The Great Aussie Grenache Tasting

In the 2022 vintage, the northern subregion of Moppa proved to be the source for John Duval's Annexus Shiraz. It reflects those northern roots with clarity and detail, with super-ripe satsuma plum and boysenberry fruits with shades of baking spice, ironstone, roasting meats, panforte, violets, dark chocolate and Moppa earth. Tannins like powdered sand lend a base and structure; there is a nice, slightly saline edge to the acid profile and an overall sense of balance and harmony as the wine slowly retreats. Super stuff. (95) DAVE B ROOKES, Halliday Wine Companion

I’m tasting this from a Penfolds branded glass, which I inherited from my partner. Ho ho ho. It feels apposite, anyway. This comes from an old vine vineyard in Moppa, just over the fence from Kalimna™. 20% new oak. 250 cases produced.

Very purple tasting wine here; dark cherry, boysenberry, dark chocolate and biscuit spices, sage and new leather. It’s full-bodied, but finds balance in a rich and salty dark fruited way, acidity is quite bright, tannin is silty and grainy, and while there’s a little warmth on the finish, it still pulls pretty long and offers some orange peel tang to close. Good wine. No shortage of flavour and impact. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

From the 1940s-planted block on the organic-certified estate. Spends around three weeks in concrete for fermentation then heads off to older, 700L barrels for maturing. Beautiful perfume of sour cherry, raspberry, rosehip tea and green almond with a faint eucalyptus inflection. Attractive as. The palate is shuffling around medium bodied, feels super sleek and fine with Italianate tannins lending savouriness, amaro-like characters and minerally pucker to the wine. Vibrant overall, an almost thirst quenching feel here, a sense of great purity and wonderful understatement yet complexity for the variety. Bravo. MIKE BENNIE, Halliday Wine Companion

Medium-full red with a good tint of purple; vanilla/chocolate aromas overlying floral, red cherry to redcurrant fruit. Hint of soy sauce and Vegemite later. The wine is medium bodied at most, the tannins washing in at the finish adding a cleansing dryness on the medium-length after-palate. (Estate vineyard). HUON HOOKE, The Real Review

Vanguardist-farmed Rende vineyard bush vines, around 55 years old; 60% whole bunch, with about seven weeks on skins; matured in 2200L Slavonian oak. The cool vintage has its say. Refined, fragrant and elegant, but savoury and spicy, too. Distinct nebbiolo/nerello mascalese riffs, more the latter – an increasing theme at this address. Dried cranberry and cherry, freeze-dried raspberry and orange, from dehydrated peel to the bitter orange note in amaro, chinotto, Campari … five spice, clove, green cardamom, white pepper, alpine herbs, sour plum, dried mint, pressed flowers, warm terracotta. It’s finer of feel. Is it lesser for it? Nope. It’s laden with so much flavour and etched with ultra-fine but authoritative tannins and refreshing acidity. This also opens up and holds for days, suggesting a very bright future. So individual; so stunning. (97) MARCUS ELLIS, Hallidauy Wine Companion

Michael Corbett thinks this is as good as any Grenache he has made to date.

Raspberry, cranberry, cherry, lots of exotic spice, almond and dried flowers. Medium-bodied, quite some firm grainy tannin grip with something of a dry spice feel, which is maybe a character of the vintage. Black tea, bright clean acidity, nutmeg and slightly mulchy flavours lead into a crisp finish of good length. Doesn’t have the power and concentration of some vintages, though it does have plenty of crunch and charm. (94+) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

SPECIAL VALUE - Mid-ruby with aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry and redcurrant fruits cut with gingery spice, pressed purple flowers, dried orange rind, exotic spice and earth. Plenty of space and spicy detail on the palate with billowing, powdery tannins and a sprightly mineral line. Super value here. DAVE BROOKES, Halliday Wine Companion

60/30/10% grenache/mataro/shiraz from the parishes of Ebenezer, Moppa, Seppeltsfield, Williamstown and Tanunda. The Avatar is always a firm favourite and the 2023 version does not disappoint. Medium bodied, pure plummy fruits, dredged with spice, citrus blossom top-notes, earth, gingerbread and a touch of sarsaparilla in the background. Ditto on the palate! Balanced, fine, gentle, pillowy tannins and a whole lot of drinkability. DAVE BROOKES, Halliday Wine Companion

Blend of grenache, mataro and shiraz.

This is a particularly ferrous version of Avatar. It tastes of plum, earth, peppercorns and raspberry, but it’s the licorices-shot ferrous notes that really define its flavour profile. It’s well balanced in general and feels fresh and juicy, though there’s more than enough flavour to satisfy. There’s good linger to the finish too. It’s another very good release. CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

SPECIAL VALUE - From three growers in Blewitt Springs (58%) and the oldest vines on the Smart Vineyard in Clarendon (42%); some parcels destemmed, the others all whole bunch, with up to five weeks on skins; maturation in old French oak and concrete eggs for seven months. This is so composed and poised at this early stage – fragrant, refined yet expressive. Dried cranberry, rose, bergamot, carraway, raspberry leaf tea and pomegranate, with savoury dried herbs, warm spice and a ferrous note complexing. The balance between fruit sweetness and tannic drive is pitched keenly. It’s the very picture of modern Vale grenache. (95) MARCUS ELLIS, Halliday Wine Companion

SPECIAL VALUE - Sourced from a single block of 1903-planted grenache in the parish of Krondorf. Almost a bruised magenta/ruby in the glass with an earthy-edged, blood plum compote vibe with blue fruit notes and mulberry. It's deeply etched with spice and hints of dried meats, ginger bread, cold tea, purple flowers, soy, cola and wild strawberries. The fruit seems a little deeper than the last vintage I viewed and jeez I like it; spicy, plummy and great drinking. (94) DAVE BROOKES, Halliday Wine Companion