A tasting of the wines of Australian producer Brokenwood at Frank Siegel's Sanlintun Sequoia Café in conjunction with Jebsen wines. Geoff Krieger, one of the company’s twenty-five partners and General Manager, was on hand to answer questions and also gave a short introduction to the winery. Brokenwood, although based in the Hunter Valley since 1970, has become increasingly national in its grape-sourcing, although the majority of wines are vinified in the Hunter itself.
2006 Brokenwood Hunter Valley Semillon
Appearance: light green.
Nose: complex nose of lime and green apple, slight wax. Very young and green at present.
Palate: more lime and green apple fruit, wax, medium-high acidity, lean feel, obviously no oak in this classic Hunter Semillon style.
Conclusion: very good, a wine you can either drink now when it is fresh, green and light or ten years down the road when the wine will become nutty – even giving the illusory sense of being oaked – with complex savoury notes.
Rating: 18.5/20
2005 Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Sauvignon Semillon
Appearance: medium gold.
Nose: developed Semillon is dominant with lemon and nutty aromas – you might be forgiven for thinking this wine is oaked, but it is entirely unoaked. Any green notes from the Sauvignon have blended into the wine with slight age.
Palate: more nutty, lemon fruit with nice zip of acidity from the Sauvignon. Good length.
Conclusion: pleasant and a lovely example of an unoaked Sauvignon-Semillon blend (50% of each). The fruit is sourced from both New South Wales and South Australia but everything is vinified in the Hunter Valley itself.
Rating: 17.5/20
2003 Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Shiraz
Appearance: medium purple-red, slight orange rim.
Nose: attractive red and black fruit nose with slight spice and integrated oak.
Palate: medium-bodied, nice ripe chewy tannins, pleasant acidity and easy drinking, fruity red.
Conclusion: this is 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 25% Shiraz with fruit sourced from South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Easy drinking, but I think the Cricket Pitch white is more exciting.
Rating: 17/20
2004 Brokenwood Hunter Valley Shiraz
Appearance: medium purple-red, slight orange rim.
Nose: complex blackberry fruit with definite black pepper accompanied by sweet-smelling spices (cinnamon, cardamom). Good oak.
Palate: lovely fruit, good acidity, nicely integrated oak – which is actually American, hence the sweet nose here albeit mixed with savoury characteristics – medium chewy tannins, medium-bodied.
Conclusion: a lovely example of Hunter Shiraz, not too massive in style, elegant and very drinkable.
Rating: 18/20
2006 Brokenwood Hunter Valley Semillon
Appearance: light green.
Nose: complex nose of lime and green apple, slight wax. Very young and green at present.
Palate: more lime and green apple fruit, wax, medium-high acidity, lean feel, obviously no oak in this classic Hunter Semillon style.
Conclusion: very good, a wine you can either drink now when it is fresh, green and light or ten years down the road when the wine will become nutty – even giving the illusory sense of being oaked – with complex savoury notes.
Rating: 18.5/20
2005 Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Sauvignon Semillon
Appearance: medium gold.
Nose: developed Semillon is dominant with lemon and nutty aromas – you might be forgiven for thinking this wine is oaked, but it is entirely unoaked. Any green notes from the Sauvignon have blended into the wine with slight age.
Palate: more nutty, lemon fruit with nice zip of acidity from the Sauvignon. Good length.
Conclusion: pleasant and a lovely example of an unoaked Sauvignon-Semillon blend (50% of each). The fruit is sourced from both New South Wales and South Australia but everything is vinified in the Hunter Valley itself.
Rating: 17.5/20
2003 Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Shiraz
Appearance: medium purple-red, slight orange rim.
Nose: attractive red and black fruit nose with slight spice and integrated oak.
Palate: medium-bodied, nice ripe chewy tannins, pleasant acidity and easy drinking, fruity red.
Conclusion: this is 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 25% Shiraz with fruit sourced from South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Easy drinking, but I think the Cricket Pitch white is more exciting.
Rating: 17/20
2004 Brokenwood Hunter Valley Shiraz
Appearance: medium purple-red, slight orange rim.
Nose: complex blackberry fruit with definite black pepper accompanied by sweet-smelling spices (cinnamon, cardamom). Good oak.
Palate: lovely fruit, good acidity, nicely integrated oak – which is actually American, hence the sweet nose here albeit mixed with savoury characteristics – medium chewy tannins, medium-bodied.
Conclusion: a lovely example of Hunter Shiraz, not too massive in style, elegant and very drinkable.
Rating: 18/20
Labels: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, Australia, Brokenwood, Cabernet Sauvignon, Featured Tastings, Hunter Valley, Jebsen, Merlot, New South Wales, red, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Shiraz, white
posted by Wine Dragon
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