McWilliam's Hanwood Estate Pinot Noir 2008 Highly Recommended by Whom You Know! McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate Winery Accentuates the Good Life, Imported from Australia

Founded in 1877, McWilliam’s Wines is one of Australia’s oldest and most highly respected family-owned wineries.  The company has premium vineyards in Australia’s most important growing regions, including Coonawarra in South Australia (SA), Hunter Valley and Hilltops in New South Wales (NSW), Yarra Valley in Victoria (Vic) and the Riverina (SA).  The Riverina and Hanwood, in particular, are areas where John James McWilliam – the son of McWilliam’s founder, Samuel McWilliam – had originally identified as having the potential to service the growing domestic and export wine markets.  Whom You Know is pleased to kick off our coverage of McWilliam's, brought to the USA by Gallo!

From the very beginning, the McWilliam family has been dedicated to the craft of winemaking and the art of storytelling, which helps to continue their winemaking heritage over time.   In 1913, John James McWilliam planted the first vines at Hanwood, just a few miles south of the thriving agricultural town of Griffith in New South Wales.  Then in 1917, he established McWilliam’s Hanwood winery.  In fact, the family winery is famous for its two-story barrel-shaped tasting room adjacent to its aging cellars.  

Just as John James led the way in 1913, it was Glen McWilliam who pioneered the region’s profound shift from fine sherry styles and fortified wines to premium table wines during the mid-1950s.  Not only was he responsible for the trial of premium varieties previously unknown in the district, but he was also responsible for leading the way in developing the winery technology necessary to produce table wines in a hot summer climate.

Today, the Riverina is credited with producing more than two-thirds of New South Wales’ wine and almost one-quarter of Australia’s total wine production.  Currently, sixth-generation family member and spokesperson Scott McWilliam serves as an integral part of the winemaking team.  Scott is responsible for conducting all winemaking trials for McWilliam’s Wines and developing new wines from viticultural trials.  His involvement in developing innovative new programs to improve efficiency of winery and laboratory operations positions Scott to carry on the family tradition of crafting quality, premium Australian wines.  All of this guarantees consistently high quality from one vintage to the next.   

Rich in character, depth and tradition, McWilliam’s Wines are consistent winners in wine shows across the globe and have received overwhelming endorsements from both the American and Australian wine media.  In fact, this year McWilliam’s Wines was awarded the Most Successful Exhibitor trophy at the Royal Sydney Wine Show for an unprecedented 13 consecutive years.  In addition, McWilliam’s earned 15 gold medals across its portfolio at the prestigious wine show.  The winery was also recently named 2006 Winery of the Year by renowned wine writer and critic, Stuart Gregor.  Other notable awards include Gold at the 2007 Taster’s Guild, Chairman’s Best of Class at the 2006 Long Beach Grand Cru, Gold and Best of Class at the 2006 Los Angeles County Fair Wine Competition and Critics Gold at the 2006 Critics Challenge International Wine Competition. 

McWilliam’s Wines can be found in restaurants and fine wine shops throughout the world. 

Whom You Know kicked off our coverage of McWilliams with its newest wine: the Pinot Noir!

McWilliams Hanwood Estate 2008 Pinot Noir

McWilliam’s Wines, one of Australia’s most highly respected family‐owned wine companies, has been at the forefront of Australian winemaking since 1877. McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate wines, noted for their complexity and fresh fruit flavours, have been crafted from premium fruit sourced from renowned wine regions in South Eastern Australia.

Harvest Report

Most wine regions throughout South Eastern Australia experienced extreme heat during the harvest season, but many growers were able to pick the grapes and bring them into the winery before they were adversely affected by the extreme temperatures in early to mid March. Before the heat wave began, the growing season was fairly normal although came a bit earlier than in previous years. During January, just before harvest, rain helped to relieve a decade‐long draught throughout Australia and assisted in lessening the severity of the March heat wave. Industry experts agree that the 2008 harvest yielded high quality wines with concentrated fruit flavors despite the record heat in March.

Winemaker’s Notes

McWilliams' Pinot Noir grapes were harvested in mid‐February to late March, were crushed, and then sent to upright stainless steel fermentors for primary fermentation. Fermentation lasted about 10 days at 18‐25°C (64‐77°F) with minimal handling to reduce oxidisation. After primary fermentation, the wine completed malolactic fermentation to soften the acid structure and mouthfeel. About 15% of the Pinot Noir was aged in French oak barrels prior to bottling.

