Happy International Grenache Day!

[Michael McNally]

It's the third Friday in September and you know what that means! (no? I had forgotten too until twitter reminded me!)

International Grenache Day.

Cellartracker suggests the following options :
2010 Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos
2008 Burge Family Garnacha
2010 Burge Family Garnacha
2009 Head Wines Old Vine Grenache
2012 Head Wines Red Grenache Shiraz Mataro
2010 Kabminye Wines Ken & Neville
2008 Kabminye Wines Ken & Neville
2011 Noon Eclipse
2010 Noon Eclipse
2010 Noon Grenache Dark Noon
2012 Noon Grenache High Noon
2011 Noon Twelve Bells
2010 Noon Twelve Bells
2010 Rosemount Estate Nursery Project Grenache
2011 Ross Estate Old Vine Grenache
2012 Teusner Joshua (I coincidentally drank my 1 'taster' bottle of this last night - Beautiful!!!)

I think I the 2009 Head Wines Old Vine or the Rosemount.

Cheers

Michael

[rens]

Excellent. I just received my 1/2 dozen 2012 Greenock Creek Cornerstone Grenache. Perfect excuse for a taste.
Cheers

[redstuff]

I opened a cornerstone grenache last night. Pretty amazing stuff. Fairfloss and candy canes with balsamic goodness. Looking forward to finishing it off tomorrow night.

[chillwrx]

It's the third Friday in September and you know what that means! (no? I had forgotten too until twitter reminded me!)

International Grenache Day.

Cellartracker suggests the following options :
2010 Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos
2008 Burge Family Garnacha
2010 Burge Family Garnacha
2009 Head Wines Old Vine Grenache
2012 Head Wines Red Grenache Shiraz Mataro
2010 Kabminye Wines Ken & Neville
2008 Kabminye Wines Ken & Neville
2011 Noon Eclipse
2010 Noon Eclipse
2010 Noon Grenache Dark Noon
2012 Noon Grenache High Noon
2011 Noon Twelve Bells
2010 Noon Twelve Bells
2010 Rosemount Estate Nursery Project Grenache
2011 Ross Estate Old Vine Grenache
2012 Teusner Joshua (I coincidentally drank my 1 'taster' bottle of this last night - Beautiful!!!)

I think I the 2009 Head Wines Old Vine or the Rosemount.

Cheers

Michael

Go the rose mount. Very good.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Well, well, well, what a coincidence. I haven't bought an Australian red for quite some time and just the other day I bought a couple of bottles, both Grenache.

2005 Fire Block Old Vine Grenache, Clare Valley
2008 Bethany Old Vine Grenache, Barossa Valley

I think one of them will be opened tomorrow, don't know which but more likely the Fire Block.

Cheers.....................Mahmoud.

[sjw_11]

Hmm I dont have a lot of options for thise... all I have is a D'arenberg "Beautiful View" Single Vineyard Grenache 2009... and knowing the stuffing they put in these wines even if I open it tonight I doubt it will be fully drinkable until Thursday next week!

[rens]

I opened a cornerstone grenache last night. Pretty amazing stuff. Fairfloss and candy canes with balsamic goodness. Looking forward to finishing it off tomorrow night.

Yes, I must agree. Very nice wine with turkish delight and raspberry fairyfloss. Nice fine boned tannins and you are right about the balsamic. A very nice wine. Looking forward to drinking the last five over the next 10 years.

[ticklenow1]

Damm, stuck at work and heaps of Grenache in the cellar. As most of the Brissie gang know, I'm a grenache lover so I think I'll celebrate tomorrow night with a 2004 Greenock Creek Cornerstone Grenache. Still my favourite and I 'm buoyed by Brett's and Rens's good reports of the 2012. Got mine from the post office today.

Cheers
Ian

[Luke W]

Thanks Mick
In the spirit of international Grenache day I've just suffered thru a 2003 Classic McLaren La Testa Blend (40% Grenache) - just horrible - 96 points - knew I shouldn't have signed up with Halliday! Wonder what the poor people are drinking?

[sjw_11]

Hmm I dont have a lot of options for thise... all I have is a D'arenberg "Beautiful View" Single Vineyard Grenache 2009... and knowing the stuffing they put in these wines even if I open it tonight I doubt it will be fully drinkable until Thursday next week!

