Bream Creek Vineyard

Four (!) New Release Wines

by 4 Comments

 

We are very pleased to release 4 (yes four!) new release wines – 3 of which are brand new to our Bream Creek stable!


These are our first ever releases of a Sparkling Rosé, a limited Late Disgorge Sparkling (only 388 bottles produced, with exceptional reviews and wine show results!) and our first wine from vintage 2020 – a rare Field Blend wine released under our new “Unitus” label!

Sparkling Rosé (RRP$36) We have been repeatedly requested to produce a sparkling Rosé – and we have listened! An enticing pale salmon blush in the glass, this wine reveals a nose of strawberries and raspberries, with similar red berry flavours on the palate. Finishing dry and crisp, it is the perfect aperitif wine or may be matched with a wide range of foods – including chocolate!

2020 “Unitus” Field Blend (RRP$31) “Unitus” in Latin can mean “I combine” – which is why it is so appropriate for this field blend (combination) of the rare Germany variety Sylvaner and Riesling. These grapes were grown, picked and fermented together. Part of the wine was then aged on its skins in two clay amphorae for over 100 days, with the balance matured in old French oak barrels. Unfined and unfiltered (so it retains a harmless and light cloudy haze) while also being vegan friendly, it has aromas of passion fruit and tropical fruits with a palate showing green apple and melon flavours and an attractive phenolic finish. All in all, something a little different…. great with a range of informal cuisines.

2005 Late Disgorged Sparkling (RRP$75) Only just 388 bottles of this extremely limited wine were produced –  each bottle being hand labelled and individually numbered. Aged for over 13 years on lees (we have been very patient!), it is a powerful sparkling wine showing a full-bodied palate with flavours of ginger, brioche and orange blossom with excellent balance and length. In awarding this wine 96 points, wine writer Huon Hooke stated that it was “A wonderful wine.” Similarly, Ned Goodwin MW, writing for the Halliday Wine Companion this year, stated that “…this is a brooding wine of incredible depth and complexity.” and awarded it 95 points. This wine has also received a Grand Gold Medal in Europe at the 2019 Berliner Wein Trophy Competition (1 of only 19 wines to receive this accolade from 6,234 entries!), a Grand Gold Medal at the 2019 Asia Wine Trophy Competition (1 of only 39 wines to receive this accolade from 4,386 entries) and a Gold Medal in Class 1 at the 2019 Tasmanian Wine Show.

We are also very pleased to release the new vintage of our popular Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend – our 2018 Cabernet Merlot (RRP$36)! Made from a combination of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, this classically styled cool climate wine starts with an aromatic nose of blue and black forest berries as well as subtle French oak. Its medium bodied palate is powerful – blueberry and blackberry fruits supported by bramble and spice hints. Its excellent tannin structure means this wine may be cellared with confidence for several years – or you could simply enjoy it right now, paired with a rich meat dish such as Tasmanian Cape Grim beef fillets. Awarded 4.5 stars by Winestate Magazine in May/June 2020, it was also described as an “impressive Bordeaux blend” in the just released 2021 James Halliday “Australian Wine Companion”.

To purchase a selection of these stunning recent releases, simply click here to be transferred to our secure online store. The minimum order is only 6 bottles (with any orders being in multiples of 6 for packing), you can mix and match your order from all our available wines, and we accept Visa, MasterCard and Amex. Please also allow a little more time for delivery via Australia Post, as they are currently struggling with increased parcel loads which significantly exceed even the usual Christmas rush!

Cellar Door

by Leave a Comment

Despite the COVID-19 situation, we are pushing ahead with our cellar door at Bream Creek. As it stands, we hope to have civil works underway by October and a grand opening about May/June 2021. By that stage we hope all interstate borders will have re-opened! Stay tuned for regular updates….

Free Shipping on all orders until 31 July 2020

by 2 Comments

FREE shipping continues for all orders of 6 bottles or more – and you can mix and match wines! We can send our wines direct to your door, and accept Visa, MasterCard and Amex. You can shop our range via our secure online store here. Our shipping providers currently have modified delivery requirements, given the need for social distancing and self-isolation. So, if you can, please leave directions with your order that your wine can be left on the front porch, under the verandah etc. However, like all good things this life, this offer must come to an end – hence free shipping will cease on 31 July 2020.

