Brash Higgins 2024 ‘CHN’ Chenin Blanc

Our tenth, wow, single vineyard Chenin Blanc at Brash Higgins from Willamba Hill. A relatively steep, south facing 35 year old vineyard in the Blewitt Springs sub region of McLaren Vale. It is overlaid with the deep white beach sands distinctive to Blewitt Springs, a few kilometers from the Gulf of St. Vincent. We attempt to capture the salinity from these sandy, coastal soils every year, transporting you to the ocean with each whiff and taste.
Blewitt Springs geology begins some 50 million years ago at the mouth of what is now Maslin Beach (Australia’s first unclad beach) and runs some 40km Eastward up to the foothills of the Adelaide Hills.
The grapes are on skins for a few days before being basket pressed and fermented wild in neutral French barriques for 12 months to help accentuate this maritime effect and to build texture.  Only 255 cases of this dry, textural CHN Chenin Blanc were produced.

The CHN 2024 label is a detail from an oil on linen painting by the gifted Sydney artist, Alesandro Ljubicic, called “Try To Be A Rainbow To Someone’s Cloud” @alesandroljubicic

“All textural,saline, minerally, distinct. Lemon verbena, lemon-ginger tea, ginger, papaya, quince, preserved lemon. A vibrant personality. Honey, quinine, apple, straw, fennel, celery root, and more.”
 

Additional information
Harvest date: February 2, 2024
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: 1990 on single cordon trellising
Days on skins: 2-3
Fermenter type: White Burgundy Barrel
Time in oak: 12 months
Oak origin: French
Oak age: 100% 6 year
Bottling date May 10, 2025
Closure: Stelvin +
100% Chenin Blanc
pH 3.3, TA 6.7 g/l, Alc 12.5%

255 cases

Price: $35 per bottle