Ranked #13 of 68 2009 Chardonnay from Margaret River
94/100
4.5 Stars
Huon Hooke
Light medium yellow, smoky toasty barrels and low-level sulfides, quite complex and attractive. Soft, round, light to medium bodied and clean. Good focus on mid-palate with delicate, understated flavours and refreshing acidity, which tastes natural and balanced. Lovely drink. A bit more open than the Reserve at this stage.
Tasted: 11/01/2011
Drink: N/A
"Brookland Valley is situated in the heart of Margaret River in the Wilyabrup subregion, within reach of the Indian Ocean's breeze.
Established in 1984, we have evolved and grown to be renowned for outstanding wines that are considered benchmarks, displaying truly unique regional characteristics.
We are honoured to be the region's most highly decorated producer in Australian wine shows, and named “Winery of the Year” in the highly regarded James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2009 Edition."
"It’s probably released a year or two early (cash flow being king), so put this to one side for a couple of years should you happen to purchase some. This excludes drinking your exploratory bottle, which would be purely for research purposes, of course.
Clean and precise with spicy oak, savoury winemaker inputs and a mix of citrus, melon and pineapple fruit – which makes it look slightly candied, at least as a young wine. There’s also some wheaty and nutty flavours along with a sense of vitality and freshness.Particularly long spice and grapefruit segments aftertaste."
Rated : 94/95 Points
Tasted : Apr10/Oct10
Alcohol : 13.5%
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2011 - 2018
Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, 1 May 2010