Brokenwood Hunter Valley Shiraz 2021 ~ Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia

94/100 James Halliday
92/100 Aaron Brasher, The Real Review (2020 vintage)
92/100 James Suckling (2020 vintage)
90/100 Ned Goodwin MW (2020 vintage)
94/100 Bob Campbell - The Real Review (2019 vintage)
93/100 James Suckling (2019 vintage)
90/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2019 vintage)

Gold - 2022 NSW Wine Awards

James Halliday "This is the younger brother of Graveyard Shiraz, coming from young vines on the Graveyard vineyard and declassified 1968 shiraz. In other words, it's Brokenwood's entry-level Hunter shiraz. It's no lightweight wine, and the mix of plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits are swathed in ripe tannins, underwriting its future."

Aaron Brasher, The Real Review "Bright red and youthful in the glass. Lovely, fragrant aromas of blueberry, mulberry, ferrous earth, anise and pot-pourri. Rich, youthful and mouth-filling on the palate, chock full of blue and black fruits, licorice, sweet, creamy oak and spice. Very drinkable gear now, just beginning what will be an impressive journey."(2020 vintage)

James Suckling "Aromas of plums, black cherries, cocoa and suede. Medium-bodied with silky tannins. Seamless and nicely balanced with rounded red and black fruit character." (2020 vintage)

Ned Goodwin MW "A poised, richly flavoured and gallant effort in a torrid year. The tannins, gritty.... But there is ample dark cherry, anise and clove to offset them. " (2020 vintage)

Bob Campbell, The Real Review "Ripe shiraz with raspberry, plum, eucalyptus, violet, floral and spice flavours. A supple, sinewy wine with hints of baked earth. Approachable now but should age well. A classy wine with a fine, peppery texture."(2019 vintage)

James Suckling "This has such impressively ripe yet poised style and offers bold blackberries, raspberries and plums with chocolate, leaves and bark, too. The palate has impressively supple and fleshy style and delivers ripe dark-berry flavors with freshness. Drinking well already. Drink or hold." (2019 vintage)

Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Bright, deep purple/red hue, with a nose of ground black peppercorns and subtle red fruits, the palate intense and shrill, youthfully aggressive with a little astringency from acidity and tannins, gritty and somewhat unready. It's a bit immature, but has very good potential"(2019 vintage)

Established in 1970 Brokenwood Wines is one of Australia's most reputable premium wine labels and a must-visit in the Hunter Valley. It was established by Australia's leading wine critic, James Halliday. Consistently listed as a 5 star winery, Brokenwood is home to the famous Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, the highly acclaimed ILR Reserve Semillon, and the popular Cricket Pitch Range.

At nearly 40 years young, Brokenwood Wines, in the heart of the Hunter Valley, can lay claim to not only an iconic vineyard with the Graveyard Vineyard but to the preservation of a wine fraternity that proudly has as its mission statement, 'to make great wine and have fun'.

The original land that was to become the Cricket Pitch Vineyard was purchased in 1970 and planted immediately to Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Graveyard Vineyard, planted to Shiraz in 1968, was bought in 1978 and by the mid 1980s was producing a premium Single Vineyard wine. The first Langton's Classification of Premium Australian Wine was launched in 1993 and the Graveyard Shiraz was then, and remains, the highest-placed Hunter Valley Shiraz.

The Hunter Valley is the best-known and most highly prized wine region in New South Wales. It is known as the region where the Australian wine industry started. The valley's winemakers have pioneered two distinctive styles of wine (oaked Chardonnay and dry Semillon) and has retained a strong connection with both of them. The Hunter Valley's most famous wine style is its distinctive dry Semillon, made there since the 1870s. Hunter Valley Semillons are renowned for their ability to improve with age.

Today, Brokenwood boasts an impressive array of premium quality wines, sourced from 'all the right regions, for all the right reasons', from the Graveyard Shiraz to the Cricket Pitch Sauvignon Blanc Semillon and Cricket Pitch Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot.

“Our philosophy is to produce wine that focuses on the unique regional characteristics of the Hunter Valley and premium wine regions throughout Australia.” Iain Riggs, Chief Winemaker & Managing Director, Brokenwood Wines.

Shiraz is the name given to the dark-skinned Syrah grape when grown in Australia and selected pockets of the New World. Though genetically identical, the stylistic differences between Shiraz and Syrah are usually pronounced.

Shiraz is so important to Australian viticulture that it is the most planted grape variety in the majority of Australian vineyards and has become virtually synonymous with the country's wine regions, and in particular the Barossa Valley.