New Release Wines – 2018 Chardonnay and 2019 Pinot Rosé  

by Leave a Comment

We are very proud to confirm the release of our 2018 Chardonnay and 2019 Pinot Rosé!

Our 2018 Chardonnay showcases citrus, green apple and integrated French oak aromas on the nose. Similar flavours feature on the palate; a complex and layered wine, it finishes with intensity and balance. Already a gold medal winner at the 2019 Berlin Wine Trophy Competition, this wine was recently awarded 5 stars by Winestate Magazine (full review below). You may enjoy this wine now, but it will also gain richness with careful cellaring. Food matches include slow cooked Scottsdale pork shoulder or herb roasted Marion Bay chicken – just the thing with winter well and truly here!

Our 2019 Pinot Rosé is produced from 100% Pinot Noir grapes and drawn solely from a small south facing block at our Bream Creek vineyard. This easy drinking style of wine shows enticing flavours of cranberries and strawberries on the nose and palate, finishing crisp and dry. It is ideal for informal entertaining and would suit a wide range of foods – such as barbecued Tasmanian seafood. The vintage conditions of 2019 mean that our ‘19 version is drier on the palate than the ‘18 vintage, with a lovely textural finish. This Pinot Rosé is an even more versatile food wine than one would normally expect!

Free Shipping on all orders

by Leave a Comment

That’s right! In the strange world of COVID19, why leave the safety of your house when your favourite Bream Creek wines can be delivered to your door! All of our current release wines are available for purchase via our secure website here. Remember that you can mix and match with the minimum order being only 6 bottles, plus we accept payment by Visa, MasterCard and Amex.

Cheers, Fred

New Release Wines – 2018 Estate Pinot Noir and 2017 Reserve Pinot Noir

by Leave a Comment

We are very pleased to release two new vintage Pinot Noir wines…..

Our 2018 Estate Pinot Noir has a fragrant nose of red and dark cherries with a hint of spice, supported by a refined and elegant palate of cherry and raspberry with a long finish and excellent tannins. Enjoyable now, this wine has the structure to age gracefully in your cellar. It is a dual Trophy winner (Trophy “Best Pinot Noir” at the 2019 Cowra Wine Show and Trophy “Best Pinot Noir” at the 2019 Rutherglen Wine Show) as well as being the winner of five gold medals (Class 127 2019 Cowra Wine Show, Class 214 2019 Rutherglen Wine Show, 2019 Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition, 2019 Asia Wine Trophy Competition & 2020 China “Best Value” Wine & Spirit Awards) and was recently described by Tasmanian based wine writer Winsor Dobbin as “long, intense and beautifully balanced”.

We consider our 2017 Reserve Pinot Noir to be one of the best wines we have made (to date). This is a complex and powerful wine, deserving of its Reserve status. Fragrant aromas of raspberry, cherry and violets flow onto a palate showing intense red cherry and red berry fruit flavours as well as earth and spice hints. With excellent length, balance and tannin structure, this limited release wine can be enjoyed now, yet will also reward careful cellaring. This is our most awarded wine we have ever released – winning 4 Trophies (“Best Pinot Noir”, “Best Australian Dry Red Wine – 2017 and 2016 Vintages” and “Best Table Wine Produced by a Small Winery” at the 2018 Rutherglen Wine Show, “Best Australian Red Wine” at the 2019 Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition), a Platinum (Best in Show) Medal (97 points) at the 2019 Decanter Asia Wine Awards, a Double Gold Medal (1 of only 7 wines to be so awarded) at the 2019 Asia International Wine Competition and fourteen (yes, 14!) gold medals (2020 WineWise Championship, 2020 Sydney International Wine Competition, Class 33 2019 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards, 2019 Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition, 2019 China Best Value Wine & Spirits Awards, 2019 Berliner Wein Trophy Competition, 2019 Melbourne International Wine Competition, 2019 WineWise Small Vigneron Awards, 2019 Asia Wine Trophy Competition, 2019 China Wine & Spirit Awards, Class 27 2018 Royal Hobart Wine Show, Class 33 2018 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards, Class 214 2018 Rutherglen Wine Show).

