Brookland Valley Estate Chardonnay 2023

The Brookland Valley Estate Vineyard, established in 1984, overlooks the stunning Wilyabrup Brook in the heart of the Margaret River region. The 15.4 hectare vineyard is primarily planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Brookland Valley regularly produce outstanding wines and their Chardonnays are often benchmarks for the region. The 2023 Estate Chardonnay is hand-picked, whole bunch pressed, barrel fermented and matured on lees in French oak for 9 months.

"A neat combo of stone fruit and citrus with layers of creamy lees and sweet, cedary, toasty oak. It’s fuller bodied and flavoursome yet scintillating thanks to some struck flint and mouth-watering acidity. It’s a very good wine that unfurls in time and will garner more complexity with extra bottle age."  Jane Faulkner

"The 2023 Brookland Valley Estate Chardonnay has a pale straw colour with tinges of green. The bouquet is intense with bright stone fruit, grapefruit and ginger spice. This is complimented by subtle brioche, flint and nutty characteristics. The palate is medium bodied with a similar primary notes. Grapefruit, nectarine and nougat make wine for a textured wine with a fine acid line and a long length of flavour."  Brookland Valley

Expert reviews

"I reckon this will be a real crowd pleaser. The winemaking influence is more obvious than the reserve version, but it is done so well. The barrel fermentation and lees maturation certainly create a most beautiful aromatic and palate combination. Has a spicy grapefruit and subtle struck match palate with a nice balance of vanilla bean. Balance and palate length are features. Cellar 7 years."  Ray Jordan, Ray Jordan Wine - 94 points 

"A neat combo of stone fruit and citrus with layers of creamy lees and sweet, cedary, toasty oak. It’s fuller bodied and flavoursome yet scintillating thanks to some struck flint and mouth-watering acidity. It’s a very good wine that unfurls in time and will garner more complexity with extra bottle age. Drink by 2030."  Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion - 94 points

About the winery

Established in 1984 by Malcolm and Dee Jones, the Brookland Valley Estate Vineyard overlooks the stunning Wilyabrup Brook in the Margaret River region of Western Australia. The property is the last land holding before the brook reaches the Indian Ocean. The proximity to these two waterbodies has a profound effect on the climatic conditions in the vineyard and the fruit characters of the grapes. The cooling sea breeze keeps the temperatures mild during summer to allow the grapes to slowly ripen, enhancing their flavour development.

The vineyard today is 15.4 hectares in size, 70% of which is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. It forms part of the 60 hectare Wilyabrup property, which includes the vineyard, a restaurant, a cellar door and two residences. The property was initially granted to Daniel McGregor on a peppercorn lease in 1881 and formed part of the Coast Run used for cattle grazing.

Fast forward to the 21^st century and the property was acquired by Accolade Wines. In late 2022, Accolade sold the property to the Swinney family, one of Australia’s leading winegrowers. Under the sale-and-leaseback agreement, Swinney took ownership of the Wilyabrup property. Accolade retained ownership of the Brookland Valley brand but leased back the vineyard and appointed Swinney to manage it.

The purchase of Brookland Valley Vineyard marked an exciting new phase and extension of a more than 20-year working relationship between Accolade and the Swinney family. Accolade looked forward to seeing the site flourish under Swinney’s bespoke approach to viticulture and vineyard management, while locking in grape supply for its premium wine brands including Brookland Valley Estate and Houghton.

Winemaker Courtney Treacher completed her degree in viticulture and oenology in 2002, gaining experience in the Swan Valley, Perth Hills, Margaret River and the Hunter Valley along the way. She joined Houghton Wines as a cellarhand in 2004, working her way up to her current role as senior winemaker for both Houghton and Brookland Valley Wines (both owned by Accolade) in 2020. Brookland Valley's cellar door, which they share with Houghton, is located on the Wilyabrup property.