2023 Brash Higgins CHN Chenin Blanc

Flavour-packed Chenin Blanc from the madman of McLaren Vale, Brad Hickey!

Price:
Sale price$35.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship, only 4 units left
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Description

Brad Hickey—aka Brash Higgins—knows how to keep things interesting. The 2023 CHN Chenin Blanc is the ninth instalment of his ongoing adventure with this underappreciated variety, and it’s got all the hallmarks of a wine that’s ready to change your mind about Chenin Blanc.

Sourced from the 34-year-old Willamba Hill Vineyard in Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, this wine speaks of place like few others do. Nestled in those distinctive white beach sands of Blewitt Springs, the vineyard gives the CHN an almost oceanic charm. Think salt spray and coastal breezes—Hickey’s captured the sea in a bottle here, thanks to the influence of those marine fossils scattered through the vineyard’s sandy soils. It’s fermented wild in old French oak, aged for 12 months, and made with as little interference as possible to let the vineyard’s character shine.

And what character it has. This CHN is leesy, textural, and undeniably vibrant. Expect aromas of lemon verbena and ginger tea, with a juicy, tropical edge—papaya and quince make an appearance, adding a sense of lively charm to the glass. It’s got a salty, minerally backbone, almost as if you can taste the vineyard’s 50-million-year-old connection to Maslin Beach. There's a tension in every sip that keeps you coming back—think of it as a tropical cocktail with serious credentials.

Mike Bennie from Wine Front gave it a solid 92 points, calling it "exciting" and "delicious," and who are we to argue? With only 180 cases made, this is one for the curious drinker—someone ready to see just how delicious Aussie Chenin Blanc can be when it’s given the Brash Higgins treatment.

92 points
"It’s leesy, textural, interesting, saline, minerally, distinct. It drinks with charm. Lemon verbena, lemon-ginger tea, ginger, papaya, quince. Totally cool. A vibrant personality. A kind of tropical cocktail feel here too. It’s exciting. It’s delicious. It refreshes. Kudos."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

92 points - "It’s leesy, textural, interesting, saline, minerally, distinct. It drinks with charm. Lemon verbena, lemon-ginger tea, ginger, papaya, quince. Totally cool. A vibrant personality. A kind of tropical cocktail feel here too. It’s exciting. It’s delicious. It refreshes. Kudos." - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

Our ninth single vineyard Chenin Blanc at Brash Higgins from Willamba Hill. A relatively steep, south facing 34 year old vineyard in the Blewitt Springs sub region of McLaren Vale, it is overlaid with the deep white beach sands distinctive to Blewitt Springs. We attempt to capture the salinity and marine fossil notes from the sandy, coastal soils, thus transporting you to the oceanside with each whiff and taste. Blewitt Springs geology begins some 50 million years ago at the mouth of what is now Maslin Beach (Australia’s first unclad beach) and runs some 30km Eastward up to the foothills of the Adelaide Hills. The grapes are fermented wild in neutral French barriques for 12 months to help accentuate this maritime effect and to build texture. Only 175 cases of this dry, textural CHN Chenin Blanc were produced.

The CHN 2023 label is a detail from an oil on linen painting by the gifted Sydney artist, Alesandro Ljubicic, called “Try To Be A Rainbow To Someone’s Cloud” @alesandroljubicic

Price Bracket $31 to $40
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chenin Blanc
Country Australia
Region McLaren Vale
Australian State SA
Feature Natural/Lo-Fi
Reviewed By The Wine Front
Critic Score 92
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

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.

Brad Hickey AKA Brash Higgins - McLaren Vale, SA Brash Higgins

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