Brokenwood Oakey Creek Vineyard Chardonnay 2024
- 95
- $66
- Drink by: 2025-2035
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Just the third release of a Chardonnay from this vineyard, famous as one of the great Semillon vineyards in the Hunter Valley. It was purchased from the Drayton family in 2021 – Chardonnay comprises a small 2.68 hectare parcel of vines, out of the 40 hectare property. Whole bunched pressed to French oak barrels for a wild yeast ferment. Maturation included 20% new oak. A few outliers aside, one rarely thinks of the Hunter for great Chardonnay. If the team maintains the standards they have set here, expect that to change. A deep straw hue, there is depth and concentration here, with real underlying power. One might expect Hunter Chardonnay to take a walk down the tropical path, but here we have notes of stone fruits and lemon curd which come to the fore, while the palate reveals appealing oatmeal characters. A wine of superb balance, a slippery texture and great length, there is serious intensity here. This is a cracking Chardonnay, a ten year proposition.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
