2019 Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Cabernet Shiraz Merlot

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2018 Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Cabernet Shiraz Merlot

Tasting Notes 

Colour

Excellent colour and mid-density.

Nose

Being 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Shiraz it is more of the classic Aussie blend Cabernet/Shiraz. Lifted dark fruit and cedar notes on the nose. Riper dark fruit aromas than previously vintages, due to a warm year in McLaren Vale.

Palate

The vanillin oak background adds extra lift to the dark cherry/plum aromas, and finishes with a ripe tannin mouthfeel. Turkish delight and dark chocolate from the Shiraz component, makes this a very enjoyable Cricket Pitch blend.

Vinification

Mostly vinomatic fermenters used, after 2-3 day cold soak prior to ferment. This wine is matured in French oak up to 18 months with a small percentage being in new oak barrels.

Winemaker Comments

The 25th vintage of Cricket Pitch Red (not counting the 1986) is both multi-varietal and multi-regional. Nearly 60% of fruit was from NSW with Gundagai and Central Ranges providing the bulk. Both regions enjoyed trouble free vintages. The remaining 40% is split equally between McLaren Vale and Beechworth. A very hot and short vintage in McLaren Vale, which meant keeping the water up to the vines. Beechworth had a near perfect vintage. Somewhat of a cliché but the combination of all really does over deliver in quality, appropriate being our 25th release.

About Brokenwood Wines

Founded in 1970 as a hobby venture by three Sydney-based solicitors - Tony Albert, John Beeston and Australian wine critic James Halliday - Brokenwood is perhaps best known for their Cricket Pitch label, which was first sourced from a 4-hectare block at the foothills of the Hunter Valley’s Brokenback Ranges. The block was originally earmarked as the local cricket ground before they decided to plant a vineyard instead.

Similarly, Brokenwood purchased their neighbouring block, which was intended to be the local cemetery, and instead planted Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, becoming their critically acclaimed flagship wine, the Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz. Chief Winemaker and Managing Director Iain Riggs joined Brokenwood in 1982 and introduced new winery equipment and facilities specifically for premium white wine production.

Since 1983, white wine makes up a significant part of total production and their Semillon is widely recognized as one of the finest in the world. Iain has also been the driving force behind Brokenwood’s expansion into the McLaren Vale in South Australia, Beechworth in Victoria, Margaret River in Western Australia, and Orange in New South Wales. Despite their expansion, they have managed to remain fiercely committed to producing unique and highquality expressions of Australian terroir.

    Specifications

    Year 2019
    Bottle Size 750ml
    Cultivar 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Shiraz, 11% Merlot
    Country Australia
    Alcohol content
    14% alc vol 
    Units of alcohol per bottle 10.5 units
    Type Red Blend
    Cellaring Potential For immediate enjoyment
    Allergen Information Contains Sulphites
    Features Vegan and Vegetarian
    Food Matches Pairs well with rich seafood, pasta and light meat dishes.
    Origin Hunter Valley
    Appellation New South Wales