Where to stay in the Hunter Valley
Spicers Retreats has unveiled a new lodge in NSW’s premier wine region.
A mob of 10 kangaroos has gathered under gum trees close to the terrace of Room 9 at Spicers Tower Lodge in the NSW Hunter Valley. I peer through the meshed door. They stare back. It’s a stand-off this bright Sunday morning and a distinct reminder I am in Australia, not Andalucía or the Argentinian pampas. There’s a definite sense of geographic dislocation at this luxe lodge, just reopened after a metamorphosis from its original genesis as a vineyard retreat conceived in 1999 by legendary winemaker Len Evans. The look has been, from the beginning, blocky and blunt-edged across an adobe-finished cluster of buildings linked by courtyards, terraces and walkways. Wrought-iron gates, fountains, arched cloisters, black timber shutters, tiled walls and Mexican terracotta floors reinforce, then and now, a Spanish colonial influence. Why? Perhaps the answer is simply, why not?
And now there is renewed justification at the born-again lodge for this very particular architectural transplant. Enter head chef Gianni Moretto, who was born in Italy, raised in Chile, and secured stardom at Rekondo in San Sebastian, Spain, the Basque culinary mecca and Michelin-starred hot spot. Add to his curriculum vitae a stint in WA helming the Peruvian-themed Uma at Pan Pacific Perth, his reverence for Lima’s world-leading culinary scene, and a clear philosophy of sourcing (and foraging) regional and seasonal produce. “Proximity means quality,” Moretto says, citing parish neighbour Adina Vineyard’s wild deer that feed on olives, and his use of Hunter Valley vine leaves for slow cooking dishes such as breast of squab. Later I will learn this harvesting extends to the lodge garden when a crunchy palate cleanser of stalky pigface leaves with verjuice appears.
It’s a marriage made in foodie heaven as the Spicers Tower Lodge setting for Moretto’s Basque food is a fine substitute for the real deal. Sebastian restaurant flows off the reception and bar lounge areas of the main building and a wall of glass doors is angled to a semi-covered terrace where afternoon cooking demonstrations are often held. The secret of Basque cheesecake? It starts with 300ml of double thick cream and ends with addiction. Each evening, the Txikiteo begins, San Sebastian bar-hopping style. Start with a glass of Txakoli dry white sparkling wine poured from a theatrical height by the sommelier. Have a sherry by the fire, pop down to the cellar, ease out to the courtyard, and the drinks and small plates of tapas-style pintxos will follow.
Forged metal chandeliers swoop from the high-beamed ceiling of Sebastian and the earthen colour scheme is mixed with textured rugs, chunky timbers and rustic touches. The scale is of a grand country house or posh boarding school’s great hall but there’s a sense of intimacy in the mellow table lights sitting on soft napery and choice of comfortable chairs or banquettes. In an alcove, a small sitting room with fireside armchairs mimics, on a sophisticated level, the snug nooks of British pubs. Wildflowers and ferns tumble from glass bowls. A mix of Latin American music plays at just the right level.
And now here comes the five-course wine-matched evening menu. Guests’ dietary preferences or allergies are recorded at time of booking, assuring there are no last-minute mishaps. My semi-vegetarian diet almost lapses as my Spanish genes default to mouth-watering flashbacks when chorizo-flavoured butter appears. The composition and timing of courses are spot-on, the flavours a revelation and yet there’s a lightness to the food, exemplified by courses such as grilled squid with piperade, squid ink rice and creamy Iberico XO sauce. Serves are agreeably smallish, loaded with unctuous and memorable flavours. Notes from a sauce-sprinkled Moleskine: Precision and perfection on a plate but not the least bit fussy or tricked-up.
And so to bed. And make that the likes of a Rajasthani antique four-poster or a grand affair atop a stepped plinth. Each of the 14 guestrooms, set across five wings, is completely different in configuration and scale, some referencing themes such as French provincial or oriental, but even those in the lead-in category are oversized. The more you pay, the more you get, such as a fireplace, courtyard or outdoor cedar hot-tub (No 9’s is on a rooftop terrace), but I feel the priciest chambers err on being a bit too large and therefore lacking in cosiness. Room for a pony, as Hyacinth Bucket would say.
What’s consistent across these expanses is the layering of luxury, from soft linens in pale greys and sage greens, Leif botanical toiletries and Eadie cushions in boho prints to Bemboka merino throws and scatter rugs. There’s a wall-mounted TV, groups of comfy chairs and lounges, pretty lamps and framed prints, perhaps a dressmaker’s dummy or an intriguing cabinet, plus a generous dressing room and minibar stocked with an eclectic cargo that ranges from red jelly frogs to roasted maple peanuts and drinks of most descriptions. A star anise-scented candle to burn by that thumping big bathtub?
In the communal spaces, tremendously high and thick French coach doors, which would be at home in a Loire Valley chateau, define the entry foyer. Urns of glossy succulents stand to attention and light filters through curlicued screens. But as fun and eye-popping as the eclectic design may be, it’s the very professional and friendly young staff offering the warmest of welcomes that I will long remember. And there’s no chance of forgetting Moretto’s inspired Pantxineta, the classic San Sebastian dessert of almonds, cream and rhubarb, as served with a flourish by lovely Susana, of Lower Maitland via Santiago. Muchas gracias, mi nueva amiga.
More to the story
Tastings of wine with optional share plates in a homestead-style setting is the latest offering by Mount Pleasant Wines, which holds four vineyard sites in the Hunter. Head to HQ at Marrowbone Rd, Pokolbin, for flights composed by chief winemaker Adrian Sparks and choose dishes by talented head chef Kyle Whitbourne. We’re not talking the usual winery crudités or dips, but substantial bites, such as premium charcuterie or triple cheese sourdough toasties. This is an elevated drink-and-dine affair and notches above most equivalent offerings.
Mount Pleasant’s lineage stretches back to 1921 when Maurice O’Shea “walked onto a hillside vineyard in the Hunter [and] set about growing and crafting ...” Decades later, he’d be credited with producing “Australia’s first great wines”. I reckon he’d approve of the inherent hospitality in the reinvigorated cellar door and dining iteration, which encompasses a big, airy dining space featuring groups of seating and confident decor worthy of a Vogue Living spread. It’s unlike any winery fit-out I’ve seen, melding original art (cue the likes of Tracey Moffatt and Garry Shead) and residential style with the mechanics of food delivery, pourings and pin-sharp service. There’s terrace seating, too, and views across vines to Brokenback Range. Time to pause and consider that O’Shea’s endeavours failed to yield a profit in his lifetime and, for the full story behind his legend and the founding of Mount Pleasant, buy a copy on site of The Wine Hunter by Campbell Mattinson. To be read with a splash of 1921 Vines Old Paddock Shiraz (2017), I suggest. Open Thursday-Monday, 10am-5pm. Pre-booked tasting flights from $25-$150 a person; accompanying plates, $8-$21.
In the know
Spicers Retreats also runs Spicers Vineyards Estate and Spicers Guesthouse in the NSW Hunter Valley, about 2½ hours by car north of Sydney. Spicers Tower Lodge stays are minimum two nights and start at $2000 a night for two, including meals, beverages, full minibar replenished daily, on-site experiences and “cellar door connections” for VIP Hunter Valley winery tours, experiences and tastings. Pre-booked dinners at Sebastian available for non-guests; menus change across a four-night cycle. Wellness treatments are offered at nearby Spicers Vineyards Estate’s Spa Anise.
Susan Kurosawa was a guest of Spicers Retreats.