Reviews
Hamilton's Ewell Vineyards
Hamilton's Ewell Vineyards
The name Hamilton’s Ewell is the oldest continuous wine label in the country and provokes nostalgic memories for a generations of older Australian wine drinkers.
The Hamiltons made South Australia’s first wine in 1841, were among the first to build a thriving export market in Britain, their Hamilton-Ewell Moselle was Australia’s biggest selling wine for almost 50 years until knocked of its perch by Ben Ean and some of their original vines, in their Ewell vineyard near Adelaide, were still bearing fruit in 1980.
The sprightly 78-year-old Robert Hamilton was in Hobart recently and relived some nostalgic memories himself, pointing out the different pubs around town where he‘d had a drink or three during a mine-clearing stint here with the navy in the Second World War.
“They sent us down from the islands in the Pacific into the depth of a Tasmanian winter. In eight months of duty, we found two mines. No wonder I remember the pubs so well”, he said.
“When I joined my father in the business, we used to make whisky and gin and so on as well as wine. We were also agent for Grants from Scotland and one of my first jobs was as the company’s sales rep in Victoria. In those days, you’d make a sales call on a pub and you wouldn’t talk business or give a sales pitch at all. It was unheard of. You simply had a few beers with the publican, perhaps shouted the bar and, as you left, you’d find an bit of paper with an order slipped in your pocket. In towns like Bendigo, with 45 pubs, it was hard yakka, I can tell you”.
Almost as hard, he says, as the time he went to check on the vodka industry in Russia, at the height of the Cold War, just after Stalin’s death, and the KGB rang his hotel room every hour of every night, on the hour, presumably to check he wasn’t out stealing their vodka or atomic secrets.
After gracing bottleshop shelves for almost 140 years, Hamilton Ewell was sold lock, stock and barrels to Mildara (now Berringer Blass) in 1979 and the name and label disappeared until Robert’s son, Mark, bought them back in 1991 and started to put together a number of vineyards in the Barossa Valley and once again produce wines under the Hamilton Ewell label.
Today they have 131ha in the Barossa, 18ha in the Eden Valley, 87ha of terra rosa at Wrattonbully near Coonawarra and 15ha in the Southern Riverland from each of which they produce a regional range.
Of the Barossa wines, Robert says they are pulling back from the big alcohol and oak that have come to be associated with the Valley and today are looking for more structure and finesse in their wines.
“Wine is as much fashion as anything else”, he says. “Ten years ago it was wood and more wood. Then it was ripeness and high sugars. Which, with today’s more efficient yeast strains, pushed many alcohol levels over the top. We’re now pulling back, picking earlier at lower sugar levels, aiming to pick our chardonnays at around 11.5 Beaume (sugar content), ageing our reds in a mix of new and old oak so as to avoid that coconut creaminess of many Australian shirazes and looking to have them finish with fine oak tannins”.
“But we still want to let the Barossan fruit express itself”.
Pour a glass of their Railway or Fullers Barn shiraz and you’ll see the opulence, chocolate and spice of the Barossa in spades.
Graeme Phillips, Mercury Hobart, Sunday, 4 April 2004
Wine by Huon Hooke
Robert Hamilton is the 78 year old head of one of several South Australian wine companies bearing the proud Hamilton name. His is Hamilton’s Ewell Vineyards, which he runs with his son Mark, an Adelaide lawyer. Other members of the family own Richard Hamilton Wines and Hugh Hamilton Wines.
They’re all descended from the original Richard Hamilton, who is said to have been the state’s first vigneron, planting his first vines at Glenelg in 1838 and crushing his first grapes in 1841.
Robert Hamilton is a lean, rather frail-looking man, but looks can be deceptive. You might expect people in their later years to shy away from massively concentrated, high-alcohol reds, but not he. We were tucking into his Hamilton’s Ewell Vineyards 2001 Railway Shiraz ($28) and 2001 Fuller’s Barn Shiraz ($39), two largish, 14.5 per cent alcohol Barossa reds, over lunch and there was no hiding his enthusiasm for big reds.
