Lindemans, Southcorp Wines’ premier Hunter Valley brand, has undergone yet another remake, reverting to a label design which draws inspiration from the Lindemans Hunter Valley labels of the 1850s. Interestingly, while the company’s famous four-figure bin numbers have been retained and even enhanced in the new package, the term ‘Hunter River’, long associated with Lindemans Hunter wines, has been dropped in favour of ‘Hunter Valley’. The first wines to wear the new-old look are a 1995 Shiraz ($19 retail, approx.) and a Semillon 1998 ($17 retail, approx.). The Shiraz is a relatively fast-maturing regional wine with sweet berry fruit and early leathery development (16.2, drink 2000-2003), while the Semillon is a typically lean, tight young Hunter example of this variety, with scents of musky lemon rind and melon fruit, finishing with soft chalky acids (16.7, drink 2006-2010).
