Chris Brouke, owner and winemaker at the Sons and Brothers Vineyard, believes in his wine. That’s all needs. He doesn’t care about the accolades and praise heaped on other commercial wines. To Chris, the important thing is constantly improving winemaking techniques and turning out wine that the clients will enjoy.
Pioneers
Sons and Brothers is a small family concern situated in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. It was one of the first wine estates to spring up in the area. The climate there is cool and continental, making it ideal for the Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz vines that flourish on the property.
Stepping out
After having grown grapes for other wineries since 1981, Sons and Brothers produced its first commercial vintage in 2000. Annual production amounts to 3600 bottles sold in packs of six (Chris believes a case of 12 is too heavy for anyone to carry), making 600 six-packs or 300 conventional cases.
One blend
Sons and Brothers produces only one wine: a bottle-aged, long-life, dry Cabernet Shiraz blend. It is an intense, elegant and complex wine without the high price tag you’d think would be attached to wine of this quality.
Its longevity comes as a result of slow, cool fermentation with extended skin contact. They use small open-top fermentation vats, repeatedly breaking up and re-submerging the cap of skins. This gives way to a Cabernet-based wine with long-life expectancy and the potential to develop elegance, intensity, softness and complexity after about six years of bottle-ageing.
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You’ll find Sons & Brothers Vineyard here: Sons & Brothers Vineyard
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