Many faces: Matt Burton isn't prepared to be one-dimensional

 

I’m never quite sure which hat Matt Burton will be wearing when I meet him. While his major role is as winemaker with the Hunter Valley’s Gundog Estate, he also partners Dylan McMahon from the Yarra Valley’s Seville Estate to make wines under the Burton McMahon label and makes wines under the Indomitus label that push the boundaries of what can be done with Semillon and shiraz.

Even under the more mainstream Gundog Estate label you will find more than the “conventional” Hunter Valley styles,

Matt Burton in his Hunter Valley vineyard

Sure, if you try the Estate shiraz ($40) or Hunter’s shiraz ($40) you will find reds that epitomise what the Hunter Valley shiraz style is all about. But try the Smoking Barrel Red and you will find a delicious younger-drinking blend of Hunter and Canberra district shirazes.

In the semillons, The Chase ($35) is the most typical Hunter, with citrus and straw notes and crisp acid on the finish, while the Hunter’s semillon ($30) is a more approachable style with bigger flavours and a more generous mouthfeel, although without compromising on regional or varietal character.

Then you get to the Wild Semillon ($35), which has parcels fermented in tank (some fermented to dryness, others not), some fermented cloudy in barrels, some 100 per cent on skins and part on skins with extended maturation. The whole is definitely more than just the sum of the parts, with generous flavours and balance

And the Off-Dry Semillon ($30) is another beast altogether. It is picked earlier to retain acid but not so early that herbal aromas and flavours intrude, then partly fermented to allow for some residual sugar, resulting in lower alcohol and a richer body without the sweetness being overwhelming. It’s a style that should go well with Asian cuisine.

Normally there would be a Canberra region riesling in the line-up but 2020 being the bushfire and smoke-tainted vintage that hit the area, Matt went further afield to source riesling from the De Bortoli team in the Yarra Valley. It’s a little different from the usual Canberra style but well worth a try.

The Burton McMahon wines (two chardonnays and two pinot noirs, all $40) are more in keeping with classic Yarra styles. 

The two chardonnays come from the George’s vineyard in Seville East and the D’Aloisio vineyard in the Seville township. Both are made in much the same fashion and it is only the different vineyards that contribute to their stylistic differences. The website lists the George’s as sold out but there may be some left in select bottle shops.

The pinots are also sourced from the George’s vineyard and the Syme on Yarra vineyard in the Upper Yarra Valley, again made identically so it is only the vineyard variations that make the wines different.

It’s the Indomitus range where things get seriously different. The Albus is predominantly Hunter semillon but there can be additions of gewurztraminer and riesling to add floral and spicy characters.  The Citrea is Canberra riesling but wild-fermented on solids and then matured in old oak barrels. The Rosa is made from nebbiolo from the Freeman vineyards in the Hilltops region near Young and is a refreshingly interesting rose style, while the Rutilus is made from shiraz from the Murrumbateman region near Canberra and is a deliciously spicy fruit-driven style (not matured in oak) that will be delicious in the short to medium term.

More information on all the wines can be found at www.gundogestate.com.au