Brokenwood Oakey Creek Vineyard Chardonnay Hunter 2022
- 93
- $66
- Drink by: 2023-2031
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The Hunter Valley is rarely seen as an ideal home for Chardonnay, despite some of our most famous calling the place home. Oakey Creek vineyard is better known for the superb Semillons it produces, than for Chardonnay – perhaps not surprising as this is the very first release of this wine. Despite all that, this is an impressive wine. The fruit comes from a small 2.68 hectare parcel of Chardonnay in the 40-hectare vineyard. A shade of very pale lemon, there is excellent restraint for a Hunter Chardonnay. Citrus, wet stones, lemon curd. The wine has good intensity, focus and impressive balance, with excellent length. There are hints of oak evident, but integration is proceeding well and currently offering hints of cashew. Enjoy over the next five to eight years.
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.
