The Brunette has a unique depth that expresses the soil containing red soil, quartz, and iron ore. Head obtained the grapes from this small, high-altitude vineyard located on the western edge of the Barossa, which was once traded at an unattainable high price, through his own route.
Rich aromas of blackberry, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and dark plum, with subtle hints of tar and rust. When you put it in your mouth, you can imagine the very deep, mineral-rich and iron-rich soil. The tannins last long into the finish, forming a lingering aftertaste of rich dark plum, berry, and chocolate flavors.
South Australian winemaker Alex Head's career path is a little different to most: he started out in a fine wine auction house, then worked as a wine merchant and importer before settling down to make wine in the Barossa Valley, releasing his first wine in 2008.
During his youth travels to the finest wine regions in Europe, Head fell in love with the Syrah grapes of the northern Rhône region of France, and was particularly drawn to the "roasted slopes" of Côte-Rôtie, an area with completely different soils on opposing slopes.
According to legend, the owner of this estate, Count de Mogiron, had two beautiful daughters, and gave the lighter southwestern slopes to the blonde and the darker northeastern slopes to the brunette. The slopes came to be called "Côte Blonde" and "Côte Brune". Both have elegance, balance and complexity, and express their own individual personalities, just like the Count's daughters.
Head, who found a site in the Barossa that was very similar to Côte Rotie, began to make two contrasting Shiraz varieties from grapes grown on the slopes of the highlands that run east to west. The Blonde is from Stonewell, which sparkles in the afternoon light. It is a limestone-based, sandy loam mixed with quartz, giving the wine a pronounced aroma and great complexity. The Brunette is from an east-facing highland vineyard in Moppa, where deep red soils and heavy soils containing iron ore give the wine a dark, shadowed structure that is suitable for long-term aging. These vineyards extend from the Barossa valley floor to cooler areas 500 meters above sea level. Many elements make the Barossa terroir special, including mainly old vines, but also shallow areas of loamy sand, clay and quartz gravel on ancient bedrock.
Head, who has a technical background with a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Sydney, gained experience at renowned wineries such as Torbreck, Tyrrell's and Cirillo before launching his own brand "HEAD" in 2006. Head, who does not own his own vineyards, produces exemplary wines that reflect the characteristics of the varietal and terroir using low-yielding grapes supplied by organic and sustainable growers, mainly in the Eden and Barossa Valleys. He uses larger barrels as opposed to new ones, ferments with natural yeasts, and ferments whole bunches without destemming, but you hardly notice that they are obviously whole bunches. In addition, the techniques and processes for the wines he makes are different for each vineyard, blend and vintage, so each approach is different. There is no set recipe.