Brash Higgins - MCC 2021

An easy drinking Rhône-esque red from McLaren Vale - medium bodied, full of sweet & soft fruits, and spiced. 

Perfumed on the nose, with aromatic cherries, rose, and pepper. The palate packs a delicious punch, with notes of intense ripe cherry,  dark fruits, and sweet baking spices, all contrasted with a natural spiciness. Dry, clean, and focused on the finish.

NERD NOTES

In 2013 we were asked by a new grower what grapes we’d be keen to see planted on his vineyard. Immediately we suggested Mataro, Cinsault and Carignan, three stalwart red grapes of sunny Southern France, a region that McLaren Vale bares a strong climatic resemblance to. It took a few years to get a crop from the new plantings, but in 2017 our first field blend from Lennon Vineyard came to fruition. All the fruit was hand picked on the same day and co-fermented wild with heaps of whole bunch Mataro to develop the peppery notes we wanted. Sweet cherry fruit flavours from the Cinsault and notes of wild roses from the Carignan complete the deal and provide the desired balance.

Harvest date: All fruit handpicked March 19, 2021
Grower: Michael Lennon
Vineyard: Lennon Vineyard
Geology: Cracking clay over limestone
Viticulture: Sustainable
Fermenter type: open two ton, co-ferment
Blend: 40% Mataro (all whole bunch), 30% Cinsault, 30% Carignan
Days on skins: 18 days
Oak type: 100% French hogsheads, 4-10 year old
Bottling date: Nov 8, 2022
Closure: Stelvin +
pH 3.49, TA 6.6 g/l, alc 13%