Patricia takes the win in Tasmania

Brown Brothers Patricia Chardonnay 2018 has been named Champion Wine at the 2021 Tasmanian Wine Show. In addition to being named Best in Show, it was also awarded Best Chardonnay and Best Export wine.

Brown Brothers Patricia Chardonnay is named in honour of the Brown family’s matriarch, the late Patricia Brown and represents the pinnacle of winemaking excellence. Only outstanding years are released under the Patricia label in order to meet the most stringent of quality standards. The wine was also awarded Gold at the 2020 Perth Wine Show.

The Tasmanian Wine show is exclusively focused on Tasmanian wines and is seen as a great benchmarking opportunity for this premium wine region, especially known for its sparkling wines, Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. The full list of winners is here.

Tasmanian fruit from two vineyards is combined to represent the best possible Chardonnay from winemaker Tom Wallace. The result is an elegant blend with balanced acidity, complexity and ripe stone fruit characters.

Tasmanian Chardonnay vineyards in both the Tamar Valley and the East Coast experience cool ripening conditions, contributing to a structured elegance balanced with peach and citrus notes typical of a cool climate chardonnay. The nose delivers a symphony of complex aromas such as stone fruit, cashew, citrus and pear. The palate is mineral with struck match complexity and enviable length and well-balanced acidity.

Along with its accolades, the Patricia Chardonnay 2018 has attracted promising reviews from key wine critics including Jeni Port and Tony Love.

“Patricia never ceases to be anything less than exciting drinking. Since the move by Brown Brothers into Tasmania, it has gained a slightly different, cooler and finer flavour base. That said, the ’18 vintage presents a rich, evocative Chardonnay of preserved lemon, ginger biscuit, white peach, lemon rind, honeyed spice. There is generosity without being heavy. Bad day? Here is the antidote,” reported Jeni Port.

“A combo-regional creation reflecting the broadening spread of the Brown Brothers sources across Victoria and Tasmania. The styling here adds another dimension, working on spicing up the fruit typicity via its full solid, natural yeast ferment plus 11 months in French barriques (26% new) which give the wine a proper seasoning of gingery oak character. There are native bush floral elements too, a delicate note of wild honey, with fruit senses of spiced peach and lemon teas. Plenty going on for the chardonnay committed,” wrote Tony Love.

Winemaker, Tom Wallace said the 2018 was unique in that is was slightly warmer resulting in incredible fruit aromatics while still retaining a lot of all-important acidity.

He said the 2018 vintage saw 50 % of the fruit for this particular blend coming from the Tamar Valley vineyards and the East Coast delivering complementary characters and an overall richness to the blend.

“I love this wine. Chardonnay is my thing. I love the complexity, the freshness, the spiciness, the acidity. Tasmania is all about that acidity that offers the freshness, and it offers fantastic ageing for the next ten years,” said Wallace.

“Tasmania is certainly making some of the best Chardonnays in the country and has the potential to do better and better. There is amazing sparkling and Pinot Noir here, but Chardonnays are starting to get the attention they deserve.”

Every year Brown Family Wine Group releases the Patricia range on Patricia Brown’s birthday, March 17.

Brown Brothers’ Patricia Chardonnay retails at Cellar Door and select national retailers for RRP$45.