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Vibrant, youthful colour; medium density and lovely purple tints. Being a cooler year the aromas are more on the spice cherry side than ripe and opulent. The alcohol is still 14%. Medium weight palate and again spice and savoury edges. The tell-tale McLaren Vale jube fruit is their along with background oak
The eleventh bottling of the Wade Block 2 from McLaren Flat. Grown in deep sand, this is an amazing vineyard in that it is approximately 15 years old, but planted with cuttings sourced from a very old local vineyard and grown on own roots. Again, very distinctive and complex, and more than qualifies for the ‘Single Vineyard’ label.
Some would say that the change in weather fortunes (between the Hunter Valley and southern regions) for the 2011 vintage was overdue but then we copped the 2012 Hunter vintage. It not only put us in our place but added some on top. Brokenwood sources all its fruit from the Blewitt Springs/McLaren Flat end of McLaren Vale. This area did fair better in 2011 and as such we have no hesitation in releasing the Wade Block 2. A cool and wet season presented problems down south and vintage was pushed back at least 3 weeks. Our growers were diligent with their spray program and resultant fruit quality was high.
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 20% American and 80% French. The latter mostly new and 1 year old.
Beef.
Drinking well now but will reward with medium to long term cellaring.
HKD$280.00
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.
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.
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.
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.
Best consumed over the medium term.
HKD$480.00
HKD$420.00
This wine has a burnished gold colour and lifted glace fruit/peel aromas. With the Botrytis the decision was made to age the wine in oak for a few months. This adds extra complexity and depth. Although low in alcohol, it has a luscious mouth feel from the retained sugar. Crème brulee and peel flavours continue on the palate supported by a zesty citrus acid. A superb dessert rich style without any cloying characters.
This wine is from a specially selected parcel of Semillon grapes that had a percentage of Botrytis or Noble Rot as it is sometimes known. A combination of the Botrytis and raisin fruit has allowed a luscious dessert style to be made.
The Botrytris infection of the grapes results in two things – one being the dehydration of the berry which causes concentration of fruit flavour and well as sugar and two being the added flavour (in a positive sense) of the Botrytis mould itself.
The raisin fruit usually requires a period of ‘soaking’ so that when pressed the high sugar juice is extracted. Sulphur and chilling is used to prevent wild yeast gaining hold. The ferment is usually slow due to the high sugar. The decision to stop the ferment (by chilling) is made depending on the balance of acid alcohol and sugar. This style is fermented in stainless steel and bottled immediately to retain freshness and characters.
Fresh fruit, especially peaches, light dessert or over ice cream.
Drinking well now but will improve with further bottle age.