A whip crack of chenin so righteously done. Far out – this one got me right between the eyes.
Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
About The Wine
Brash Higgins _(AKA Brad Hickey)_ is at it again, dropping conventions and vowels all over the place.
He loves to make wines that challenge peoples perceptions, and if there is one white variety out there with a bad wrap, it might be Aussie Chenin Blanc. This is not your run of the mill Chenin. It is fermented in old oak after a few days on skins, then left to its own devices for 9 months before seeing a bottle. Hickey is trying to wring every ounce of character out of this fruit, and he's done a damn fine job.
Funked up and (as is standard issue for all the Brash wines) a little left of centre, this will charm the pants off a curious drinker.
About Brash Higgins
Brash Higgins is the label of winemaking American-turned-honorary-Aussie, Brad Hickey.
In his former life, Hickey was one of America's top sommeliers, working for many years crafting some of New York's finest wine lists. He came to Australia and fell in love with McLaren Vale and local vigneron Nicole Thorpe, with whom he now produces highly characterful, minimalist wines from their much loved Omensetter vineyard.
Hickey's wines are extremely expressive. They fall in two camps - the wines sourced from Omensetter vineyard and those sourced from friends around the Vale and the warm, dry Riverlands.
If you want 'classic' McLaren Vale, or if you want the true avant-garde, it's all available in the Brash Higgins range.
McLaren Vale, SA
From The Producer
Our fourth Chenin Blanc at Brash Higgins, and we couldn’t be happier with the result. Handpicked from the white beach sands of the Blewitt Springs subregion of McLaren Vale, then fermented wild in barrel for 12 months. Blewitt Springs geology begins at the mouth of Maslin Beach and runs some 30km up to the foothills of the Adelaide Hills; essentially it is an ancient, 50 million year old dried up river estuary. The attempt here is to capture some of the brininess and marine fossils from the sandy, coastal soils, transporting you to the oceanside. Only 175 cases of this dry style CHN chenin were produced. 2018 was a warm year and this wine in particular has some lovely fruit weight and texture as a result.
Blend : Chenin Blanc (100%)
ABV : 13.4%
Closure : Screw Cap
Drink Until : 2022
Bottle Size : 750ml
McLaren Vale, SA
Critic Reviews
"Delicious drinking, all minerally and flinty, sleek and crisp, amazing tart and tangy finish that goes onto infinity. Light but packed with flavour, faint savoury element too. A whip crack of chenin so righteously done. Far out – this one got me right between the eyes." - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
"A sunny yellow in hue, the wine is heady with Chenin perfume of honey, straw, apples, real lemonade and water chestnut. Soft entry with good palate weight, the wine tightens as it flows across the tongue revealing a lick of saline and almost crackles a bit. Good natural acidity with a chalky, lemon pucker and notes of reglisse or liquorice on the finish make a second approach all the more appealing." – Brad Hickey, Vinitor
Delivery is Free for any order over $149 or more, or just $10 for any orders of $149 or less. There is no minimum order quantity and you can mix and match as much as you like. Make your perfect mixed pack! In Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Byron Bay we deliver with our own vans. All other areas are serviced by Australia Post.
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