- Margaret River, WA - $12-$21
- Screwcap
- 13.5%alc
Brookland Valley's Margaret River sourced Verse 1 range would have to sit among the quiet over-achievers of Australia's 'heavily discounted brand champions' (I made that last bit up). The chardonnay in particular can excel, just as it did in 2006 (92pts). With some 50,000 wines in Australia, it spins me out to think someone 2,000km away might be drinking the same wine as you.
There's some fairly sweet and simple, peach and melon fruits evident on the nose of Brookland Valley's 2010 Verse 1, which is also graced by an edge of nuts and vanilla suggesting the human touch. The winemaker influence actually appeases me, because the fruit beneath doesn't exactly smell like the Margaret River's best. Its palate follows through with a soft, rounded dollop of straight forward fruit flavour announced in a suitably clean, bright manner, but its loose structural elements are rather lacking and as a result its length of fruit isn't drawn down the palate with enough emphasis. From nose to finish, it's truly a quaffer.
O For its low-end price (around $12-$13) Brookland Valley's 2010 Verse 1 Chardonnay isn't bad value, but its overly simple, clean fruit and uncomplicated structure force me to liken it as a sauvignon blanc drinker's chardonnay. Drink to 2013.
87 points
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