Both these wines are now available for purchase via our secure website here. Remember that you can mix and match with the minimum order being only 6 bottles, plus we accept payment by Visa, MasterCard and Amex. The current free shipping offer is still current (so no freight cost!).

Cheers, Fred

New Release Riesling Wines

by Leave a Comment

The start of the new calendar year has traditionally marked the release of several new wines, and 2020 is no different! We’re very pleased to announce the release of the following ‘duo’ of 2018 Riesling wines:

  1. 2018 “Old Vine” Reserve Riesling – We are the proud custodians of probably the oldest commercial Riesling block in Tasmania, planted in 1974. In excellent vintages we make a special Reserve Riesling solely from grapes picked from these old vines. This is a powerful and bold wine, with a fragrant nose of citrus and mineral characters flowing onto a lengthy palate of lemon and lime juice, as well as a hint of grapefruit. It is simply delicious now yet can be cellared with absolute confidence. Five gold medals and 96 points from James Halliday too, who commented that the wine “… simply ratchets up the power of all the inputs and will give pleasure when very young or very old – and any point along the way”.
  2. 2018 Estate Riesling – this wine is very much in our traditional style. An aromatic nose of lemon pith and lime juice flows onto a palate of bright citrus and green apple flavours as well as crisp Tasmanian acidity. The resulting wine has excellent length and is perfectly suited to a range of cuisines, including freshly grilled Tasmanian seafood. It has already been awarded three gold medals, while James Halliday awarded this wine 94 points, writing that it was “….finely structured and balanced; apple, lime and lemon flavours of a new-born wine; its future is assured, as the acidity and residual sugar are in balance. It will be a steady building process, offering pleasure every point along the way”. 

The “Old Block” and the (not quite as old!) “Young Block” (planted in 1995) are mere metres apart yet show as independent and quite different wines. It is very interesting to try both and see the difference! You can purchase both of these new Riesling wines, as well as any of our other current release wines, via our secure online shop here – remember that you can mix and match with the total minimum order being only 6 bottles, and we accept payment by Visa, MasterCard or Amex.

Cheers, Fred

Vintage Update – January 2020

by Leave a Comment

Challenging would be an understatement in describing this season!

It is still extremely dry in the south and east of Tassie, as it has been for several seasons at least now. Early spring saw prolonged strong and unusually cold winds which slowed vine development. During flowering we experienced a continuation of the cold gusty conditions, with periods of short sharp rain showers that reduced the berry set significantly – but without making a useful contribution to soil moisture! Most vines flowered “short” – that is, they flowered before they had reached their usual growth stage. I would rate the weather at flowering this year as the worst I have seen since flowering in 2013.

Consequently we are expecting the majority of varieties and blocks to crop very lightly across much of Tassie, and I suspect this will result in a much reduced Tasmanian crop. Coupled with the disastrous conditions in many mainland vineyard districts one could anticipate that the total Australian wine grape crop will be noticeably lower this season.

As the heat and dry continues, and coupled with lower crop levels, we can probably expect an early and frantic vintage – which I feel is a sign of things to come!

Cheers, Fred

Taste of Tasmania 2019 / 2020

by 2 Comments

We are looking forward to taking part in the annual Taste of Tasmania food and wine festival in Hobart. Located on Hobart’s waterfront between 28 December 2019 and 3 January 2020, this event is a celebration of the very best Tasmanian food and beverages. We are in the same place as last year – in the Shed, on the water side, towards the river end. With a huge fleet for the Sydney-Hobart this year, Hobart’s waterfront will really come alive – so we hope to see you there!

