The Hunter Valley's Latitude 32 is a relatively new winery, having been established in 2019. It's the dream-turned-reality of Emma White, who was working as a corporate finance executive only six years ago. Emma fell in love with fine wines while working in the corporate world and decided to retire her corner office overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge, setting her sights on a 40-year-old vineyard in Pokolbin.
With no background in viticulture or winemaking, Emma has built her team from the ground up. Dylan Dower (previously a winemaker at First Creek and Leogate) leads operations and Brent Hutton oversees viticulture, and has a focus on moving to 100 per cent sustainable viticultural practices across the two vineyards. The wines are made by Damien Stevens, who works closely with Emma to ensure her style and influence are present in the bottle.
In April this year, the Latitude 32 cellar door was opened. It's located on Hermitage Road in the heart of Pokolbin, and spoils guests with views of the Broken Back Mountains. Inside the cellar door there are three tasting spaces, including an exclusive members room, and for those who prefer to soak in the sun, there's plenty of seating on the sprawling verandah.
Guests can choose from three tasting flights. The standard tasting includes seven wines across white, red and rosé; the premium tasting includes eight wines, and takes a close look at Latitude's top-end offering, including the The Dux Shiraz and the Matriarch Chardonnay. Or you can build your own tasting, with a mix-and-match option that includes five wines. If you're planning on staying a while, you can also book a vineyard and winery tour, along with the 'breakfast in the vines' experience, which includes a gourmet picnic and a bottle of traditional method sparkling.
For Emma, who is a self-professed chardonnay tragic, she loves being situated in the birthplace of Australian wine. "I could have purchased a vineyard and lived my dream anywhere, but doing it in Australia’s home of wine was a huge draw card for me. The Hunter Valley has some fantastic blends and traditional varieties. I love bringing back the blends of the past, like semillon and chardonnay, shiraz and pinot, as well as the classics likes semillon and shiraz, not to mention the single-varietal chardonnay."
Emma says Latitude 32 wines are European in style, but are also made to age. The Hunter winery only produces dry wine, with no sweet wines in the portfolio. Looking ahead, the team are experimenting with oak and are getting ready to plant some additional varieties to future-proof the business.
2021 Latitude 32 Wines The Dux Shiraz
This premium Hunter shiraz wine has an intense bouquet of vibrant black and blue fruits and a juicy, succulent palate with a satiny texture. This full-bodied shiraz has well-balanced fruit, acid, oak and tannin, and will deliver impressive all-round enjoyment now or will further develop with age.Best enjoyed: The savoury characteristics make this wine great with anything that is grilled or roasted.
Latitude 32 says: The 2021 is quintessential Hunter Valley – made from premium fruit parcels, this medium-bodied, Rhône style showcases the greatness of Hunter Valley shiraz.
RRP $75 | Drink to 2035 | Shop this wine
2023 Latitude 32 Wines The Matriarch
The fruit for this rich, complex chardonnay comes from our 40-year-old dry-grown Duck Hollow vineyard on Deasy’s Road. Partially wild fermented, going through 90 per cent of the malolactic fermentation process and aged in brand new and second fill French oak puncheons, this wine is the chardonnay lover's best friend. Beautiful and bold, like any true Matriarch.Best enjoyed: Pair with roast chicken, creamy pasta or a cheese plate by a roaring fire. All three hit the mark.
Latitude 32 says: This wine has been unashamedly made for those people who love chardonnay.
RRP $70 | Drink to 2034 | Shop this wine
2023 Latitude 32 Wines Pinor Noir Limited Edition
Taken from our 40-year-old estate vines on Deasy's Road, this pinot noir is made only when the vintage conditions are perfect for this delicate yet delicious grape. The 2023 vintage experienced a long and cool growing season, which allowed the fruit to gracefully ripen and extract a full flavour profile. Cherry, light cedar oak and a slight hint of spice, this medium bodied wine has great depth and presence.Best enjoyed: Roast meats will pair extraordinarily well, as will risotto or an aged cheddar cheese.
Latitude 32 says: When we first purchased our property, we were advised to "rip 'em up" to plant something more commercially viable. Old vines, dry grown, low yielding, results in a Burgundian style, which we are super proud of.
RRP $60 | Drink to 2030 | Shop this wine
For more information visit latitude32wines.com.
