Barr's Brokenwoods

2019 Rosato - Nebbiolo Beechworth, VIC

HKD$280.00

Tasting Notes

The colour is a very appealing pale salmon. Nebbiolo has a floral element to its aroma and this dominates with almost but not quite, rose water background. The palate has vibrant spice/ginger notes and while technically a red wine, has plenty of zesty acid. A wine to be enjoyed over the next year or so.

Winemakers Comments

Brokenwood’s fourth make of Rosé and again it is something special. For a start it is Rosato, Italian for Rose, as it is made from the Nebbiolo grape and in fact a combination of three clones 111 and 230 and MAT 10 grown at the Indigo Vineyard, Beechworth. Stylistically it is also European where the wine has fruit sweetness but a dry finish. The actual residual sugar is zero. We wanted to make a savoury wine that could withstand being chilled and have plenty of florals and texture on the palate. Enjoy.

Vinification

Picked at optimum ripeness for the style, we partially crushed the fruit by foot stomping and then let the juice and skins steep overnight. The grapes were then pressed to tank and the juice dispatched to the Hunter Valley. A small amount was fermented in old oak but the majority in stainless steel tank. Bottled in early June 2019.

Food

Nebbiolo is one of the main grapes of Piemonte in North West Italy and you can’t go past their famous cuisine, including antipasti and grissini - the metre long bread sticks. Foie Gras wouldn’t go astray either.

Drink

Best consumed over the medium term.

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Brokenwood Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2015~ McLaren Vale

HKD$480.00

Tasting Notes

Pleasing medium density colour and youthful purple tints on the rim. The aromas show some red fruit, leafy Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of cedar. The oak regime was new and older barriques, all French oak and to match the medium bodied nature, only about 14 months in barrel. The palate at this young stage has dusty fruit and oak tannins that will integrate as the wine ages. Appropriate alcohol at 14% and a long finish. This wine will reward with further cellaring.

Winemakers Comments

The blend for this wine is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 4% Shiraz. The 2010 growing season and then into 2011 was unusually damp for the southern states. Our 3 growers are experienced enough to maintain the required sprays and as such we had no problems with fruit quality. Stylistically untypical, in that earlier picking was the norm and the usual McLaren Vale ‘fruit power’ are less obvious. However for our Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend there’s plenty of savoury, red berry fruit character.

Vinification

Machine harvested, crushed and chilled to tanker in McLaren Vale. Vinomatic fermentation in the Hunter . Not overly rotated, as soft tannins are required. Oak maturation in a 75% French and 25% American barriques.

Food

Roast meats and strong cheese.

Drink

Drinking well now but will improve with further bottle age.

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Brokenwood Cricket Pitch White 2014 ~ (Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon)

Sold Out - HKD$160.00

Tasting Notes

Bright pale yellow with green tints. Aromas of citrus and Hunter Semillon lemongrass. Great aromas of lifted herbaceous SB and lime/hay notes. Some barrel ferment character adding subtle complexity and further dimension to the palate. A fine acid structure provides length and liveliness to the finish.

Winemakers Comments

This wine is a blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Semillon. Brokenwood’s 41st vintage got underway a lot earlier than anticipated. The continued dry weather across the eastern half of Australia intensified in early January with a run of above average temperatures including a new January record high of 45.7C in Sydney.
November, December and the early part of January were also dry, leading to lighter canopies to go with the lighter crop load. Semillon started rolling into the winery on January 16th and well over half was picked before a tropical deluge of 150mm after Australia Day. This wine also highlights our desire for lower alcohol and weighs in at 11.8% and with plenty of zesty fruit lift.

Vinification

Fruit outside the Hunter Valley is processed to the primary juice stage before transport to the winery in the Hunter Valley for fermentation and blending. This ensures the delicate grape and fruit aromas are preserved. A small percentage (approximately 5%) of this wine was fermented in barrel.

Food

A dozen freshly shucked oysters and a whole baked barramundi for lunch or a spicy Asian laksa for dinner.

Drink

An easy drinking wine to chill and enjoy this summer.

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Brokenwood ILR Reserve Semillon 2011 ~ Hunter Valley NSW

HKD$740.00

Semillon of the Year - 97pts
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2016

Trophy & Gold - 'Best Semillon'
2015 Shanghai International Wine Challenge'

Gold Medal
Sydney Royal Wine Show 2015

Tasting Notes

This wine has a beautiful colour, and perfect grapes/ripening means nothing interferes with the gentle aging. As the wine warms up, the citrus and some florals come in. Bees wax and then ‘toast’ will come in a few years. Lively palate, plenty of citrus pith and seamless acidity. A perfect follow up to the near perfect 2007 ILR and a wine that has a long future in front of it. Enjoy.

Winemakers Comments

Mid January in the Hunter Valley always brings with it a slight nervousness in the wine industry. Having been battered in both previous years – drought in 2007 and pouring rain in 2008, it is no wonder. Black cats are certainly not wanted and ladders given a wide berth. Vintage 2009? The rain that plagued the 08 vintage finally eased up at the end of April and then no rain days in May. The middle three winter months normally dry for us saw another 250mm (10 inches) and then odd rain days through to the year end. Fruit set was not as complete but resulted in long loose bunches especially in the Shiraz. A good result.

