The Auswine Forum

I'm on a bit of a Grenache bender at the moment, and would be interested in your thoughts...

I had one at Rockford and one at Hentley earlier in the year and they were both smart wines

Mike Hawkins wrote:I had one at Rockford and one at Hentley earlier in the year and they were both smart wines

Was that the Dry Country Grenache, or the Moppa Springs?

I like Tonics Grenache. - fair value.

based on recent consumption:

Agree with Hunter on Tonics. also Yangarra "Old Vine" Grenache

A few I have had lately

John Duval
Head Wines
Yangarra Estate
S C Pannell

Cirillo - Vincent is astonishing value. 1850's Vines is an experience

Lincoln wrote:

Mike Hawkins wrote:I had one at Rockford and one at Hentley earlier in the year and they were both smart wines

Was that the Dry Country Grenache, or the Moppa Springs?

Rockford haven't made a dry country grenache for some time now, and the current 2017 Moppa Springs is actually a GMS

Cheers Craig

phillisc wrote: Rockford haven't made a dry country grenache for some time now, and the current 2017 Moppa Springs is actually a GMS

Cheers Craig

There is a 2016 Dry Country Grenache..... not sure how available it is...

Lincoln wrote:

phillisc wrote: Rockford haven't made a dry country grenache for some time now, and the current 2017 Moppa Springs is actually a GMS

Cheers Craig

There is a 2016 Dry Country Grenache..... not sure how available it is...

I'll have a look when at the CD next month
Cheers Craig

Moppa Springs is a wine I would recommend, and it is based on a single wine, the 1998 which I bought at cellar door and transported to Canada. At almost 20 years of age it was superb.

http://forum.m.auswine.com.au/forum3/viewto ... 67#p138244

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

Yangarra Estate Ovitelli

Second the recommendations on:
Yangarra Old Vine (2016 and 2017 both excellent)
Tonic
Head Wines
Cirrilo

A couple more:
2018 Koerner Cannonau (Clare Valley) - wow!
2019 Varney Wines (McLakkers)
Aphelion (McLakkers)

Cheers

Michael

best I have had is the head Ancestor Vine, but it isn't cheap!!!
The 2014 is/was stupendous.

also, if you really want to spend up big, the Kellermeister Rocamora 2015 is superb, but that is about $200.

How about Eperosa Stonegarden 1858 Grenache? Another ancestor vine, but much cheaper.

Dang wrote:How about Eperosa Stonegarden 1858 Grenache? Another ancestor vine, but much cheaper.

Both Eperosa Grenache’s are great. The Rockford Dry Grown is also up there for me, it started back in their range with the ‘15 and is now on the ‘16 - a Stonewall room only wine Like the SVS was

Grenache is going through a huge upswing in popularity and also quality at the moment. It does help that 2018 was a cracking vintage for Grenache in the Barossa and McLaren Vale. There has been some wonderful releases lately. There seems to be quite a move towards "pinotosity" (I read the term somewhere and it's a great way of putting it), with a lot of wineries recently. Mostly for the better, occasionally not. There are still plenty of the blockbuster, high alcohol samples around, but they seem to be becoming the minority now, rather than the majority that they used to be.

Frederick Stevenson, Paralian, Swinney (WA), S.C. Pannell, Yangarra, Eperosa, Head, Tonic, Dodgy Bros, Songs from Mars and Spinifex amongst many others (which have slipped my mind at the minute) have released incredibly good wines from the last few vintages.

Grenache is my red of choice and it takes up a good chunk of my cellar. I used to buy the bigger styles, but have progressed to the more elegant, savoury styles that have flooded the market the last few years. Good examples age wonderfully well and gain complexity over time. For instance, we recently had a 2010 Langmeil Fifth Wave Grenache and while it was not a wine that garnered great reviews, it was simply delicious, as was a 2010 Cirillo Vincent a few days later.

Great examples can certainly be a lot easier on the wallet in my experience as well, compared to say, Pinot. Good luck in your Grenache journey.

Cheers
Ian

Also following - as I really like the direction Aus grenache is going (I'm a regular pinot drinker )

Favourite Individual wines:
Yangarra Ovitelli
S C Pannell Smart Vineyard

As a range:
Ochota Barrels Fugazi, Sense of Compression and 186
S C Pannell from the Basso up

New kid:
Paralian

phillisc wrote:

Lincoln wrote:

Mike Hawkins wrote:I had one at Rockford and one at Hentley earlier in the year and they were both smart wines

Was that the Dry Country Grenache, or the Moppa Springs?

Rockford haven't made a dry country grenache for some time now, and the current 2017 Moppa Springs is actually a GMS

Cheers Craig

2016 Dry Country is currently available to Stonewallers, but you have to phone them. Its not on the list in their last mailer.

Wirra Wirra The Absconder used to be pretty tidy, Rolf Binder also makes some pretty good grenache, don't even mind the Curtis Family Series Grenache.....

Scp Smart & Old Mcdonald
The most recent Parellian
Ary my pick Linc

Lincoln wrote:

Mike Hawkins wrote:I had one at Rockford and one at Hentley earlier in the year and they were both smart wines

Was that the Dry Country Grenache, or the Moppa Springs?

The one in the Stonewallers room. Can’t recall the name

2017 Soul Growers Persistence Grenache - hands down, prettiest Grenache I've ever had!

2016 Rockford Dry country grenache had at stonewaller lunch in jan. solid juice. away from the strawberries and cream confectionery we've been seeing. nice and DRY, solid tannin structure/bones etc.
Was available a ways back via stone wall CD but prob all gone now id say.
Any Yangarra grenache. all good.

2018 Hentley Farm 'old legend' Grenache . Barossa Wine (Wine of Show)show 2019. absolute ripper.

some others i've had recently and enjoyed.
2017 Blewitt Springs Grenache
2015 Hentley Farm Old Legend Grenache
2016 Oliver's Taranga Small Batch Grenache
2013 Yangarra Small Pot 'Ceramic Egg' Grenache.