Cricket Pitch Red
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed within 1–5 years of vintage release to appreciate its fresh fruit character.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled lamb chops, classic beef burgers, roasted duck
✨ Technical Specifications
The story of Brokenwood's Cricket Pitch Red is intimately tied to the winery's playful and community-minded origins. In the early 1970s, the founders cleared a portion of their newly acquired Hunter Valley land not just for vines, but also to construct a cricket pitch—a site that quickly became a legendary social hub for local winemakers. First released in the mid-1980s, this wine was created as an approachable, vibrant red blend. Typically marrying the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon with the plush fruit of Shiraz and the softness of Merlot, it represents a classic, easy-drinking Australian style. The fruit is sourced from premium vineyards across South Eastern Australia, then carefully blended and matured in seasoned oak to preserve its bright forest-berry flavors and soft, approachable tannins.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1970 by Sydney lawyers Tony Albert, John Beeston, and acclaimed wine critic James Halliday, Brokenwood Wines began on a modest 10-acre block in Pokolbin within the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. Guided for decades by veteran managing director and chief winemaker Iain Riggs, the estate evolved from a passionate weekend venture into one of Australia's most prestigious and benchmark wine producers. Brokenwood embraces a philosophy of precise, low-intervention winemaking designed to let terroir and varietal clarity shine across both estate-grown Hunter Valley fruit and carefully selected parcels across Australia. The winery has achieved global acclaim particularly for its crisp, cellar-worthy Hunter Valley Semillons and its flagship Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, alongside popular lifestyle bottlings like the iconic Cricket Pitch label.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5-14.0%