Brash Higgins Shiraz Omensetter Vineyard, McLaren Vale 2013

Chicagoan Brad Hickey fell in love with both a vigneron (Nicole Thorpe) and the wines of the McLaren Vale, so he moved there to pursue both. All fruit from “Omensetter Vineyard.” This wine has one foot in the Rhone and one in the Oz: taste ripe (almost candid) plums, red cherries, olives, bacon fat and fresh herbs. If you think all Aussie reds are fruit bombs, this will be a pleasant surprise. 295 cases made.