We started out this vintage knowing that we wanted to make a Brutal.

It is interesting looking back as we had a few things in mind that could potentially become the Brutal at the start of year but as it came to tasting through the wines during our blending day there was a single barrel was just insane. After all enthusiastically enjoying a glass we unanimously decided that this one barrel would be it. It just felt right. Iterative and relying on gut feel. Not design.

So, to tell you the story of this wine we had to reverse engineer the origins of this singular barrel.

This wine mostly comes from the third pick of our Grenache on the final day of January. This fruit was then macerated on skins for 10 days and then pressed into a 600L qvevri where it stayed for a couple of months, until Paul and Bree – our hosts at Swan Valley Wines – needed to use it, at which point it was racked to two puncheons, both half-filled. These puncheons were topped with direct-press- carbonically-macerated grenache that was otherwise destined for the Big Valley Bombo. One puncheon was racked clean, the other was transferred with the lees.

This wine, was the latter.

So what did we taste on that fateful blending day? Spice, rosewater, patchouli, and burnt orange on the nose, with hints of the strawberry from the carbonic maceration poking through. A full palate, bitter red cherry and olive tapenade, strung along an acid line that directs but never overpowers, finishing with incredible texture from time on lees.

Fruit grown using organic principles and zero fuckery in the winery. Made with respect and within the ethos of the Brutal founding members. – Local Weirdos

*no mixed six discount on this product