“That’s my kind of wine,” he enthused, cradling a generous glass of the opulent , fruitcakey Fuller’s Barn, his pride and joy. Dark chocolate, anise, licorice, plum-jam flavours. Dense, powerful, yet amazingly soft and easy to drink, with no alcohol hotness, it is a most impressive wine. It’s a barrel selection of the best casks of shiraz off the company’s Fuller’s Vineyard between Nuriootpa and Angaston. Only 350 cases of the ’01 were made.
The Railway is a separate vineyard, in the Krondorf Road area, which produces a more spicy, slightly leaner style. Both are good, but the Fuller’s Barn is a more unctuous – indeed luxurious – in flavour and structure.
I quizzed Hamilton about the difference between the high-alcohol reds so fashionable today and the Barossa reds of his formative years: “In my younger days they used to pick the grapes much earlier in the Barossa: at, say, 13 degrees or even lower – 12.5 degrees. But in hindsight, the grapes weren’t really ripe; the tannins were green, and they were trying to make a lighter-style red in the claret or French Bordeaux style. The alcohol levels of today are much more the natural Barossa style.”
Huon Hooke, The Age, Saturday, 24 April 2004
Hamilton's Ewell Moselle
2004 Hamilton's Ewell Moselle
The big seller from the '60s and '70s is back, with Barossa Frontignac the basis for its fresh grapy style with some sweetness and a crisp finish. Enjoyable by itself , it'd also go well with Asian food.
Mike Frost, The Courier Mail, Saturday, 7 May 2005
Sturt River Chardonnay
2003 Sturt River Chardonnay
The historic Hamilton’s Ewell Vineyards is well on the way back from obscurity with a range of Barossa Valley wines of impressive quality at realistic prices. This chardonnay holds plenty of flavour within a soft, fleshy body with just enough fresh acidity for balance. Enjoy now, with or without food.
Paddy Kendler, Herald Sun, Tuesday, 9 December 2003
2004 Sturt River Chardonnay
Another slightly herbaceous and youthful chardonnay – it’s almost sauvignon blanc-like, it’s so full of green apples and passionfruit. While this may not be ‘classic’ it certainly makes for a fun and fruity glass of white wine.
Max Allen and Peter Forrestal, Quaff,
2004 Sturt River Chardonnay
Another slightly herbaceous and youthful chardonnay – almost sauvignon blanc-like, it’s so full of green apples and passionfruit. While this may not be ‘classic’ it certainly makes for a fun and fruity glass of white wine.
Max Allen and Peter Forrestal, Quaff 2005 . The best 400 wines in Australia under $15, Sunday, 1 May 2005
Sturt River Cabernet Shiraz
2002 Sturt River Cabernet Shiraz
The perfect red for spicy fare, with sweet, almost jammy fruit balanced by juicy freshness and a nice little dusting of spice. Especially good with Indian lamb or beef dishes, or aubergines prepared with punchy flavours.
Mary Dowey, The Irish Times Magazine, Saturday, 6 December 2003
2002 Sturt River Cabernet Shiraz
Sourced mainly from the Hamilton family’s mature vineyards at Nildottie, at this price, this blend is a surprisingly good wine showing admirable depth and length of flavour within a solid structure.
Paddy Kendler, Herald Sun, Thursday, 1 May 2003
Stonegarden Riesling
2004 Stonegarden Riesling
Lime and floral characters shine on the nose and palate of this Eden Valley white, with a crisp finish. It’d be great now with seafood or Asian dishes but could take a few more years in bottle (it’s screwcap sealed).
Mike Frost, The Courier Mail, Saturday, 21 August 2004
Stonegarden Chardonnay
2002 Railway Chardonnay
This Barossa chardonnay is a friendly, modern style with almost verdelho-like tropical fruit and light herbal hints. Oak gives a lightly toasty seasoning, and it tastes simple, smooth and juicy.
