Gourmet Traveller | Best Cellar Door Award 2016

Star Cellar Door Lake's Folly – Australian Gourmet Traveller 2016

With only two wines produced here, both of which sell so fast it’s closed for four months of the year, Lake’s Folly may seem an unexpected choice for the star cellar door of the Hunter Valley. There is no grand architectural splendour here, no restaurant and no glitz. Instead, Lake’s Folly takes us to a place that we all yearn for in the fast pace of the modern Hunter Valley. It’s a trip back in time to the way wine was made in the 1960s.

Time your visit right and you’ll experience a hands-on working winery; show some interest and you might be treated to a personal tour. The service here is as authentic as the historic setting. Winemaker Rod Kempe mans the cellar door, alongside his longstanding offsiders, Peter and Roger. They pour wines that capture the unique personality of their historic vineyard, surprisingly for the Hunter there’s no semillon or shiraz, instead the finest cabernet blend and chardonnay in the region is why you come to Lake’s Folly.

Tyson Stelzer

Outstanding Wine: 2014 Lake’s Folly Cabernets, A$62