2016 Comyn & Co ‘Mrs White’ Hunter Valley
Viognier / Semillon / Fiano.
Scott and Missy Comyns are the husband and wife team behind the bold and edgy Hunter Valley wine brand Comyns & Co. Scott has worked 14 years in and around the Hunter Valley, including a number of international vintages. When he was made redundant in 2015, he decided to strike out on his own and with some family backing launched Comyns and Co. Their focus is the Hunter Valley and small batch winemaking. Kim and I tasted a number of his white wines, but we kept on going back to the Mrs White, a rather unusual blend of Viognier, Semillon and Fiano.
It was obvious the wine uses impeccable fruit quality, but what we really enjoyed was the touch of barrel aging which really shines through on the nose and palate. It adds another dimension and level of complexity to these aromatic varieties.
The wine is full of stone fruits, vanilla and spice, with this complex silky texture. The richness of this wine is balanced with a fresh citrus length.
The Semillon – was sourced from a great little parcel from the “Amy Block” vineyard. This is top Semillon site in the Hunter and it looks great in the blend. The Viognier is from younger vines Scott stumbled across while checking out another variety. He decided to ferment and age in French oak, and it is this component that adds to the complexity of the young wine. Very vibrant and floral. The Fiano – was the last of the whites to ripen and spent two days on skins before being pressed. This added a texture to the Fiano, which is so evident in the final blend.
A beautiful wine from a winery and winemaker to keep an eye on.