Well I opened it anyway... and WOW

I mean I am not prone to hyperbole... well actually I am but still... This is rather good.
The nose is complex, but the overwhelming flavour is a strawberry character. Underneath is a whole swathe of other notes, including raspberry, red lollies, a hint of VA. The palate is intense and lengthy... its starting to open up now, and showing clean red fruits, and a real mineral character, against a backdrop of earthy character and a surprisingly grippy tannin structure. Super long finish.

This will cellar, I think mid-term+. Its lovely now for its purity combined with real structure. Would I pay the RRP? No. Is it a truly interesting single vineyard expression of McV Grenache? Oh yeah.

[Rossco]

2007 captain barossa De fazio Grenache.
Gee this is really interesting. Light brick red and pale like a pinot,
Has red cherry and red liquorice nose. Beautiful handling of subtle
Oak. Really nice spice think cinnamon, clove and some nut meg. But the fruit has been
Handled perfect as well. Everything's in balance and is just a really enjoyable drink.

[ticklenow1]

2004 Greenock Creek Cornerstone Grenache. Barossa Valley. A day late but I was working Friday nigt so I celebrated last night instead! This bottle showed why this is my favourite go to wine. It's not the best wine you'll drink, but it is probably (along with the Cirillo1850's and Kalleske Old Vine) the best Barossa Grenache getting around. Alcohol is high but not an issue at all. Typical Barossa Grenache characteristics of red fruits and turkish delight with a bit of cherry and a touch of coconut as well. It is great VFM at $28 and proves that Barossa Grenache can age really well. In a really great spot and should hold for a few more years yet, maybe even improve. Sadly down to my last couple of bottles now. It's that nice it will be hard to keep my hands off them. 4.5/5

Cheers Ian

[Mahmoud Ali]

Hmm I dont have a lot of options for thise... all I have is a D'arenberg "Beautiful View" Single Vineyard Grenache 2009... and knowing the stuffing they put in these wines even if I open it tonight I doubt it will be fully drinkable until Thursday next week!

Well I opened it anyway... and WOW

I mean I am not prone to hyperbole... well actually I am but still... This is rather good.
The nose is complex, but the overwhelming flavour is a strawberry character. Underneath is a whole swathe of other notes, including raspberry, red lollies, a hint of VA. The palate is intense and lengthy... its starting to open up now, and showing clean red fruits, and a real mineral character, against a backdrop of earthy character and a surprisingly grippy tannin structure. Super long finish.

This will cellar, I think mid-term+. Its lovely now for its purity combined with real structure. Would I pay the RRP? No. Is it a truly interesting single vineyard expression of McV Grenache? Oh yeah.

Sam,

I'm not surprised at all. Last year I had a d'Arenberg 'Custodian' Grenache and at about 15 years of age it was delightful. On the night it bested a bottle of 1990 Chateau Pavie-Macquin, St Emillion.

Last Friday, on International Grenache Day, I decided to open the '05 Fire Block Old Vine Grenache Clare Valley with some friends. The wine showed well initially, it had an open, mature bouquet and plenty of ripe, earthy minerality. Unfortunately the other wine opened that night was an '89 Chateau La Lagune, Haut Medoc, and this time the Bordeau won out. It made the Fire Block look rather simple and too sweet. A shame really as it wasn't a bad wine at all.

Cheers.....................Mahmoud

[sjw_11]

Hmm I dont have a lot of options for thise... all I have is a D'arenberg "Beautiful View" Single Vineyard Grenache 2009... and knowing the stuffing they put in these wines even if I open it tonight I doubt it will be fully drinkable until Thursday next week!

Sam,

I'm not surprised at all. Last year I had a d'Arenberg 'Custodian' Grenache and at about 15 years of age it was delightful. On the night it bested a bottle of 1990 Chateau Pavie-Macquin, St Emillion.

Cheers.....................Mahmoud

Mahmoud, I am also a big fan of their standard Custodian Grenache... I have drunk several recently that were around 10-yrs old (e.g. from the 2002 Single Vineyard project they did, where they produced the same wine from different soil types)... I agree they are totally under-rated as a cellaring prospect.

[ufo]

I am really surprised that Kalleske Old Vine Grenache is not mentioned at all. I think it is one of the best Grenaches that comes out of Australia and can age very well too.

