-
Description
Seventy years on and still kicking goals - Sue Trott’s dry-grown bush vines in Blewitt Springs continue to prove why they’re among McLaren Vale’s finest. Planted in 1952 on deep Maslin Sands and perched 210m above sea level, this single-vineyard Grenache is a pitch-perfect reflection of its site: aromatic, textured, and detailed.
2023 threw some curveballs - wet, windy spring, a cool, late summer - but the Trott vines rose to the occasion. Lower yields meant flavour-packed fruit, and winemaker Renae Hirsch has captured all the nuance and energy of the season with a deft touch. There’s a subtle 10% whole bunch inclusion and a long, gentle ferment before basket pressing and maturation on lees in stainless steel to retain purity and finesse.
It’s all violets, lavender and sage on the nose, with red cherry, citrus peel and earthy spice curling through the palate. The tannins are fine but assertive, drawing out a long, graceful finish.
This is beautiful, thoughtful Grenache that balances perfume and presence - elegance without losing its roots. Perfect for a long lunch (tea-smoked duck, anyone?) or a quiet night in with something vinyl on the turntable.
96 points
"It’s lean and athletic through the palate, crouched like a stalking lion, all rippling muscle and fast-twitch fibres."
- Nick Ryan (The Australian)
96 points
"Even at this early stage, there is a deeply meditative quality to the expression, a wine speaking clearly of fruit, place and a beneficial (if difficult) season."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)
96 points
"Full bodied and impressively proportioned, balanced and approachable now although will certainly age brilliantly."
- Huon Hooke (The Real Review)
95 points
"Medium to full-bodied, a more robust style with chewy tannin, lots of impact and presence, dark spices, raspberry and cranberry brightness, in with more emphatic ferrous things, and a firm finish of excellent length. Quite a wine."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
You May Also Like