Winestate Magazine, Tuesday, 1 April 2003
Stonegarden Rosé
2004 Stonegarden Rosé
A cabernet sauvignon-based rosé from SA’s Limestone Coast, the red berry characters are nicely balanced and it ends with a fresh tang. Try it with pizza.
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age, Melbourne, Sunday, 16 January 2005
Stonegarden Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre
2001 Stonegarden Grenache Shiraz
Nice concentration of mulberry and plum aromas; licorice/coffee in the background. Soft supple palate nicely put together. Warm and ripe with powerful berry fruit and vanillin oak.
Winestate Magazine, Tuesday, 1 April 2003
2002 Sturt River Cabernet Shiraz
Flavoursome blend. There’s sweet blackcurrant and plum fruit with soft oak and fine tannins in this blend from Nildottie, on the Murray, and Wrattonbully, north of Coonawarra. Enjoy with a casserole or pasta
Mike Frost, The Courier Mail, Tuesday, 27 May 2003
2002 Stonegarden Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre
Ripe berry fruit with some white pepper from the grenache dominates the plum shiraz fruit and a touch of vanilla oak in this Barossa red. Enjoy with a beef casserole or rich pasta dishes or tuck away for a few years.
Mike Frost, Frost on the vine/The Courier Mail, Saturday, 1 May 2004
2002 Stonegarden Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre
Hamilton's Ewell was a famous vineyard in the Barossa, held in the same family for five generations until it was sold in 1979. Adelaide lawyer Mark Hamilton, the sixth generation, bought back the name, but not the vines, so he started over. The results include this ripe and distinctive blend of Grenache and Shiraz, plush in texture, with a minty, dark chocolate edge to the cherry and pomegranate flavours, finishing with a lovely acidity. Good now, better with cellaring. Best from 2006 through 2012.
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator Weekly, Thursday, 5 February 2004
2003 Stonegarden Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre
This wine shows lovely juiciness, and smells like passionfruit as much as the reds – grenache, shiraz and mourvedre – from which it’s made. The polished sheen of the grenache dominates the flavours, but that metwurst twang of old mourvedre, or Mataro, really adds some earthy character to the finish, and there’s a sprinkling of white pepper over the top. Barossa antipasto.
Philip White, Advertiser, Wednesday, 25 August 2004
2002 Stonegarden Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator,
2003 Stonegarden Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre
This lovely grenache-based blend from the Barossa Valley showcases everything you could possibly want from a wine of this style. All the ripe raspberry character of grenache and the chocolate and spice of shiraz- carefully packaged under a taint-free screw cap. The Hamilton family planted the first vineyards in South Australia in 1838 but we don’t think this wine used any of that fruit, as the vineyard was in Glenelg where that revolving restaurant is today.
Stuart Gregor, don’t buy wine without me 2005,
Limestone Quarry Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 Limestone Quarry Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon
There is plenty to like about this wine with its hint of chocolate and gentle tannins. Try with slow-simmered beef cooked in wine.
2004 Donna Hay Magazine Awards & review in wine guide, Thursday, 1 January 2004
Stonegarden Shiraz Cabernet
2001 Stonegarden Shiraz Cabernet
Stocky blackberry, sniffs of alcohol and nutty fruitcake, too. Attacks with a good belt of blackcurrant pastille fruit then building vanilla oak and a hint of cabernet leafiness. Fine tannins. Easy Drinking.
Tim White, The Australian Financial Review, Friday, 24 June 2005
Railway Shiraz
2000 Railway Shiraz
Hamilton’s Ewell Vineyards is delighted to learn that the 2000 Railway Shiraz was recently awarded a Gold Medal at the 2003 International Wine Challenge held in London, UK.
This is a highly competitive and prestigious wine show judged by winemakers and members of the UK wine trade including many Masters of Wine.
2003 UK International Wine Challenge,
2001 Railway Shiraz
The Railway Shiraz 2001 and the Fuller's Barn Shiraz 2001 were standouts in elegance and sophistication, the first nicely matched to a rigatoni with chorizo sausage, olives, basil and capsicum, and the latter standing well against a decadently rich chocolate mousse cake.
