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Brown Brothers previews new grape variety ‘Mystique’
Brown Brothers is previewing tank samples of Mystique, a new variety developed by the CSIRO (The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), at this year’s London Wine Fair.
The Victoria-based, family-owned wine company revealed at a recent tasting that it was previewing the new variety in the UK at this year’s London Wine Fair.
Speaking to db, Katherine Brown, the eldest daughter of Ross and Judy Brown, said that Mystique was “a cross.”
“We cannot reveal which varieties have been crossed to produce Mystique until it has been published in the CSIRO journal,” she added.
Mystique is a deep red wine ‘bursting with blackberry and chocolate aromas’ – the name a reference to the Mystic Park vineyard where the grapes are grown. Despite its appearance, the wine has relatively low alcohol, coming in at 12% abv. The 2016 is the first vintage to be released.
Mystique represents a move, adopted by many Australian wineries, to create a “new wave of wines in a lighter, less jammy style,” using considerably less oak.
Describing the trends in wine, Katherine quoted her father who likened the wine industry to the fashion industry: ‘The wine industry is similar to the fashion industry, it just takes longer, often years, for things to change.’
Katherine Brown and her husband.
At the tasting, Katherine divulged that in 2010, there had been an opportunity to purchase a considerable number of Tasmanian vineyards. In a single purchase, Brown Brothers bought roughly a third of the area currently under vine, including brands such as Tamar Ridge. They have since sold off some of the land and now preside over around 335 hectares out of a total of 1,800 hectares under vine on the island.
While usually presented as a cool climate region, having been initially planted to produce grapes for sparkling wine, Duncan Brown, UK export manager for Brown Brothers, told db that Eastern Tasmania has a much drier climate than the rest of the island. As such, Brown Brothers has helped to kick-start investment in the area, providing much needed irrigation. This development could further increase the area under vine in Tasmania.
The company also purchased Yarra Valley wine brand Innocent Bystander in 2016 and this year announced that they would take over its distribution, bringing it in-house from 2 June.
Katherine was speaking at a tasting of Brown Brothers’ premium Patricia range during which recent releases were compared to older vintages. On show were the Patricia Brut 2010 (RSP £ 39.27 from Fells), Patricia Chardonnay 2008 and 2011 (2008 not available in UK, 2011 RSP £31.95), Patricia 2012, 2008 (RSP: £31.95) and 2002 and Patricia Late Harvest Noble Riesling 2013 (RSP: £24.87 per 37.5cl) and 2002.
The Patricia range was named after family matriarch Patricia Brown who passed away in 2004 at the age of 89. When the family asked for her permission to use her name, she stipulated that the wine had to be “bloody good.” In accordance with her wishes, the Patricia wines – of which there is a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, botrytised Riesling and traditional method sparkling – are made only in years when the grapes are of sufficient quality.
Brown Brothers switched from cork to screwcap in the early 2000s, the Patricia Shiraz 2002, showcased at the tasting, being one of the last vintages to have a cork.
The 2013 late harvest Riesling, compared to the 2002.
Katherine described using cork as “living on the edge” believing screwcap to be the more proficient closure at preserving the quality of Brown Brothers’ wines.
The evening concluded with a tasting of the Patricia Late Harvest Riesling that displays a remarkable colour change with age. The 2013, already a dark gold, was compared to the tawny 2002. Katherine confessed that they didn’t yet know why, when the wine showed no signs of oxidation, the colour changed so quickly and dramatically.
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