2017 Brash Higgins 'Bloom'

Place: McLaren Vale, SA

Variety: Chardonnay

Farming: Organic

Brash Higgins is the project of Brad Hickey, whose curiosity and willingness to experiment have made his wines some of McLaren Vale’s most distinctive. Drawing inspiration from traditional techniques around the world, Brad works with minimal intervention to produce wines that favour character, texture and individuality over convention.

BLOOM is Chardonnay from Blewitt Springs, aged for seven years under flor in old Burgundy barrels in a style inspired by the oxidative wines of the Jura. Baked apple, preserved lemon and ripe pear are layered with toasted almond, beeswax, honey and savoury spice. Rich and deeply textural, vibrant acidity and an intense saline backbone keep the palate focused, finishing long, dry and nutty. Complex, distinctive and wonderfully unconventional, it’s a fascinating Australian take on sous voile Chardonnay.