Brash Higgins 2018 ‘CHN’ Chenin Blanc

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.

The CHN label is a photo of ballerinas from the Australia Ballet by Melbourne based photographer Kate Longley. Click here to see more of her work.

‘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, 09 November 2019.

Additional information
Harvest date: February 8, 2018
Hand picked
Vineyard: Willamba Hill Vineyard, Blewitt Springs
Grower: Dr. Grantly Gill
Viticulture: Sustainable
Geology: North Maslin Sands over ironstone/clay
Irrigation: Drip Irrigation
Altitude: 250 metres above sea level
Planted: 1997 on single cordon trellising
Days on skins: 2
Fermenter type: White Burgundy Barrel
Time in oak: 12 months
Oak origin: French
Oak age: 100% 6 year
Bottling date April 2018
Closure: Stelvin +
100% Chenin Blanc
pH 3.61, TA 5.45 g/l, Alc 13.4%

175 cases

Price: $39 per bottle, $468 per 12 bottle case