Breaky Bottom – Peter’s Notes – January 2025
28th February 2025
My apologies for not finding the time to post a December Peter’s Note, and therefore my failure to wish all my dear readers a Happy Christmas and New Year – which I belatedly do now!
I have chosen for my short January Note to describe the origins of the cuvèe names of the recently released 2019 Breaky Bottom wines, together with a short tasting note.
The Shop page now lists 18 cuvées from the different vintages, including four older wines on limited allocation.
2019 Seyval Blanc Cuvée Minnie Charlotte
Minnie Charlotte Hearn was my great-grandmother, born about 1860, the mother of my Irish grandmother Marjorie Hall, née Atkinson. She was the half-sister to Lafcadio Hearn, my great-great uncle Koizumi Yakumo, who lived in Japan from 1890 until his death in 1904 and was hugely respected for his affection for Japan and for his writings and interpretations of old myths and legends.
Showing aromas of ripe citrus, this cuvée is clean and bright on the palate with a fine tension and long finish.
Varietals: 100% Seyval Blanc ABV: 12%
6,988 bottles produced
2019 Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier Cuvée Manja Scott
Manja was born in Zagreb at the end of the Great War into a musical and artistic family. She trained as a dancer and travelled to Africa where she spent twenty years of her young adulthood, teaching, performing and choreographing as well as raising three children. She was a freelance textile designer selling world-wide, but in the 21st century embarked on a career of brilliant painting and printmaking. We have known her as a dear friend since our children attended the same local school in the early 80’s.
This classic cuvée has a fine creamy mousse and a sumptuous breadth of palate. Refreshing notes of windfall apple are balanced by almond and brioche.
Varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier ABV: 12%
5,978 bottles produced
With all best wishes from the Breaky Bottom Team, Peter & Christina
Peter Hall
Peter has had 50 years of making wine at Breaky Bottom. He has come to appreciate that the best wine is made in the vineyard. The winemaker’s job is to let good grapes express themselves naturally.