1999 Brown Brothers Everton Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec

Notes sourced from Brown Brothers.

Everton is a red wine developed by the Brown family to fit neatly into their range of red wines between the soft, fresh, fruity Tarrango and the sturdier varietals that finish with firm tannin and benefit from mid to long term cellaring. It has proven to be a masterstroke to use the fragrant and less acidic finishing varieties such as Shiraz and Malbec in the blend. They soften and enhance the firmer more tannic Cabernet Sauvignon component and make it more suitable for drinking at an earlier age. A substantial portion of the fruit for this wine was grown in the King Valley 30kms south-west of Milawa in the foothills of the Victorian Alps. Here the ripening conditions are cool and fruit develops deep flavour, elegance, fine tannin and fresh acid backbone, all of which combine to give the wines they produce balance and poise. The components from warmer vineyards contribute fruit with generosity of flavour and body.

This wine is made from a blend of 52% Shiraz, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Malbec grapes. The fruit was sourced from the cool climate King Valley, in the foothills of the Victorian Alps, the Milawa vineyard and northern Victoria. The grapes were harvested in parcels from mid February to late April 1999 at a range of baumé levels from 12.0° to 14.0°. The wine spent 15 months in a mixture of one to five year old French oak barriques and American oak puncheons before bottling with an alcohol of 13.5%, a pH of 3.6, and an acid level of 6.0 gr/l.

A medium-bodied red wine that makes attractive drinking as a young wine and a versatile accompaniment to a wide range of foods and cuisine styles. In the glass the wine is a bright dark cherry red with aromas of ripe red berries, violets and a slight gamey character. A young easy to drink style of wine it has soft berry flavours, subtle oak treatment and a crisp finish. It can be drunk and enjoyed now as a young wine but could be cellared for 2-4 years from vintage.The fragrant fruit flavours and elegant finish of this wine make it a delightful partner to a wide range of dishes and cuisine styles. It is delicious with roast lamb or veal with crunchy roasted vegetables. It is also fabulous with barbecued lamb, beef or gourmet sausages served with a fresh, crunchy salad. Similarly it is a perfect partner to a simple pasta dish served with a fresh tomato, herb and olive sauce. It is also wonderful with moussaka, vegetarian lasagna or pizza with fresh tomato, hot salami and black olives.