About this WINE
Sauvignon Blanc & Sémillon
The blend used for White Graves and Sauternes and rarely encountered outside France. In the great dry whites of Graves, Sauvignon Blanc tends to predominate in the blend, although properties such as Smith Haut Lafite use 100% Sauvignon Blanc while others such as Laville Haut Brion have as much as 60% Sémillon in their final blends. Sauvignon Blanc wines can lose their freshness and fruit after a couple of years in bottle - if blended with Sémillon, then the latter bolsters the wine when the initial fruit from the Sauvignon fades. Ultimately Sauvignon Blanc gives the wine its aroma and raciness while Sémillon gives it backbone and longevity.
In Sauternes, Sémillon is dominant, with Sauvignon Blanc playing a supporting role - it is generally harvested about 10 days before Sémillon and the botrytis concentrates its sweetness and dampens Sauvignon Blanc`s naturally pungent aroma. It contributes acidity, zip and freshness to Sauternes and is an important component of the blend.
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Description
This moderate alcohol, unoaked zingy white wine is the antithesis of the over-oaked white monoliths that bedevilled Australia in the 1990s.
Brokenwood was founded in 1970 by three Sydney based solicitors, including James Halliday as a weekend indulgence of their shared passion for wine. It was put on a more professional footing from the early 1980s with the appointment of Iain Riggs as Chief Winemaker & Managing Director, following a growth in the number of partners involved and the vineyard area from the original 10 acre plot which had been destined to be the local cricket pitch.
The first white wines were produced in 1983, and from very early on involved blending fruit from the best regions across South East Australia, but always with a backbone of fruit from New South Wales. This wine is no exception, with fruit from King Valley in Victoria adding complexity to the grapes from Cowra and the Hunter Valley. 5% of the wine was fermented in cask to add richness and texture, the remainder being made in stainless steel tanks to preserve fruit flavours and freshness.
Martin Hudson MW. Wine Buyer
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