Place: McLaren Vale, SA Variety: Chardonnay Farming: Organic Contrary to his nickname, Brad 'Brash' Hickey is deliberate and softly-spoken. He traded the floors of the New York restaurant scene for the vineyards of McLaren Vale for the reason any of us move to the other side of the world: love. Nicole Thorpe's roots extend three generations deep into the soils of the Vale and the estate vineyard, Omensetter, was planted by Nicole in 1997 to Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2017 BLOOM, our fourth incarnation since the original 2008 version, is a slowly aged Chardonnay made in a style inspired by the “sous voile”, or “under-the-veil”, oxidative methods found in France’s Jura and Burgundy region. Here, McLaren Vale Chardonnay from the sandy Blewitt Springs sub-region has been matured for seven years in selected white Burgundy barrels (7), periodically adding some fresh white wine to feed the ‘flor’ (flower) or (veil) growing as a natural, healthy protective barrier of yeast on the wine’s surface. The last five years the barrels were turned on their side to prevent any tampering (mainly to keep the winemaker from drinking it) and to completely seal the bung air tight. No topping was done during this final ageing period. We aged the wine in a steel tank for an additional 6 months in our cold cellar before bottling this winter.
