HKD$250.00
Lifted pear and floral aromas is definitely synonymous with Pinot Gris. The alcohol at 13.5% is balanced without any signs of oiliness and there’s plenty of musk fruit and natural richness from the slight phenolic grip that this variety has. The tropical fruit is balanced by a zesty acid.
Pinot Gris is widely planted in Alsace, France and is in fact a mutation of Pinot Noir, best noted for its coloured berries and sometimes deeply coloured wine (for a white that is). Pinot Grigio, as it is known in Italy, ranges from a full bodied white to a rather plain wine if picked before full ripeness. In terms of winemaking technique, both the French and Italians often leave some juice solids in the ferment to produce a fuller style.
Here the wines benefit from the cooler terrior but still have richness to them. The true character of Alsatian Pinot Gris lies somewhere between the intense perfume and musk of Gewurztraminer, and the floral finesse and purity of Riesling.
Beechworth is a very important region for us and the vineyard has bounced back from the frosts of late 2014. An excellent winter and spring leading up to a fine summer, some rain in mid-January but not enough to cause any concern. After a recent walk through, the pick of varieties included the Pinot Gris, Chardonnay the Shiraz on own roots and Pinot Noir.
Processing involved crush, drain and chilling of the juice at Oxley. The racked juice is then transported to the Hunter where fermentation is in stainless steel. As per previous years approximately 5% had old oak barrel fermentation.
Great accompanied with the Alsace specialty, Foie Gras. A terrine or rich consommé will be just as enjoyable.
Drinking well now.
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.
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