Karen Milliner, The Courier Mail, Tuesday, 17 February 2004
2002 Railway Shiraz
Another top red just on the market is Hamilton’s Ewell Vineyards 2002 Railway Shiraz ($28).
This superb shiraz is sourced from Hamilton’s two key shiraz vineyards in the Barossa Valley, the Railway and Fuller’s vineyard.
The Railway Vineyard is so named because the historic Adelaide to Angaston railway line runs through the middle of it.
This shiraz will only get better and better with cellaring.
Mike Pilkington, Wine time, Sunday Mail, Sunday, 2 January 2005
2002 Railway Shiraz
Rich Berry fruit from mature Barossa vines is the highlight of this dry red, which shows some spice, pepper, fine tannins and tasty oak in the background. Try it with roast beef or a char-grilled steak or cellar for five years or so.
Mike Frost, The Courier Mail, Brisbane, Saturday, 22 January 2005
Ewell Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 Ewell Cabernet Sauvignon
A rich red from the northern Barossa, this shows ripe berry on the nose and palate with a touch of oak and fine if firm tannins. Drink now with roast lamb, but it will be better after three to five years. $28
Mike Frost, The Courier Mail, Tuesday, 25 November 2003
2000 Ewell Cabernet Sauvignon
The Hamilton’s Ewell name is an old one in Australian wine. It disappeared from the marketplace for some years after last being found on a ‘moselle’ that had very classy packaging in its day. Now a new Hamilton generation has resuscitated the marque with enthusiasm and skill.
Current Release 2000 This is a tasty young cabernet of medium body and depth. It’s a welcome change to the heftier Barossa cabs. There’s poise and balance in its blackcurrant, plum and raspberry aromas, and oak is a subtle seasoning rather than a big contributor. It tastes smooth and satisfying with soft fruit and oak flavour leading to dry, balanced tannins.
Good with herbed steak.
Huon Hooke and Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Penguin Good Australia Wine Guide,
2001 Ewell Cabernet Sauvignon
Lifted vivid sweet mulberry/cherry fruit aromas with a slight hint of licorice. Simple, clean, attractive, all fruit palate; lots of blackcurrants nicely balanced by tannins and light oak.
Winestate Magazine, Thursday, 1 April 2004
Fuller’s Barn Shiraz
1999 Fuller's Barn Shiraz
Hamilton’s Ewell Vineyards entered two wines in the 2002 Visy Board Great Australian Shiraz Challenge and received a Gold Medal for the 1999 Fuller’s Barn Shiraz and a Bronze Medal for the 1999 Railway Shiraz.
Over 200 Shiraz wines were judged by noted Australian wine writer James Halliday, former Chief Winemaker of Penfolds, John Duval and Stephen Henschke of Henschke Wines with the Fuller’s Barn Shiraz one of only 10 gold medals awarded and the only Barossa shiraz to receive a gold medal.
The 1999 Railway Shiraz received another Bronze Medal and was in the top 50 shiraz wines - showing its consistent pedigree and quality. James Halliday also gave the 1999 Railway Shiraz 92 points in his newly released Wine Companion.
2002 Visy Board Great Australian Shiraz Challenge,
1999 Fuller's Barn Shiraz
I have encountered 1999 Hamilton’s Ewell Vineyards Fuller’s Barn Shiraz ($40) on many occasions and my take has been nigh on identical.
Excellent colour announces a wine with archetypal ripe (but not overripe) Barossa shiraz fruit (sweet plum, blackberry and mint) joined by chocolate on the palate. A complex, high-quality wine with good oak and integration. To 2015.
James Halliday, 2002 Visy Board Great Australian Shiraz Challenge,
2001 Fuller’s Barn Shiraz
The Railway Shiraz 2001 and the Fuller's Barn Shiraz 2001 were standouts in elegance and sophistication, the first nicely matched to a rigatoni with chorizo sausage, olives, basil and capsicum, and the latter standing well against a decadently rich chocolate mousse cake.
Karen Milliner, The Courier Mail, Tuesday, 17 February 2004
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