2023 Head Wines The Brunette Shiraz
2023 Head Wines The Brunette Shiraz

2023 Head Wines The Brunette Shiraz

97 pts
Head Wines |Barossa Valley |Shiraz
A rare, powerful Eden Valley Shiraz sourced from 1908 vines in Moculta. Limited to just 73 dozen.
Price:
$70.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

"The Brunette" is Alex Head’s ode to the darker, more structural side of Barossa Shiraz. While the specific vineyard source changes to suit the profile each year, the 2023 release hails from a truly special site: the historic Fechner vineyard near Moculta in the Eden Valley, planted all the way back in 1908.

Sitting at 320m altitude on deep red clays mixed with ironstone, limestone and scattered quartz, this is considered one of the warmest pockets of the Eden Valley. It delivers exactly what Alex looks for in this label: power, density, and savoury depth, distinct from the more perfumed "Blonde" release.

It is brooding and intense, pouring a dark purple and offering up aromas of savoury black fruits, dried herbs, and graphite. The ancient vines provide a natural concentration that translates into fine, firm tannins and serious longevity. With only 73 dozen produced, this is a rare, muscular expression of the region that balances richness with Alex’s signature definition.

97 points
"It's textural and powerful, dark and brooding with a visceral sensation to its character. Wonderful length, backed by iron-fist-in-velvet-glove style tannins. This is a wine that demands all your attention."
- Stuart Knox (The Real Review)

Ken Gargett

Ken Gargett

Wine Pilot 96 Points

The colour is garnet/magenta, fading to red on the rim. The nose offers notes of leather, cassis, dark cherries, blackcurrants, ripe raspberries and a hint of bacon fat. There are delicatessen meats and herbs, with a touch of warm earth. A seamless wine which lifts on the palate, it offers laser-like focus, silky tannins and great length. Intensity throughout, but a wine which has muscle and yet exhibits such immaculate balance. A stunning Barossa Shiraz.

Stuart Knox

Stuart Knox

The Real Review 97 Points

Deep and full ruby colour with an intriguing nose that sings of blackberry, wakame, and crushed violet petals. The palate is full and dense, ripe black and blue berries are the baseline but it’s the iodine/seaweed savoury element that really ramps up the character here. It's textural and powerful, dark and brooding with a visceral sensation to its character. Wonderful length, backed by iron-fist-in-velvet-glove style tannins. This is a wine that demands all your attention.

David Sly

David Sly

Decanter Magazine 95 Points

With a sturdy black-fruited core, this is a more formidable monument than its Head Wines stablemates. Sourced from the Fechner vineyard, planted in 1908 at Moculta in the northern Barossa, its vines on deep red clay mixed with ironstone and quartz produce intense berries that provide a dark purple wine with particularly broad shoulders, yet a slim waist. Its savoury fruits are piqued with dried herbs, while the presence of fine, structured tannins and maturation over 15 months in 33% new French oak supports the presentation of such powerful, concentrated fruit.

Dave Brookes

Dave Brookes

Halliday Wine Companion 95 Points

Shiraz sourced from the Fechner 1908 plantings in Moculta at 320m in the Eden Valley; 10% whole bunch, 15 months' maturation in French oak, 33% new. Ripe, juicy plum and dark cherry fruit tones with hints of brown spice, mountain herbs, polished leather, dried meats, dark chocolate and earth, with some lovely purple floral top notes. The wood spice from the maturation sinks back into that plush fruit nicely, with soft, pumice-stone tannins and a bright mineral line as it slowly retreats. Lovely drinking.

97 Points - "Deep and full ruby colour with an intriguing nose that sings of blackberry, wakame, and crushed violet petals. The palate is full and dense, ripe black and blue berries are the baseline but it’s the iodine/seaweed savoury element that really ramps up the character here. It's textural and powerful, dark and brooding with a visceral sensation to its character. Wonderful length, backed by iron-fist-in-velvet-glove style tannins. This is a wine that demands all your attention." - Stuart Knox (The Real Review)

96 Points - "The colour is garnet/magenta, fading to red on the rim. The nose offers notes of leather, cassis, dark cherries, blackcurrants, ripe raspberries and a hint of bacon fat. There are delicatessen meats and herbs, with a touch of warm earth. A seamless wine which lifts on the palate, it offers laser-like focus, silky tannins and great length. Intensity throughout, but a wine which has muscle and yet exhibits such immaculate balance. A stunning Barossa Shiraz." -Ken Gargett (Wine Pilot)

95 Points - "With a sturdy black-fruited core, this is a more formidable monument than its Head Wines stablemates. Sourced from the Fechner vineyard, planted in 1908 at Moculta in the northern Barossa, its vines on deep red clay mixed with ironstone and quartz produce intense berries that provide a dark purple wine with particularly broad shoulders, yet a slim waist. Its savoury fruits are piqued with dried herbs, while the presence of fine, structured tannins and maturation over 15 months in 33% new French oak supports the presentation of such powerful, concentrated fruit." - David Sly (Decanter Magazine)

95 Points - "Shiraz sourced from the Fechner 1908 plantings in Moculta at 320m in the Eden Valley; 10% whole bunch, 15 months' maturation in French oak, 33% new. Ripe, juicy plum and dark cherry fruit tones with hints of brown spice, mountain herbs, polished leather, dried meats, dark chocolate and earth, with some lovely purple floral top notes. The wood spice from the maturation sinks back into that plush fruit nicely, with soft, pumice-stone tannins and a bright mineral line as it slowly retreats. Lovely drinking." - Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)

Head Wines now works with a diverse range of up to 20 different shiraz vineyards in the Barossa and Eden Valleys. To be considered part of ‘The Brunette’ a vineyard must perform amongst the few top vineyards each year and represent the ‘dark-side’ of Shiraz in the Barossa. In the vineyard, we give every opportunity for the fruit to provide us with the tannins and concentration to make a structured and long-lived traditional Barossa Shiraz. In the 2023 vintage, The Brunette comes from the ‘Fechner’ vineyard planted circa1908 near Moculta in the Eden Valley GI at 320m altitude. This is potentially thewarmest vineyard site in the Eden Valley and the soils are deep red clays, mixedwith ironstone/limestone and some scattered quartz. These elements help producedark purple wines with savoury fruits, dried herbs and fine, structured tannins. 73 dozen produced,

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type Red
Body Full Bodied
Variety Shiraz
Country Australia
Region Barossa Valley
Australian State SA
Reviewed By The Real Review
Wine Pilot
Critic Score 97
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

Head Wines

Alex Head has had what you might call a meteoric rise through the Australian wine industry. In his short career as a producer he has been heralded as one of the best Young Gun Winemakers, not only in the Barossa but the whole country.

With no formal training as a winemaker, the purity and balance inherent in the wines are amazing.

Alex has a passion for the old vineyards that populate the Barossa. With a keen eye for a good site, Alex has put together a formidable portfolio of vineyards which produce simply outstanding renditions of Shiraz and Grenache year-in, year-out. These are some of the most exciting wines in the Barossa.

Alex in the vines Barossa Valley, SA Head Wines

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