Taste Profile

Aromas: Cherry and floral

Flavours: Plush dark fruit of blackberry and dark cherry

Cellaring potential: Enjoy at the time of release for its fresh fruit flavours

Serving Temperature: Room temperature (18 °C)

Finished Wine

Grape Source: South Eastern Australia

Varietal Content: Pinot Noir

pH: 3.65

Residual Sugar: 0.24 g/100 ml

Titratable Acidity: 0.55 g/100 ml

Alcohol Level: 13.95%

Australian

The Champagne Wishes panel just loved the McWilliam's Hanwood Estate Pinot Noir 2008, and they stated:

Pinot Noir is supposedly the toughest grape to grow but when it does come out right under very particular conditions, the results are well worth it.  It's actually been described as aristocratic wine by some.  The Mediterranean-like climate in South Eastern Australia lends itself to yielding some of the finest Pinot Noir.  The McWilliam's Hanwood Estate Pinot Noir 2008 is a great wine to start with, if you're new to Pinot Noir.  It just may be the wine to win you over if you're not a typical red wine drinker.  The flavor is a lush, cherry and red berries-infused bouquet with some earthiness and a touch of oak.  It's on the dry side and acidic, but with an extra-smooth mouth feel, it's well-balanced and complex enough to be more interesting than your typical red.  It's actually one of the reds that pair well with fare that isn't likely to be paired with reds, such as duck, salmon, tuna, pork, and poultry.  I enjoyed my glass with a pork and pasta in a white, spicy sauce dish and it was the perfect pairing that brought out the best in the wine and the food.  This wine is also a best-value, priced in the $10-15 average range and depending on your locality, it can be even lower.  Here in the states, it's imported by Gallo.  McWilliam's Wines is one of Australia's oldest and most respected family-owned wineries, with over 125 years of winemaking history and countless awards and accolades bestowed on their portfolio of wines.  A separate aside: an extra bonus for those of us who love Champagne, Pinot Noir is actually a major component of most Champagnes, so sipping on this may be reminiscent of sipping a fine Champagne.

Taste buds awaken!  Who is not ready for Summer. Now that it is getting hot everyone is in the mood to entertain. Drinking is certainly at the center of any good entertainers mind. So let the tastings begin to find a new great go-to wine. Head straight to the East Australian Region. There you can find the award winning McWilliam’s Winery. Going straight for the Pinot Noir, my mouth was already salivating. Open the bottle and definitely let it breathe. That is sometimes hard for me, but so worth it.  So plan ahead! The McWilliams Pinot Noir is so savory your taste buds will thank you instantly. The aroma of cherry with a tint of floral permeates my nose and starts the experience.  Indulge in a sip letting your lips hits the glass as the deliciously smooth Pinot Noir enters your mouth. Riedel glasses really do enhance the experience and I have found work quite well with the McWilliams Pinot Noir.

Australian Wines thanks to McWilliam’s Winery deserve great praise. Love that there is even a website that pairs recipes with the different wines McWilliams makes. If you want to get even more involved, head to www.mcwilliamswine.com/Cuisine/recipe.asp. There you can find some great food ideas on what to make tonight to compliment their scrumptious Pinot Noir.  A great value, your guests will be fooled, shows you do not have to spend a lot to get a lot!

I was delighted to enjoy a nice summer evening with a refreshing bottle of McWilliam's pinot noir. Pinot noirs are derived from the French words "pine" and "black". The grapes are grown all around the world, generally in cooler regions and more specifically associated with the Burgundy region of France. The McWilliam's pinot noir however comes from Australia's largest and most highly regarded family-owned wine companies. And boy do they know how to do things right! If I do drink a red wine I generally enjoy my pinot noirs slightly chilled.  Upon beginning my first attempt with the McWilliam's pinot noir, I was delighted to discover the "turnscrew" cork which saved me the typical 3 minutes of the messy and painful uncorking process.  My first impression of the wine was that it was very dry, in fact a bit more tannin than a typical pinot I am used to. What made this unique was the exquisite combination of spice, wood, and some cherries.  Overall this was a tasty and smooth wine. This wine draws your taste-buds into pure ecstasy. It paired nicely with a homemade prosciutto/olive pizza on a relaxing summer night.  It would however go nicely with someone looking for that white/red hybrid type of wine, especially on a warmer night.  I would  also recommend this wine for people looking to pair a red wine with a white wine for that little summer BBQ gathering with friends.  The twist off screw makes all the difference. Its ease of opening and time and effort needed to uncork the wine was a huge plus. I thoroughly enjoyed drinking this wine. To be honest I'm not in love with a lot of pinots but this one shook up my palette and really changed my mind. I will never turn my back on my white wines but I'll always give a second thought when someone offers me a McWilliams pinot chilled or unchilled.  All in all two thumbs up for the McWilliams pinot noir.

McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate Pinot Noir 2008 is made using the finest grapes from South Eastern Australia.  The McWilliam’s family has been producing wine since 1877.  South Eastern Australia is Australia’s most renowned wine regions.  The screw cap makes for quick and easy access to this reasonably priced Pinot Noir.  The bottles labeling looks sleek and elegant.  It has a sleek, elegant focused style featuring ripe cherry fruit.  The fruit is intense and well-balanced.  It tastes medium-full in body with comfortable supporting acids.  Not much is required in terms of age, this 2008 drinks well now or in a few years.  The generous and open red fruit is attractive and warm.  Bright ruby red in color gives this wine a pretty, delicious style.  On the palate it is sweet fruit, yet without a notion of sugary sweetness. Even though it is not showing its sweetness it is already seamless in taste.  As a complete package, there is a lot to like about this Pinot Noir.  It’s a perfect dinner party Pinot.  It retains enough character and interest to keep dinner guests happy.  The wine’s smooth texture makes it easy to drink. Because of the excellent structure of this wine, it pairs perfectly with meats or fish.  I highly recommend trying McWilliam’s Pinot Noir 2008; you will neither regret nor forget it.

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Peachy Deegan was pleased to meet Scott during his recent visit to Manhattan!  

Scott McWilliam

Winemaker & Family Spokesperson

Being born into one of Australia’s oldest and most well-respected winemaking families has its advantages, but it takes more than just genetics to earn a top spot on the McWilliam’s winemaking team. 

In 1989, at the age of 14, Scott McWilliam began working at the McWilliam’s Winery, where he was hired to clear tanks and smash excess port bottles.  He’s come a long way since then, quickly establishing himself as one of the Riverina’s brightest and most promising young winemakers.

Scott earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the Australian National University in 1998 and a postgraduate degree in Oenology at the University of Adelaide in 2000.  Following his postgraduate studies in 2000, Scott joined the McWilliam’s winemaking team, based in the Riverina, in New South Wales.  As an integral part of the winemaking team, Scott helped craft the highly acclaimed McWilliam’s^® Hanwood Estate^® range of wines.  He is also responsible for conducting all winemaking trials for McWilliam’s Wines during vintage and developing new wines from viticultural trials.  His involvement in developing new and innovative programs to improve efficiency of winery and laboratory operations positions Scott to carry on family tradition – more than 129 years in the making – of crafting quality, premium Australian wines.

Scott has continually diversified his skills by completing vintages in several regions throughout Australia and the world.  In fact, for the last five years Scott has been working two vintages a year.  His vintage and winemaking experience spans such regions as: Griffith (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004), Hunter Valley (2000, 2005, 2006), and Coonawarra (2004) in Australia; Bordeaux (1994) and Beaujolais (2001), in France; and Sonoma (2002), Central Valley (2003) and Napa (2005), in the United States.

Throughout his time overseas, Scott has served as a judge at the 2004 LA County Wine Fair and hosted wine seminars for the Australian Wine Bureau in the 2005 Boston Wine Expo.

Scott counts the time he spent working vintages overseas as invaluable to him as a winemaker. Scott also gained enormous experience during his time working in the Microbiology department of the prestigious Australian Wine Research Institute, in Adelaide.

“And of course all the time I spent working at the family winery gave me a good grounding and amazing hands-on experience,” Scott said.

Scott lives in the Hunter Valley, in Australia, with his wife, Nora.  He is an avid sports fan and player, including A-grade tennis and the occasional game of cricket.  He enjoys adventure hiking and digital photography, and has traveled to more than 20 countries.

His interest in fine wine and food also extends itself outside of work.  Scott spends quite a lot of time visiting, tasting and enjoying world-famous wine regions.