Vinification

Harvesting all by hand. The fruit was crushed, chilled and pressed immediately. Neutral yeasts were used for the fermentation, bottled in July. No oak and no malolactic ferment, only stainless steel.

Food

Asian food, any seafood especially fresh shucked oysters.

Drink

Drinking well now but will improve with further bottle age.

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Brokenwood Indigo Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 ~ Beechworth Victoria

HKD$480.00

Highly Recommended - 91pts
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2015

Silver Ribbon - 93pts
Bob Campbell MW

Tasting Notes

The decision to pick all the Pinot Noir early paid off handsomely. The colour is medium density with lovely purple hues evident. Fragrant Pinot Noir aromas of red cherry and background sweet oak. Soft entry on the palate with forest/dried fruit richness and excellent fruit tannins. Will increase in complexity with bottle age or enjoyed in its youth as a vibrant Pinot Noir.

Winemakers Comments

The 2002 Pinot Noir grapes were the first off the new Indigo Vineyard at Beechworth and a stunning vintage to debut. As there are three clones planted over different sites there is the opportunity to process as a number of different parcels. Hence we have the varietal bottling as well as a Single Vineyard wine.

Beechworth had a perfect spring and ripening period over summer led to very high expectations. Winemaker Simon Steele quickly recognized the potential of the early fruit and with two other vintage staff packed their swag and headed to Beechworth. The rain at the end of February delayed the late ripening red harvest but everything came in good order.

Vinification

Rentention of fruit character is always important. Processing involved cold soak of the must for a few days and included approximately 10% whole bunches in the ferment. No post ferment maceration was under taken. Oak maturation was in predominantly used French oak barriques and bottled at the 12 month mark. This is a blend of the 3 clones 114, 115 & MV6.

Food

Duck, quail and steak tartare.

Drink

This wine will mature further although enjoyable as a rich young Pinot Noir.

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Brokenwood Sangiovese 2014 - Beechworth VIC

HKD$490.00

Tasting Notes

Medium density colour and quite bright, limpid as Sangiovese is certainly not known for intense colour. Lifted stewed cherry/sour cherry aromas that are very appealing as a food wine. Some oak on the palate but mainly bright savoury Sangiovese red fruit and juicy acid/tannin balance. Medium bodied and a spicy finish makes for a perfect summer wine.

Winemakers Comments

Brokenwood winemakers and crew don’t need too much encouragement to taste a range of world wine styles and one of our favourite countries is Italy. Add to this a progression of young winemakers from Italy over the years espousing the qualities of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo; it is not surprising to see these varieties under the Brokenwood label. An excellent 2013 vintage and then a mild winter and early 2013 spring had everyone looking forward to 2014. The frost event of October 18 was so widespread that vineyards from central Victoria right through to Cowra and Orange in the NSW Hilltops were affected. The Indigo Vineyard lost quite a lot of fruit and then to really test the vineyard crew, temperatures in late December hit 41C and 44C in mid-January. Some rain, nearly 50mm in late January did cool things down.Brokenwood winemakers and crew don’t need too much encouragement to taste a range of world wine styles and one of our favourite countries is Italy. Add to this a progression of young winemakers from Italy over the years espousing the qualities of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo; it is not surprising to see these varieties under the Brokenwood label. An excellent 2013 vintage and then a mild winter and early 2013 spring had everyone looking forward to 2014. The frost event of October 18 was so widespread that vineyards from central Victoria right through to Cowra and Orange in the NSW Hilltops were affected. The Indigo Vineyard lost quite a lot of fruit and then to really test the vineyard crew, temperatures in late December hit 41C and 44C in mid-January. Some rain, nearly 50mm in late January did cool things down.

Vinification

Processing started with 3-4 day cold soaking and then a 4-5 day ferment with hand plunging. The oak regime with this wine matured in older French oak with 30% puncheons.

Food

Pasta, of course or a good old classic BBQ.

Drink

Drinking well now but will improve with further bottle age.

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Brokenwood Shiraz 2016 ~ Hunter Valley

HKD$580.00

Tasting Notes

Following straight on from the 2011, as there were no 2012 Hunter Valley reds, this wine has lifted fresh red fruit and spice characters. The colour still a vibrant deep red. Lovely savory, red cherry flavours and fine grained tannin from the perfectly ripe fruit and French oak. The oak takes a background seat due to the use of puncheons and mostly older oak. This is a fine Hunter Valley Shiraz.

Winemakers Comments

Brokenwood’s 41st vintage got underway a lot earlier than anticipated. The continued dry weather across the eastern half of Australia intensified in early January with a run of above average temperatures. The heavy rain that disrupted the 2012 red harvest gave way to a typical dry winter and even drier spring when only 92mm of rain fell in the 4 months, July through October. November, December and the early part of January were also dry, leading to lighter canopies to go with the lighter crop load. Shiraz started rolling into the winery on February 2nd.

Vinification

Part vinomatic and part open top 2-4 tonne fermenters. The latter plunged two times per day. Perfect grapes do not need a lot of input and after 7 days pressed off, with malolactic fermentation conducted in tank. The wine then went into 100% French oak made up of 25% puncheons and overall 25% new oak. The Shiraz grapes are sourced solely from the Graveyard Vineyard, being clonal vines planted through the 90s and massale selection from the 68 plantings, with the oldest nearing 10 years of age.

Food

Veal, duck and cheese.

Drink

Drinking well now but will improve with further bottle age.

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