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Description
Few wines capture the modern McLaren Vale Grenache movement quite like this. Sourced from the Silver Sands Vineyard in Blewitt Springs, these 50-year-old bush vines have long been one of the region’s best-kept secrets. Under the careful stewardship of winemaker Michael Corbett, they now produce one of the most compelling expressions of Grenache in Australia.
The 2023 vintage was a slow burner, with cool, wet conditions stretching the growing season and delivering a wine of exceptional finesse and purity. Hand-picked in stages over 10 days, 60% whole bunches were retained to enhance fragrance and structure. Aged for 17 months in a large 22HL Slavonian Oak foudre, this extra time in barrel allowed the wine to develop an extraordinary sense of cohesion and detail.
This is a Grenache of serious class - all perfumed red berries, wild herbs, crushed rock, and spice, wrapped around fine, lacy tannins and a lingering mineral finish. There’s a brightness and energy here that makes it immediately captivating, yet its depth and structure suggest a long and fascinating evolution ahead.
This is benchmark Blewitt Springs Grenache from one of the finest operators in the Vale. Limited quantities, snap it up while you can.
97 Points
"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."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)
