Bream Creek Reserve Pinot Noir 2017
East Coast, Tasmania
While the modern Tasmanian wine industry is young in terms of years established, Bream Creek can be considered as one of the industry’s pioneering wineries. The vineyard at Bream Creek – now 7.5 hectares in size – was planted in the early 1970s, making it amongst the earliest commercial vineyards planted in Tasmania.
The Bream Creek brand was established by leading Tasmanian vigneron Fred Peacock back in 1990, at a time when there were less than 10 commercial wineries in the entire state. For 30 years Bream Creek wines have been consistent award winners, helping to showcase the very best of Tasmanian wines to Australia (and the rest of the world).
Reviews and commentary
“The 2017 wine grape vintage in Tasmania produced excellent quality, although yields were slightly down from those in 2016. We are very pleased with the balanced acidity and very good flavour and aroma profiles across all wine styles. This is a complex and powerful wine, befitting 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 and balance and tannic structure, this limited release wine can be enjoyed now, yet will also reward careful cellaring.” – Bream Creek
“Tasmania has impressed at DAWA in previous years for both its Chardonnay and its sparkling wines, and the quality of this Pinot underscores just how significant a part of Australia’s wine future the island is likely to be. It comes not from Northern or Central Tasmania, but from the dryer, warmer East Coast sector, hence the 14.4% alcohol — yet everything about this dark, translucent Pinot suggests balance, freshness and naturally articulated poise. The scents combine dark raspberry fruits with hints of coffee and underbrush; the palate is vibrant, expansive, choice and subtly layered, again built around a core of plush raspberry. Most impressively, too, there is no lack of structure here; affable grape-skin tannins take the lead over the finer textured legacy of ten months in oak.” – Decanter World Wine Awards
ANZ Boutique Wine Show judges comments
“Deep, bold colour; lots of smoky, toasty oak evident. The palate flavour is sweetly rich and ripe, plush and decadent. A big, solid, gutsy wine of real concentration and power. And it has a bright future.” – Huon Hooke, Chairman Australian & New Zealand Boutique Wine Show
“Dark, garnet red – time in the bottle has it comfortable in its skin. It’s a magnificent pinot noir. Complex and still fresh – aromas of wild strawberries and cured cherries meld beautifully with quality, toasty French oak. Tasmania’s comparison to Burgundy justified in each and every swirl of the glass. The softness of the wine a stand-out feature – a gentle roundness on the palate – the sense that this wine is in perfect alignment writ large. Its fleshy charm held to account by grape tannin and red berry acidity. Structured; perfumed; ethereal; and assured – a most deserved ‘Wine of Show’.” – Nick Butler, Australian & New Zealand Boutique Wine Show Senior Judge & The Fine Wine Review.
“Pretty floral and cranberry nose, medicinal hints – menthol, bitters, chalky tannins, Italian bitters finish. Beautiful wine!” – Annette Lacey MW – Australian & New Zealand Boutique Wine Show Judge.
“Cool fruits, cherry, cola and dark spicy notes. Silky finely structured palate. Length is balanced and fresh. Stylish wine” – Jack Glover – Australian & New Zealand Boutique Wine Show Judge