series changed the world of wineglasses forever. The tenth and eleventh generation

of Riedels, Georg and Maximilian, continue the innovations with the introduction of the Vinum glasses and the

Riedel O – stemless wine glasses which are also wine specific.

No longer do glass Trade Beads appear in the Riedel catalogues but they do turn up in antique salesrooms, in African

flea markets and adorning the necks and wrists of women all over the world as modern jewellery designers fashion

them into their creations. It does seem these Riedel products are linked in a way – through their creativity and inno-

vation. Johann Leopold’s son and grandson led the world in the development of glass rod drawing equipment and the

creation of new colours such as yellow and green uranium glass.

There is an odd but satisfying pleasure in enjoying a glass of our best wine

from its specific Riedel glass whilst admiring a handful of centuries old Riedel

trade beads. All that history and all that creativity – all for our enjoyment.

Matthew’s decision to provide appropriate Riedel glasses for all wine tasting

in our Hunter Cellar Door was one that Sharon and I readily agreed to. We try

very hard to make the best wines possible; it seems disrespectful not to present

them in the world’s best wine glasses.

Best wishes for the New Year, from the vineyard,

Geoff Burton

GUNDOG ESTATE

Gundaroo NSW

Geoff’s Letter From the Vineyard cont inued...

Wine blog to watch...

Ingredients

“Recently a friend invited me to a launch put on by a

boutique wine producer called GunDog Estate. Operated

by the Burton family in the Hunter Valley and Canberra

regions of NSW, Australia, the GunDog folk were in

Melbourne to launch four of their marvelous wines: a

2009 Shiraz, 2011 Semillon, the 2010 Markman’s Shiraz

and their prize-winning 2011 Rosé. Well-matched snacks

(read: freshly shucked oysters and semillon) and wonder-

ful company made for a truly lovely afternoon, but that

evening at home, one moment kept playing over and over

in my mind; it was the moment just after the first sip of

rosé, when the wine’s bright, red fruitiness was suddenly

– so elegantly – kicked over by a perfectly crisp, dry

finish. It was some kind of magic.

This magic moment was offered to guests by the Burton

family alongside a canapé of duck confit on gingerbread

with fresh sliced grapes. This, upon reflection, seemed

pretty genius to me; not only for its pairing with the rosé,

but for the little savoury bite’s use of gingerbread as a

base. Foolishly distracted by the wine and aforemen-

tioned lovely company, I didn’t get around to trying one.

Needless to say, this

only heightened my

obsession. To exor-

cise this wild rumina-

tion over that single

moment and the can-

apé that could have

been, I sat down one

warm afternoon last

week with a bottle

and this little crea-

tion. Let’s just say it

was another very

lovely afternoon.‖

You can follow blogger Alexia Kannas at

www.honestcooking.com, and enjoy her fantastic Ginger-

bread Pancakes with Duck and Fresh Cherries recipe

below. The dish is no doubt a great accompaniment to

the 2011 Gundog Estate Rosé!

Another great b log...

Makes 30 small pancakes

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

1 tablespoon sugar

teaspoon salt

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

butter, to grease pan

150 gm duck rillettes

30 fresh cherries, pitted and sliced in half

fresh tarragon, to garnish

Method

1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda,

spices, sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk to

combine.

2. In a smaller bowl, whisk egg with melted butter,

then add buttermilk and whish gently until just

combined.

3. Make a well in centre of dry ingredients and pour

in buttermilk. Whisk very gently until just com-

bined; mixture will be lumpy and uneven.

4. Heat a cast iron pan to medium hot and add a

small knob of butter. Pour 1 tablespoon of batter

for cocktail-sized pancakes. When bubbles appear

on the surface of the batter, flip pancakes to cook

other side. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing

pan when necessary.

5. When pancakes have cooled, top each with a scant

teaspoon of room-temperature rilettes and fresh

sliced cherry halves. Garnish with tarragon leaves.

Boeuf en croûte

We took full advantage of the cool conditions over Christmas to enjoy some slightly more traditional and complex

dishes. The Christmas Eve dinner at the Burton family home, though slightly competitive, is a result of the combined

efforts of Matt and Geoff. This year we came together to produce a three course feast including a Salt-Cod Brandade,

and this classic Boeuf en croûte, or Beef Wellington, as the English would have it. This recipe comes from the

French Kitchen cookbook by Serge Dansereau (owner and Head Chef at the Bather’s Pavilion in Balmoral).

The wines for the evening were; 2007 Peirro Chardonnay (served with the entree) followed by a 2004 Clonakilla

Shiraz Viognier, and finally a 1983 Penfolds Grange Hermitage—all drank brilliantly!

Fine Food & Gundog Estate Wines

Ingredients

Serves 4

800g beef tenderloin, centre cut

4 tbsp vegetable oil

100g butter

500g large field mushrooms, peeled, stems re-

moved and roughly chopped

4 French shallots, finely chopped

1 tsp thyme leaves

12 slices prosciutto

1 x 25cm sheet butter puff pastry

2 free-range egg yolks, well beaten, for egg wash

Method

Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat half of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter

in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the beef and cook for 5 minutes on all sides, or until well seared. Remove to

a plate and allow to cool.

Place the mushrooms in a food processor and process until very finely chopped. Heat the remaining oil and remain-

ing butter in a frying pan over high heat. Add the shallots and sweat for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms and cook

for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushroom mixture is very dry. Remove from the heat,

season to taste, then add the thyme leaves. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

Arrange half of the prosciutto slices on a sheet of plastic wrap so they are as wide as the tenderloin—the slices should

slightly overlap. Spread the mushrooms over the prosciutto. Lay the beef on mushrooms and roll the plastic wrap

over to cover the beef. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Remove the plastic wrap and lay the prosciutto-wrapped beef in the centre of the pastry sheet. Brush the egg wash

along the sides of the pastry, fold the pastry over to cover the beef, trim the excess pastry, then fold and seal each end

to make a neat parcel. Brush the top with the egg wash. Add some cut pastry leaves for decoration and brush with the

egg wash. Use the tines of a fork to press and seal the edges of the pastry and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Place the beef in the oven and cook for 5-10 minutes until golden, then reduce the oven to 140°C, opening the oven

door for a minute to help lower the temperature. Cook for a further 20 minutes until you have a nice, juicy pink re-

sult. Rest for 5 minutes.

Place the beef on a cutting board, cut both ends, then cut in two in the middle and each half in two again to achieve

four portions. Place each portion on a warm plate and serve with red wine sauce and sautéed green beans.