Elysium Vineyard Cottage

Elysium Vineyard Cottage is a historic 4-bedroom, fully self-contained country cottage and vineyard in Broke Fordwich. The cottage sits in a park-like acre of flowering trees, surrounded by vineyards and the mountains of Wollemi National Park. Relax and enjoy the stunning views with a glass of Elysium wine in the private pool and outdoor heated spa.

Specialising in large groups, the cottage provides a quiet and intimate retreat with all the Hunter Valley's attractions close at hand, including wine tasting, bushwalking, horse riding, golf, bike riding and fine restaurants.

Our Cottage

The main cottage boasts four guests bedrooms, a lounge featuring an open wood fireplace, LCD television with Foxtel pay TV. The front sitting room is a great place to relax with a good book on one of the lounge suits or armchairs.

Elysium is equipped with a full size kitchen, with all the usual cooking amenities and appliances including a large fridge, microwave oven and dishwasher. Enjoy sitting down to a meal in the dining room whilst gazing out at the view of the mountains of the Wollemi National Park.

Enjoy relaxing in our heated pool and spa overlooking our vineyard and BBQ area, the perfect spot to sample our multi award winning wine.

In addition to the main house, Elysium also features a one bedroom self contained cabin.

As the cottage relies on tank-collected rainwater, guests are asked to provide linen, which can also be hired for $20 per person.

Our Vineyard

Elysium Vineyard is the home of rare aged vintages of Gold medal Elysium Limited Release Verdelho, awarded 92 by James Halliday, and described as "consistently successful" by wine writer Huon Hooke (Good Living, September 2001) . The vines producing these wines come from root stock from the original 80-year old Tulloch vines nearby. For those who like a mature white, Elysium wines are made to age in the traditional Hunter style, but equally can be enjoyed as young, fresh wines.

Elysium wines are on the lists of many top Sydney and Hunter restaurants. Guests enjoy a complimentary wine tasting and Elysium wines are available for purchase in the cottage at cellar door prices.

Elysium Vineyard is a 2-acre block in Broke Fordwich, Hunter Valley, and is owned and operated by Victoria Foster. The vines were planted in 1990 using root stock from the original Tulloch 8-acre verdelho vineyard adjacent to Elysium, which was planted in 1936. At that time, the fruit was used to make crème de vin, a Madeira-style fortified wine. Elysium vineyard is unirrigated and the vines draw on a water table provided by the proximity to Wollombi Brook. The soil is rich, sandy and alluvial making for an ideal terroir to produce perfect verdelho fruit. John Tulloch is Vineyard Manager, employing traditional viticultural practices such as low trellising.

The fruit is picked early at 12 to 12.5 beaume and with good natural acids to achieve the desired style of intense fruitiness and a long, dry palate finish. There is no residual sugar and the structure of the wine is firm and balanced on front, middle and back palates. There is some seasonal variation, but the aim is to produce a consistent style, which demonstrates this variety at its best. This style has been developed over eight vintages in collaboration with Bruce Tyrrell and senior Tyrrells winemaker, Andrew Spinaze, who is 2004 Australian Winemaker of the Year. 2003 and 2005 vintages were made by Nick Paterson, Finalist in 2004 Australian Young Winemaker of the Year.

As the wine ages, the exotic fruit characters give way to the Hunter honey and straw characters. The wine has great longevity and at 8-12 years of age, has developed a deep golden colour, intense honeyed fruitiness with a madeira-like richness, but with a dry, flinty finish. When young, the wine displays the pronounced fruitiness of the variety. It is ideal drunk with seafood.

The wines have a very strong Show history, and the 1999 vintage was awarded a Gold medal at the 2003 Hunter Valley Wine Show.

The 2012 vintage won an award from the French Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In 2003 for the first time, a tonne of Elysium fruit was used to make a Madeira style, aged in small Alliers oak barriques and released in 2009.

REVIEW OF 2003 ELYSIUM LIMITED RELEASE VERDELHO

"The vigneron at Elysium Vineyard in the Hunter Valley has every right to be proud of her new vintage Verdelho. It is a fresh and vibrant wine, with none of the dreaded coarseness or alcoholic hotness that can so often spoil this variety. The nose, with its tones of lemon zest and fresh apple, is inviting. And the palate, which is both structured and balanced, tastes of fresh fruit salad

There is a hint of grassiness, which improves rather than detracts from the wine and the finish is crisp and clean. A classy partner to a long, lazy lunch, though perfectly delightful served alone?. Review by Toni Paterson, Master of Wine.

REVIEW OF 2005 ELYSIUM IN "WINE:WHAT TO DRINK 2006" BY TONI PATERSON, MASTER OF WINE

"Elysium is a small producer in the Hunter Valley with a passion for Verdelho. Their latest release is a stylish wine with lots of focused fruit and excellent depth of flavour.

The nose is fresh and inviting and the palate is just brimming with stone fruit flavours. It has lovely balanced acidity and some attractive spice. This is a perfect lunch wine as it has good flavour without being too heavy. If you are looking for a lesser-known wine, this is a good wine to try."

2005 ELYSIUM WAS NAMED ONE OF THE TOP THREE VERDELHOS IN AUSTRALIA BY THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND WINE INDUSTRY JOURNAL, OCTOBER 2007

James Halliday awarded Elysium 4.5 stars in his 2005 Wine Companion and wine and food writer Lindy Millan described it as "the best verdelho in the Hunter Valley" in April 2003. The wine features on top-end restaurant lists in Sydney and the Hunter Valley. It was on Darling Mills list from , and on Roberts, Pokolbin from .

Top wine lists include: Casuarina Restaurant, Terroir Pokolbin, the Old George and Dragon, Maitland, Feast at Avoca Beach, Wildfire Restaurant (Sommelier's Choice), Ocean Room, Dannys Seafood Restaurant, Bilson's Restaurant; Number One Wine Bar; Bird, Cow, Fish; Billy Kwong, Chi at Coogee; Quay Restaurant, Sydney (2004 Restaurant of the Year) ,The Devonshire Restaurant, Wase Japanese Restaurant Balmain, Restaurant Balzac, Tabou, Altitude Restaurant, Bistro Stock in Balmain, The Ginger Room in Old Parliament House Canberra, Yoshii; Laris in Shanghai, China. Royal Sydney Golf Club.

HUNTER RESTAURANT LISTS 2013-14

Margan restaurant: 2012 vintage
Bistro Molines: 2013 vintage

HOW TO PURCHASE ELYSIUM WINES

Elysium wines can be purchased from our cellar door or directly from the proprietor.