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Outstanding - 94pts
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2016
Silver Medal
Hunter Valley Wine Show 2014
Silver Ribbon - 90pts
Huon Hooke
The warmer weather has resulted in great fruit intensity. The colours in 2014 are outstanding, lots of luminous green tints. Lifted aromas of citrus/lemongrass notes. Sweet fruit flavours with great lime juice acidity. This is an outstanding young Hunter Valley Semillon and great drinking now or this will age gracefully if a more mature style is desired.
Winemaker Iain Riggs made the comment during vintage 2014 that he thought in 32 years there were no more surprises left. Except of course starting picking on the 8th January. Once upon a time before the private irrigation scheme went through the valley, some Shiraz was picked in late January but Semillon was always early February. Not so any more. The winter and the spring of 2013 were very dry, in fact 207mm in the last 5 months of the year. Lower crop and low foliage equals early picking except vintage 2014 was not too dissimilar to 2000 where at 10 to 11 baumé there was still quite a bit of ‘green’ character. Lots of vineyard walks and discussion saw the decision to pick a bit riper meant slightly higher alcohols. But everything is still under 12% just no low 10s.
Excellent colours with plenty of luminous greens and bright acidity a feature. In terms of tasting notes, not much to separate 2013 and 2014, so we didn’t.
Harvesting all by hand. The fruit was crushed, chilled and pressed immediately. Neutral yeasts were used for the fermentation, bottled in May. No oak and no malolactic ferment, only stainless steel.
Asian food, any seafood especially freshly shucked oysters.
Drinking well now but will improve with further bottle age.
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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