Brash Higgins 2017 ‘CINS’ Cinsault

Made from a block of Cinsault vines which we grafted to a former Semillon patch at neighbouring Lennon Vineyard in 2013. Vinted from hand selected fruit, a couple buckets of whole bunch Grenache added for interest, and sent to an open one ton fermenter for 2 weeks. Wild yeast did their job and then it all was gently basket pressed and sent to 8 year old French hogsheads for 7 months. 2017 in the Vale is considered a strong vintage resulting in balanced wines with finesse, spice and, for us, lower alcohol levels. This is the first vintage of CINS made at the Brash Higgins winery.

‘Translucent purple in hue, the nose is red fruited with notes blood orange zest, ginger, nutmeg and white pepper. The palate is medium bodied, well-balanced and vibrant, the tannins integrated, and the finish is laden with interweaving cherry starburst, ginger and white pepper notes. It pushes back, too. ‘ – Brad Hickey, Vinitor, 24 December 2017.
TWO BOTTLE LIMIT

Additional information
Harvest date: April 7, 2017
Hand selected
Grower: Michael Lennon
Geology: Red clay loam over limestone
Planted: Grafted 2014 single cordon
Viticulture: Sustainable
Fermenter type: Open
Cap management: Hand plunged two times daily
Days on skins: 14
Whole bunch: 1% whole bunch Grenache
Time in oak: 7 months
Oak origin: French
Oak age: 100% 8 year old
Bottling date Dec 22, 2017
Closure: Stelvin +
90% Cinsault, 5% Grenache, 5% Mataro from Lennon Vineyard
pH 3.5, TA 6.7 g/l, Alc 11.2%

90 dozen

Price: $37 per bottle