[rens]

Hmm I dont have a lot of options for thise... all I have is a D'arenberg "Beautiful View" Single Vineyard Grenache 2009... and knowing the stuffing they put in these wines even if I open it tonight I doubt it will be fully drinkable until Thursday next week


Sam,

I'm not surprised at all. Last year I had a d'Arenberg 'Custodian' Grenache and at about 15 years of age it was delightful. On the night it bested a bottle of 1990 Chateau Pavie-Macquin, St Emillion.

Cheers.....................Mahmoud

Mahmoud, I am also a big fan of their standard Custodian Grenache... I have drunk several recently that were around 10-yrs old (e.g. from the 2002 Single Vineyard project they did, where they produced the same wine from different soil types)... I agree they are totally under-rated as a cellaring prospect.

These were great wines. Ian brought these for our grenache offline last year and they were really good. A great excercise in Terrior.

[ticklenow1]

I am really surprised that Kalleske Old Vine Grenache is not mentioned at all. I think it is one of the best Grenaches that comes out of Australia and can age very well too.

ufo,

I did mention in a post above that I think the Greenock Creek Cornerstone, the Cirillo 1850's and the Kalleske Old Vine are probably the pick of Barossa Grenache. I have had a few different vintages of the Kalleske and it has never let me down.

Cheers Ian

[Michael McNally]

My International Grenache Day ended up being an International Grenache Long Weekend

The Teusner Joshua on Thursday night was great (juicy, vibrant, spicy), but the leftovers the next night seemed to lack a little focus and I am not sure this will cellar. But so what!

The 2010 Rosemount Nursery Project was a deeper darker style of Grenache and if it had been in a blind lineup I am sure I would have picked it as a Barossa rather than a McLaren. Serious grunt and for the lovers of fuller bodied wines, possibly a good introduction.

On Saturday I had the leftovers of the Rosemount (will cellar 3-5 years) and a 2008 Peter Lehman Back to Back Grenache (currently being flogged off). This opened simple and sweet (though very nice!), but some savoury characters came out and brought some balance to the package - excellent VFM. Needs air.

That's it til next year! (not)

Cheers

Michael

[ross67]

My International Grenache Day ended up being an International Grenache Long Weekend

The Teusner Joshua on Thursday night was great (juicy, vibrant, spicy), but the leftovers the next night seemed to lack a little focus and I am not sure this will cellar. But so what!

The 2010 Rosemount Nursery Project was a deeper darker style of Grenache and if it had been in a blind lineup I am sure I would have picked it as a Barossa rather than a McLaren. Serious grunt and for the lovers of fuller bodied wines, possibly a good introduction.

On Saturday I had the leftovers of the Rosemount (will cellar 3-5 years) and a 2008 Peter Lehman Back to Back Grenache (currently being flogged off). This opened simple and sweet (though very nice!), but some savoury characters came out and brought some balance to the package - excellent VFM. Needs air.

That's it til next year! (not)

Cheers

Michael

Hey Michael
What vintage of the Joshua did you have?
I'm a big fan of all Teusner stuff especially J and Av

Ross

[Michael McNally]

Hey Michael
What vintage of the Joshua did you have?
I'm a big fan of all Teusner stuff especially J and Av

Ross

Hi Ross.

The much hyped 2012. Loved it the first night, not so impressed the second. I probably wasn't paying too much attention the second night so take that comment with a grain of salt.

Cheers

Michael

[ross67]

Hey Michael
What vintage of the Joshua did you have?
I'm a big fan of all Teusner stuff especially J and Av

Ross

Hi Ross.

The much hyped 2012. Loved it the first night, not so impressed the second. I probably wasn't paying too much attention the second night so take that comment with a grain of salt.

Cheers

Michael

Ok no problem.
Have not tried '12 Joshua yet.
'12 Avatar is a class act.
Must buy more.

Thanks
Ross

[ufo]

I am really surprised that Kalleske Old Vine Grenache is not mentioned at all. I think it is one of the best Grenaches that comes out of Australia and can age very well too.

ufo,

I did mention in a post above that I think the Greenock Creek Cornerstone, the Cirillo 1850's and the Kalleske Old Vine are probably the pick of Barossa Grenache. I have had a few different vintages of the Kalleske and it has never let me down.

Cheers Ian

oops, how did I miss that? Anyway, I am drinking 2003 Kalleske Old Vine Grenache our of my cellar and it is absolutely a cracker, I've never known grenache could be this good. Pitty that I only bought a dozen and only a bottle left.