Red Wines

Robusta 2012

Made entirely from Corvina grapes, all of which have been dried in the neighbour’s dehydrator.

TASTING NOTES  
In a generous glass FREEMAN Robusta 2012 displays complex and enveloping aromas ranging from dark mulled red berries to dried morello cherries and dark fruit cake mingled with undertones of earthy mushroom, typically associated with classic Amarone wines. These traits and fruit richness extend onto powerful, rich and penetrating palate – savoury, complex and textural with a mellow tannin frame and balancing acid, ensuring this wine will continue to evolve for years to come. Not for the faint-hearted.

WINEMAKING
The Corvina grapes were progressively harvested from late April into May, three months after most varieties.
These grapes were partially dried for 10 days prior to a prolonged two-month fermentation. The young wines, characterised by very intense natural grape tannins, were aged in old oak barrels for two years, prior to blending and bottling in 2014. Subsequently, the wine was cellared another two years at 14C to allow the tannins to integrate and enrich the palate.

Nebbiolo

Named after the Italian word for ‘fog’, Nebbiolo ripens in late autumn in the NSW Hilltops when mornings are often foggy

TASTING NOTES
An intense magenta coloured wine marked by a distinctive varietal nose of tar and leather with beguiling floral rose nuances, leading to a concentrated, savoury, medium-weight palate. The flavours are rich, with underlying fruit sweetness, balancing subtle oak and liberal fine-grained tannins.

WINEMAKING
Crafted from six clones of Nebbiolo, some grown on 40-year-old roots, this latest expression is a powerful wine made traditionally from ripe grapes harvested at the end of April. After a short fermentation on skins, the grapes were basket pressed and transferred to old oak for subsequent fermentation and then bottled. Typically released with two years maturity.

‘Unequivocally full-bodied… Just get a large (1kg) flame-grilled bistecca and the world will be your oyster.’
^{94 POINTS, JAMES HALLIDAY, HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION 2017}

Secco

TASTING NOTES
In a generous glass this mid-weight FREEMAN Secco 2013 displays complex and enveloping aromas ranging from fresh berries to morello cherries and panforte mingled with undertones of earthy mushroom, typically associated with dried grapes and classic Amarone wines. These traits and fruit richness help create the lingering palate – savoury, complex and textural with a soft tannin frame and balancing acid, ensuring this wine will continue to evolve for many years yet.

WINEMAKING
The grapes were progressively harvested from late April into May, three months after most varieties. A selection of both varieties was dried slowly for up to 10 days, the desiccated grapes added to the remaining harvest for fermentation. The young intense tannin wines were aged separately in old oak barrels for two years, prior to blending and bottling in 2015. Subsequently, the wine was cellared another two years at 14^oC to allow the tannins to integrate and enrich the palate.

Sangiovese

Like its northern Italian siblings, Sangiovese has adapted extremely well to the terroir of the NSW Hilltops.

TASTING NOTES
FREEMAN Sangiovese 2016 is a captivating bright garnet hue with appealing aromas of Morello cherry and dried herbs over a gently spicy frame. The mid-weight palate is plush with rich flavours and underlying ripe fruit, subtle oak and balancing fine-grained tannins.

WINEMAKING
The Sangiovese block was grafted onto 40-year-old vines in 2010 and is now producing grapes with powerfully concentrated flavours. The fully ripe crop was thinned to achieve a yield of 7 tonnes/hectare, a pre-requisite for balance in both the vines and wine. The grapes were picked at the end of March and gently basket-pressed after fermentation on skins for 10 days before 12 months maturation in old oak.

Shiraz

NSW Hilltops has built its reputation on two classic varieties – shiraz and cabernet sauvignon – both grown on the FREEMAN Altura Vineyard.

TASTING NOTES
An intensely coloured savoury wine distinguished by light peppery spice aromas and distinctive dark cherry fruit underpinned by integrated vanillin oak. A voluptuous complex wine that hovers entrancingly between elegance and power. Cellaring will conjure a wine of significant stature.

WINEMAKING
The Altura Vineyard encompasses a block of over 40-year-old shiraz vines, now showing that vine maturity contributes to exceptional intensity and balance when blended with more recent plantings. Selected parcels are chosen to craft this complete and complex shiraz hallmarked by its Hilltops origins.

The 2014 vintage season was one of extremes starting with a late October frost that luckily did not affect the safely elevated shiraz block. Then came a mid-summer heatwave that intensified sugars and accelerated ripening. These conditions resulted in both colour and flavour intensity in fully ripe grapes displaying good acidity and balance.

Tempranillo 2013

The Spanish origin variety tempranillo (meaning ‘early ripening’) also thrives in the elevated NSW Hilltops region. These vines were planted in 2000.

TASTING NOTES
An intense magenta colour this wine is hallmarked by distinctive layers of complexity with spice and dark cherry flavours, characters typical of Australian tempranillo. Medium-bodied with savoury integrated fine chalky tannins balanced by an appealing earthy umami flavour spectrum, this release resonates true Spanish Rioja. Ole!

VINTAGE
The 2013 season was marked by good spring rains that topped up soil moisture levels, resulting in the development of a balanced vine canopy. Thereafter it was a very dry summer with no rainfall recorded in January. This restricted yields and resulted in significant flavour concentration enhanced even further by the cool slow-ripening autumn. The grapes were harvested in late February with good acidity and balance to create a contemporary ‘joven’-inspired style.