Compassionate Red Dozen

Brown Brothers Vineyard, Colbinabbin, Heathcote G.I.

A lovely medium-weight and savoury dry red. The perfect house wine this winter. 

" The story doesn’t influence the wine, but there is immense drinkability here. Restraint too, trim for the variety with an inward concentration, blue fruits, cassis, tomato juice, fennel and some rosemary/bay leaf herbal influence. Spot on, restrained and ok in a more lean fruit vein. Indeed, the wine feels a little like ‘final condiment in the glass’ for rare red meats. It’s got freshness on its hand, and yet feels inky and supple too. Proper wine. Proper good.

$12.50 a bottle? Fuck me…   93 pts "

Mike Bennie - The wine front 

The Compassionate Red is a once-off release from the now-ripped-out Brown Brothers site on Heathcote Rochester Rd. Originally set up with the help of Mark Walpole, it was a primo spot. They had made the fabulous decision to farm the site organically in 2022. The huge recent wine industry pressures led them to pull the vines and mothball the site in 2025.

This Compassionate Red – 2024 Merlot – is being sold exclusively in 12-packs via this website for $150 (about half price), with this entire amount being donated to my friend Wendy Oates.

Oatesy was a teacher at my primary school, Winters Flat, where she remains famous for teaching with next-level kindness and ease with kids.
Her classes always seemed to be having more fun than any other. I clearly remember seeing how the boys from the rougher and tougher homes would soften and warm in her presence.
She could often be found at recess out the front fence in the bus shelter finding some peace and quiet. 
She was, and is, just awesome and is still adored by the current school community as she does regular relief teaching.

Oatesy, now in her late 60s, had rented her entire life up until inheriting her mother’s home on Coolstore Rd in Harcourt three years ago. Uninsured, the house was destroyed in the January 9th bushfires.
This wine will be sold to support her rebuild.

Vineyard

Merlot planted on a N/S orientation, on a lower part of the vineyard where the red soils meet the richer loams.

Winemaking

Destemmed and wild fermented in stainless steel with manual cap management for two weeks. The vigorous fermentations of 2024 meant we had lovely resolution in this shorter time on skins.

Pressed to stainless prior to year-long élevage in used French puncheons.

Bottled late January 2025.

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This project has been kindly supported by:

MCC label - Full donation of label print services. 

Cospak - Partial donation of boxes and dividers 

14 Degrees Logistics - Discounted storage and packing rates.