Brave New Wines Small Town Red Blend 2023 750ml

“Crunchy Great Southern red with cherry, pomegranate, cranberry, pepper and a bright chilled finish.”

Brave New Wine Small Town Red Blend 2023 is exactly the sort of red that makes you rethink what red wine is supposed to be.

Made from Shiraz, Viognier and Cabernet Franc, it sits somewhere between a light red and a dark rosé, with bright cherry, red apple, pomegranate and cranberry leading the way. There is a lovely peppery, savoury edge underneath, and the whole thing feels fresh, crunchy and beautifully alive rather than heavy or extracted.

The fruit was picked early, with some carbonic maceration and co fermentation used to keep the wine light, aromatic and ridiculously drinkable. It is exactly the sort of bottle that improves with a slight chill and disappears far more quickly than planned.

Why buy it? Because this gives you all the fun of modern natural wine without losing the plot. It is juicy, savoury, refreshing and genuinely interesting, with enough freshness to suit warm weather and enough structure to still feel like proper red wine.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Fresh cherry, red apple, strawberry, cranberry and peppery spice.

Palate: Light bodied and crunchy with pomegranate, red berries, cherry and a savoury Sichuan pepper character.

Finish: Fresh, dry and lively with lingering cranberry, spice and fine gentle tannins.

About The Winery

Brave New Wine is the project of husband and wife team Yoko Luscher Mostert and Andries Mostert, who work with small parcels of high quality fruit from across the Great Southern region of Western Australia.

Their wines are made with a minimal intervention approach, using natural fermentation, no fining or filtration and very little added sulphur. The style is deliberately playful and unconventional, but there is serious winemaking experience behind it, with Andries having worked across Australia, New Zealand and Italy before launching Brave New Wine.

Small Town is one of the best examples of what they do. It is light, bright and a little rebellious, sitting somewhere between red, rosé and chilled red without feeling the need to choose a side.

And that is probably the point. Not every bottle needs to behave itself.

Cellaring Potential

Brave New Wine Small Town Red Blend 2023 is made to be enjoyed young, while its bright red fruit, savoury spice and freshness are at their best.

Recommended drinking window: Now to 2027.

Details

Producer: Brave New Wine
Vintage: 2023
Varieties: Shiraz, Viognier, Cabernet Franc
Region: Great Southern, Western Australia
Bottle Size: 750ml
Wine Style: Light Chilled Red Blend
Wine Sweetness: Dry
Wine Body: Light bodied
ABV: 12.8%
Winemaking: Some Carbonic Maceration and Co Fermentation
Fining: Unfined
Filtration: Unfiltered
Serving Style: Best Slightly Chilled
Key Flavours: Cherry, Red Apple, Pomegranate, Cranberry, Strawberry, Pepper