2021 Brash Higgins Smart Vineyard Grenache

Highly Rated
A stunning single vineyard release from the talented hands of the charismatic McLaren Vale legend, Brad Hickey.

Price:
Sale price$65.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
Rendering loop-subscriptions

Description

Brad Hickey’s first solo varietal Grenache here, sourced from vines planted in the '50s, nestled in the hilly Clarendon sub-region. Only 100 cases made, so if you’re lucky enough to grab one, drink it with someone you really like.

It's a beautiful depiction of this famous McLaren Vale vineyard. There’s lavender and cloves on the nose, mingling with hints of orange peel, feijoa, and cinnamon—a sensory journey that dances across the palate with dusty, fine tannins, all kept in perfect harmony by 15 months in old French oak. It’s got that medium-bodied finesse we love in a great Grenache, but with enough backbone to keep improving in the cellar.

The label, by Sydney artist Alesandro Ljubicic, is as eye-catching as the wine itself—beautiful, bold, and unmistakably Brash Higgins. Drink it now for its sheer vibrancy, or tuck it away for a few years and see how it unfolds. Either way, this Grenache is all class and a great debut release from the one and only Brash Higgins.

96 Points
"This is good, quirky and, like its winemaker, probing for secrets and answers... Chinotto, tamarind, clove and kirsch, the souk-scented ferrous tannins a spicy curtail to any excess. There is a scent of the southern Rhone more, perhaps, than the Gredos (the aspirational totem for so many). A beautiful point of difference with every sip."
- Ned Goodwin MW (Halliday Wine Companion)

92+ Points - "It's ebullient in perfume, huge wafts of kirsch, raspberry jelly, white pepper and cinnamon. The palate is doused in liquid spice of clove and cinnamon, that grip builds nicely albeit a little smudged in a way too and all of that clambers over the bright, kirsch-like fruit characters. It feels quite sweet to taste, a bit deceptive in as much as it finishes dry and smoky-earthy. It feels like a wine not quite in synch for its various parts yet, but I believe that will all come together, and there's plenty of great elements here." - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

96 Points - "Sourced from the lauded Smart vineyard, the highest dry-grown site in the Vale. This is good, quirky and, like its winemaker, probing for secrets and answers. There feels to be an intuitive acceptance of what gives and what doesn't, rather than any shovelling into stylistic boxes. After all, this is not galumphing and heavy like the old-school, nor is it shimmering with the red-fruited pinot-esque transparency of the new. Chinotto, tamarind, clove and kirsch, the souk-scented ferrous tannins a spicy curtail to any excess. There is a scent of the southern Rhône more, perhaps, than the Gredos (the aspirational totem for so many). A beautiful point of difference with every sip." - Ned Goodwin MW (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points - "Brad Hickey has moved into the Grenache game. Usually producing a Grenache Mataro blend, he's stepped things up and sourced some fruit from the 70 year old vines in the Smart Vineyard. What an excellent and delicately handled debut this is! Only 100 cases were produced and the precise handling Brad is known for is evident here. The fruit is vibrant and pretty as it skips about with joyous abandon. Brad's mantra of "Keep cool but care" seeps from every pore of this wine. It's measured and considered every step of the way. Juicy red berries parade alongside blue fruits that create a buzz - the energy and enthusiastic vibe cannot be denied. Soft scents of lavender and purple flowers evoke a gravitational pull before the fruit hits. It lands and just teases. The prettiness, that bit of earthiness, it's just a damn good drink. Coupled with an eye-catching label that screams uber-cool shelf appeal, this is stand and applaud material." - Q Wine Reviews

This is our first, true stand alone Grenache. One parcel handpicked from the heritage Smart Vineyard in the hilly sub region of Clarendon. Planted in 1955, this is one of the real grand cru sites in South Australia. Hand-picked and fermented wild in an open fermenter for two weeks, the pressed wine spent fifteen months in two trusty 500L French puncheons. This time in barrel further forged the fine tannins and helped flesh out the perfume of this fine Grenache.

Region: McLaren Vale, SA
Blend: Grenache (100%)
ABV: 14.20%
Closure: 750ml
Bottle Size:
Production:

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type Red
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Grenache
Country Australia
Region McLaren Vale
Australian State SA
Feature High Score
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
The Wine Front
Critic Score 93
96
Alcohol 14%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2021
Closure Cork

Brash Higgins

Brash Higgins is the label of winemaking American-turned-honorary-Aussie, Brad Hickey.

In his former life, Hickey was one of America's top sommeliers, working for many years crafting some of New York's finest wine lists. He came to Australia and fell in love with McLaren Vale and local vigneron Nicole Thorpe, with whom he now produces highly characterful, minimalist wines from their much loved Omensetter vineyard.

Hickey's wines are extremely expressive. They fall in two camps - the wines sourced from Omensetter vineyard and those sourced from friends around the Vale and the warm, dry Riverlands.

Brad Hickey AKA Brash Higgins - McLaren Vale, SA Brash Higgins

Others also liked

Recently viewed

Shipping

Delivery is free on orders of $150 or more!

For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.

We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.

Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.

Sydney (Our Vans): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions our driver will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so if not, they will return the item to us and hold your order until further instruction from you. 

Melbourne (Anonymous Wine Freight): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions, the courier will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so. if not, they will return the item to their dispatch centre and hold until further instruction from you.

Australia Post: Australia Post will leave the parcel if they have been given authority to leave and it is deemed safe to do so. To give your Authority to Leave, please enter this in the 'SPECIAL REQUEST' box at checkout.

Ordering

We want Different Drop customers to always be getting the best price. If you see a lower price elsewhere, just get in touch and we will sort it out for you. We handle all our price-matching on a case by case basis.

Some things to keep in mind: 

  • Retrospective price-matching is available for 30 days after you have purchased from us.
  • The price match cannot be used in conjunction with a coupon or one-off deal we are offering. The idea is for you to get the best price in the market so if that is already achieved through a coupon then we won't price match on top of that.
  • We don't price match clearance or fire sales.
  • We’ll match the listed price as long as it is a legitimate offer and the competing store is actually able to fulfil the order (they have stock or more stock is en route). Essentially we won't price match cheeky vendors listing wines they have no hope of actually getting for you...
  • It must be a publicly listed price. We won't match a price that has been achieved through a coupon/cash-back arrangement, or through a non-advertised offer over the phone or otherwise.  
  • It is limited to a reasonable retail quantity.

We'll treat each price match request on its merit and reserve the right to refuse where we deem fit. For example, particularly rare wines, from non-trust-worthy vendors, in circumstances we deem illegitimate or if we feel our policy is being unfairly taken advantage of.

At the end of the day, we'll look after you and use common sense to ensure you're getting the best price, please just don't take the p%$$!

No, feel free to mix it up! There is no minimum requirement. You can order wines in any quantity or combination, 1 or 50+ bottles.

We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.

To add a gift box to your order, simply add at checkout. The special requests box is your friend, please give us as many details of what you are looking for and we will try our best, or get in contact to discuss it with you. 

If you want to bulk order gifts or if you have any trouble please email hello@differentdrop.com or call and we can try and help.

 

If you can't add more wine to your cart it means we are low on stock of that wine. For example, if you are only able to 3 bottles and no more that means we only have 3 bottles left of that wine. If it's a must have, please contact us and we may be able to order more in for you.

Call Us

Send a message