Cheers, Fred

More Accolades…..

by Leave a Comment

You may have read in previous newsletters of the success of our (pre-release) 2017 Reserve Pinot Noir. Well, to top off all the existing awards and trophies it has won, it has just been awarded the Trophy for “Best Australian Red Wine” at the 2019 Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition. Given the number of Australian red wines entered in this wine show (especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz) this is quite a significant award!

In addition, we were very pleased to read that our 2012 Cuvée Traditionelle sparkling was just one of twenty sparkling wines (including expensive French champagnes) featured in the annual “James Halliday Top 100 Wines” magazine supplement in the Australian newspaper recently. James described our wine as “a most appealing and complex wine”, while also saying it was a bargain for consumers! To reinforce James’ selection, it was also awarded a gold medal at the 2019 National Cool Climate Wine Show.

To finish, our ever popular 2017 Estate Pinot Noir picked up its seventh (!) gold medal at the 2019 Australian Small Winemaker Show.

Both the 2017 Estate Pinot Noir and the 2012 Cuvée Traditionelle sparkling are available here via our secure online store. As always, the minimum order is just 6 bottles, you can “mix and match” the wines in your order –  and  we do accept American Express!

Cheers, Fred

New Release Wines!

by Leave a Comment

We are pleased to release the following wines:

  1. 2019 Schönburger: Thank you all for your patience – the wait is now over with the new vintage of this rare German grape now available!. This wine shows its traditional complex nose of lychee, rose petal and musk. The palate is luscious and persistent, with melon, guava and lychee flavours balanced by an excellent line of underlying acidity, resulting in a wine with a refreshing, clean finish. While ideal with sushi, shellfish or Asian style cuisine, this wine can complement an unusually wide range of foods.
  2. 2019 Pinot Grigio: Our premium cool climate Pinot Grigio reveals an aromatic nose of citrus and apples as well as a hint of spice. As is the case with classical ‘Grigio’ wines, the palate is dry and crisp, showcasing a combination of green apple and lemon flavours. Food matches would include spicy Indian and Thai foods, especially those with a touch of sweetness – or even with simple fish and chips!

Interested? These wines are now available here via our secure online store. As always, the minimum order is just 6 bottles, you can “mix and match” the wines in your order and yes – we do accept American Express!

Cheers, Fred

Wine Show Successes

by Leave a Comment

We’ve also received a great start to the 2020 wine show season. A summary of recent results includes:

  1. The Trophy for “Best Pinot Noir” and top Gold medal for our (pre-release) 2018 Estate Pinot Noir at the 2019 Cowra Wine Show.
  2. The Trophy for “Best Sparkling Wine” and top Gold medal for our 2012 Cuvée Traditionelle at the 2019 Cairns Wine Show (alas, no wine show dinner for this long running wine show so no opportunity for me to enjoy a quick trip to warmer climes!)
  3. A “Grand” Gold medal for our 2005 Late Disgorged Sparkling at the 2019 Berliner Wine Trophy Competition (Summer Tasting) in Berlin, Germany (one of only 19 such medals awarded – given that there were 6,286 entries it means this wine was placed in the top 0.3% of wines at this show!) We only made around 400 bottles (yes, bottles) of this wine and it will only be available from our soon to be constructed cellar door at Bream Creek – another reason to book that trip to Tassie for mid to late next year!
  4. Gold medals for our 2018 ‘Old Vine’ Reserve Riesling ( 2019 Cowra Wine Show and 2019 Berliner Wine Trophy Competition (Summer Tasting)), 2018 Estate Riesling (2019 Berliner Wine Trophy Competition (Summer Tasting)), 2018 Chardonnay (2019 Berliner Wine Trophy Competition (Summer Tasting)), 2017 Sauvignon Blanc (2019 Berliner Wine Trophy Competition (Summer Tasting)), 2017 Reserve Chardonnay (2019 Berliner Wine Trophy Competition (Summer Tasting) and 2017 Reserve Pinot Noir (2019 Melbourne International Wine Competition).

The 2012 Cuvée, 2017 Sauvignon Blanc and 2017 Reserve Chardonnay are all currently available, while the remaining wines will be released next year – so keep an eye on your emails!

Cheers, Fred