The Auswine Forum

2001 Hamilton (Richard) "Marion Vineyard" Grenache/Shiraz - 14.5% - Marion, Adelaide, SA

Lush, ripe, dark fruit just starting to border on blackberry jam but well controlled and not cloying, with fresh prune, and chocolate, mocha and dark cherry nuances. With sweeter fruitcake spices, pleasant savoury spices in harmony with the wine are consistent throughout its length. Low acid and ripe tannins do an excellent job holding this rather generous wine together. Medium depth and high intensity assisted by a little unbridled alcoholic power. Medium/long finish. Never going to set the world on fire but a most enjoyable wine for a cool evening. 16.7/20, 89/100. Drink over the next 2 years.

Kind regards,
Adair

This really is a unique wine because of its history.

The vineyard is the only remnant left on the Adelaide plains smack bang in the middle of southern suburbia about a km from where I grew up. In fact we spent alot of time playing in the permanent creek nearby catching taddies and frogs and always trying to catch the rainbow trout that lurked in the depths of the deep pools. In the sixties they put the creek into a magnificent slope sided concrete drain along its entire length from where it tumbles out of the Adelaide Hills right across to plain to the sea - ah progress!

Resurrected by Richard Hamilton in the early 90s it is planted to about 80% Grenache 20% Shiraz.

The wines have been a robust style and interesting, the 1997 was particularly good described by Phillip White in tThe Advertiser as "reeking of cow shed and sump oil", he pointed it very highly because he loves that style.

We had a pre release bottle of the 2002 which showed very well at Blacktongues and I've sen barrel samples of the 2003, very very impressive.

This is yet another wine that will benefit from Paul Gordons touch in the coming years.