Brookdale Estate has introduced four new vintages, headlined by the maiden release of its much-anticipated Twenty Field Blend – a vibrant expression that pays homage to the almost-forgotten art of field blend winemaking. This distinctive wine was crafted from 20 red varietals, inter-planted as bush vines on the estate, in addition to the Sixteen Field Blend of 16 white varietals, which was first released in 2022.
Other new vintage releases are the 2024 Sixteen Field Blend and the 2024 Bradbourne White Blend, alongside the 2023 release of the estate’s flagship Brookdale Old Vine Chenin Blanc.
Brookdale Twenty Field Blend 2024
The twenty red varietals were inter-planted as bush vines and the grapes were picked at two different stages due to the variability of the grapes. After fermentation, the wine spent seven days on skins before being basket pressed into a concrete egg and 500L French Oak barrels, 15% being new wood. The wine stayed in barrel for 12 months and was then blended and spent four months in bottle before release.
Brookdale Sixteen Field Blend 2024
Sixteen white varietals were inter-planted as bush vines on decomposed shale and granite and the grapes were picked at four different stages due to the ripening variation of the varietals. 40% of the wine was fermented and aged in concrete egg and 60% in clay amphora for 12 months on lees prior to bottling and spent four months in bottle before release.
Asst Winemaker Shanice du Preez and Winemaker Xander Sadie
Brookdale Bradbourne White Blend 2024
A blend of 45% Grenache Blanc; 23% Roussanne; and 16% each of Piquepoul Blanc and Marsanne, picked at different stages during harvest. The wine was barrel fermented and aged in old 225L and 500L French oak barrels.All components went through 100% malolactic fermentation and the wines were aged for 12 months in barrel prior to blending and bottling, followed by four months in bottle before release.
Brookdale Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2023
Brookdale’s flagship wine. The grapes were hand-picked at eight different stages to achieve optimal ripeness and balance. Matured for 11 months in 500L French oak barrels, the wine was then aged on the lees for eleven months in 2000L Stockinger (Austrian Oak) foudres. Once bottled, the wine was left to mature for a further four months before release.
ALL PRICED AROUND R400