2023 McLaren Vale Grenache

TASTING NOTE

Bright vibrant cherries and red berries along with rose and violet floral aromatics, and background fresh herbs - sage and rocket.  A medium weight wine with flavours of fresh red cherries and pomegranate, some earthy spice, minerality and hints of red liquorice. This is a textural wine and has fine tannins carrying the flavours into a lingering finish.

VINTAGE SUMMARY

Weather conditions during spring were wet and windy which had an impact on flowering and resulted in small crops. Cool and wet conditions continued into early summer, but thankfully the rain stopped around Christmas time to allow the fruit to start to ripen and to keep the disease at bay. Harvest started much later than average due to the cooler conditions. Whilst we had to pick some of the reds around rain events they mostly ripened well with fresh and vibrant fruit flavours.

The 23 vintage wines are showing elegance and finesse, with fresh fruit flavours, fine tannins and good acidity.

VINEYARD

Sourced from Willunga 100's own estate vineyard 'Blind Spot' in the sub-region of Blewitt Springs (McLaren Vale).  100% dry grown bush vine Grenache from three different sections of the vineyard, each with a slightly different aspect/elevation. Vine age is approximately 50 years old. The soils of the vineyard are deep Maslin sand over a base of ironstone and clay.

WINEMAKING

The three selected parcels were hand harvested and vinified separately. The wines were fermented in stainless steel open fermenters. One parcel was fermented with 25% whole bunch (equalling approx. 10% whole bunch across the wine). 10 days on skins, gently basket pressed. 85% of the wine was transferred to aged French oak puncheons post primary fermentation to undergo malolactic fermentation, the balance remained in stainless steel. The wine remained on fluffy lees for 10 months before being racked prior to bottling. No fining, vegan friendly.

WINEMAKER: Renae Hirsch

REGION: McLaren Vale

REVIEWS

2023 Vintage

93 Points - Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion

"There’s great value on the table here. With the fruit cost of grenache rising quickly, perhaps soon it will only be estate-grown wines like this that will be able to maintain the modest price of entry – we shall see. Redcurrant jelly, bergamot, raspberry leaf tea, preserved cherries, dried orange peel and white pepper; there’s a coolness from the vintage, but it’s picked properly ripe, with the sandy soils gifting lilting fragrance underpinned with a rocky, iron-like minerality, tannins finely emphatic, acidity brisk. This will be singing on release."

2022 Vintage

94 Points - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

"Youthfully charming and elegantly complex on the nose, showing dark berry, thyme, game and floral aromas, followed by a juicy palate displaying supple texture and rounded mouthfeel. Attractively styled and flavoursome."

2021 Vintage

93 points – Nick Bulleid MW, Gourmet Traveller Wine

“Won high points from Bourne, who commented: “Attractive bouquet of ripe plum and mulberries with a whiff of star anise. Juicy flavours, tight structure and a pleasingly energetic finish.” I was not far behind him, also noting rich sweet fruits with full body and depth of flavour. There’s plenty of mouth-coating tannin, suggesting the wine needs a little time to settle in.”