featured-image

Did you know the first vintage of Brokenwood's legendary Graveyard wine in 1983 was a cabernet? And the price a rather enticing $8? $ 0 / (min cost $ 0 ) Login or signup to continue reading "Cabernet was all the go back in the early '80s," now retired long-time Brokenwood chief winemaker Iain Riggs said. "Everyone drank cabernet and Bordeaux back then - fashion and trend play a part in wine." The first Graveyard shiraz came the following year in 1984 when they released both a Graveyard shiraz and a Graveyard cabernet.

Which means this month's release of the Hunter's most renowned shiraz - one of only 21 wines from across Australia to earn the highest ranking in the prestigious Langton's Wine Classifications - marks 40 years since the inaugural Graveyard shiraz. I caught up with Riggs and current chief winemaker Stuart Hordern recently to discuss the wine's evolution. "I had no idea back then that Graveyard would evolve to be the flagship," Riggs said.



"For me it was just a new single vineyard shiraz, obviously with very good fruit." If the first couple of vintages were promising, 1986 changed all that. "Without a doubt the best Graveyard I made in my time," Riggs said.

"Before that we'd had bad weather or I'd picked too late, but in 1986 I nailed it. It put us on the map." Three successive "cracker vintages" followed soon after in 89, 90 and 91, and Graveyard's place in Australian wine's highest echelon was unchallenged.

What other vintages does Hordern put up there? "After '.

Back to Fashion Page