Brokenwood’s Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz has been a major success and is considered as one of Australia’s great Shiraz wines. The relaxed, warm atmosphere, but clearly focussed winemaking, has made Brokenwood winery a popular destination for young up-and-coming winemakers. Some of Australia’s most talented winemakers have worked a vintage ‘university’ at Brokenwood or held positions as winemaker.
Description
The intensely perfumed, sumptuous and seductive Brokenwood Graveyard articulates the very best of Hunter Shiraz. It is arguably the Hunter Valley’s greatest red wine of the contemporary era. The east-facing Graveyard vineyard, first planted out in 1968, was once earmarked in 1882 as the Pokolbin cemetery but this did not eventuate.
First made in 1983, Graveyard Shiraz is a meticulous classification selection of the best parcels, mostly from the oldest plantings. After vinification in open-top stainless steel vats, it finishes fermentation in barrel. Maturation takes place in a combination of French and American oak barriques for a period of around 14 months. Young elemental Graveyard typically shows ginger bread, blackberry aniseed fruit, plenty of savoury oak and floral/herb garden notes. The opulent gamey/French polish characters develop with time bringing a rich palimpsest of aromas and flavours.