Hello Mountain Wine Club!
For the November 2024 Mountain Wine Club shipment, we are sending you two of our finest wines: the 2021 Hickinbotham The Peake Cabernet Shiraz and the 2021 Mt. Brave Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon.
Just above the township of Clarendon, Australia, the historic Hickinbotham Vineyard sits in an oasis-like setting at the top of a long ridgeline that traces the northern end of the McLaren Vale. This diverse winegrowing region touches the coastline on its western edge and is framed by the Onkaparinga Hills to the north and the Mount Lofty Ranges to the east and south. The 2021 season was favorable, with good winter rains, a mild flowering and fruit set period, and continued spring rainfall. Vines showed a nice balance of shoot vigor and moderate berry size. Our decadent 2021 The Peake Cabernet Shiraz expresses blackberry, roasted espresso, vanilla, and hazelnut with great midbody, length, and energy.
Here on our own continent, Mt. Brave Vineyard sits high atop Mt. Veeder at 1,400 to 1,800 feet. This mountain has been planted with winegrapes since the early 1860s but vineyard acreage is limited by thick forests and craggy peaks. High-elevation winegrowing requires a painstaking, labor-intensive approach and Mt. Brave’s thin, rocky soils and steep slopes make water retention a challenge and erosion a threat. The vines benefit from the struggle and produce intense flavors. We achieved organic certification at this site in 2023, after a five-year transition, and are now approaching regenerative accreditation. Not only has the fruit reached a new level of excellence, but the vines are also more resilient without artificial treatments. Our team is very proud to farm with methods that contribute to a better global climate, healthier land, and even more compelling wines. The 2021 Mt. Brave Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon opens with violet and ripe blueberry then deepens into a killer midpalate. Minerality and touches of graphite and herbs bring strength and complexity to this beauty. We hope you enjoy these two wines to the fullest.
Peace,
Winemaker Chris Carpenter
