In Glass Conversations: Grenache
Really interesting collaboration between Wine Companion and 67 Pall Mall on Sat 29 Aug. Anna Webster (editor, Halliday Wine Companion) hosted panellists Amelia Nolan (Alkina, Barossa Valley), Stephen Pannell (S.C. Pannell, McLaren Vale), and Giles Cooke MW (Thistledown, McLaren Vale) – all making some of the most exciting grenache (and reds) in Australia today.
We started with introducing the winemakers. Steve spoke about getting into Grenache; his family sold Moss Wood, and he moved Hardy’s Tintara and met the son of Chateauneuf du Papes producer there. Giles was given a scholarship from WSET to visit Spain and Australia; Garnacha’s home is Spain, and the scale is much bigger in Navarra, with huge plantings, young, fresh wines made in concrete from very old vines. Amelia sold Southern Rhône wines in London for 10 years; in 2015 bought a Greenock vineyard with old vine grenache. Viticultural consultant Pedro Parra (PhD in Terroir) did electroconductivity mapping to identify the patchwork of geology (700 Mil yo schist, clay, and limestone), which are each vinified separately.
We tasted their wines alongside a bracket of grenache from around the world, selected by 67 Pall Mall’s Christina Kaigg-Hoxley.
In the introduction, we heard grenache was part of the 1830s James Busby collection (the first vines brought to Australia) and during heights of fortifieds, it was the most planted variety. But much went during the 1980s vine pull, though it does feature in blends (apparently, difficult to sell in the AU market); now only 1% of planted varieties.
2022 Alkina ‘Polygon 3’ Grenache, Greenock, Barossa Valley
Grown on 27 h of schist and limestone. No oak contact, vinified in concrete (10% porosity of oak) and temperature controlled for a cool ferment, 50% whole bunch. Lilacs, spice, red cherry, raspberry, pink peppercorn, cool minty, snappy acid; incredible power and drive. (97pts Halliday, RRP $295.)
2022 S.C. Pannell ‘Sunrise’ Grenache, Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale
From a then 99-yo vineyard, on sandy soils, destemmed and vinified in decade old vat. Lavender, black cherry, strawberry, leather, warm spices, oolong tea, beetroot, dusty tannins; great power, length, and tension. (98pts Halliday, RRP $250.)
2022 Thistledown ‘This Charming Man’ Grenache, Clarendon, McLaren Vale
Named after the Smiths song. Wayne Smart’s 100 yo vineyard, which was close to being pulled but (luckily) the grant was rejected. At 30 m alt., on heavier clay soils. Baking spice, strawberry and raspberry, Campari, dried orange peel, charcuterie; snappy acid, grippy tannins, great persistence. (97pts, RRP $80.)
They each presented 2022; this vintage was a la Nina year, giving low pH, tightly bound examples.
Amelia, Stephen, and Giles talked about ideal soil types. Grenache is a great translator of terroir, but it’s vigorous and can overcrop, which doesn’t result in any quality. Granite, schist, limestone, sand are best (iron brings energy and perception of acidity, but in a wet year is metallic). Heathy, low nutrient soils, with care that its prone to vigour and more fruit and late picking means rot and split. In 24 hours, it can go from under ripe to rot.
Low pH (more acidic); Stephen thought that grenache does not transpolate potassium. So, with low pH and low total acidity (TA) the phenolics/perfume are better expressed. He gives the e.g., Sunrise Grenache picked at 13 Baumé and 3.86 TA.
Old vines are important. Cirillo in McLaren Vale is the world’s oldest grenache vineyard, est. 1843. Both the vineyards for S.C. Pannell and Thistledown are 100 yo and Alkimi 75 yo. Vine age brings concentration, power, vintage memory i.e., epigenetics. An old vine knows to push flavour and aromatics before sugar (to attract birds and animals to spread its seeds), but a young vine is just trying to survive. Vines are less vigorous with age and more resilient; root systems more complex, reaching fungi networks and fractures in rocks for nutrients and water.
Grenache comparisons
2022 Swinney, Farvie Grenache, Frankland River, Great Southern, Western Australia ~RRP $150
Winemaker Rob Mann is an acolyte of S.C. Pannell; darker set wine, ripe plum, spicier, richer. A portion of mataro. Xmas pudding, blacker tannins, meaty BBQ. Bush vine planted.
(Grenache works well as a bush vine; it’s an upright growing variety with strong wood. Its thin skin can be sunburned so its healthier in a natural system.)
2023 Vinos en Voz Baja, Nace La Sierra, Rioja, Spain ~RRP $160
A blended wine (difficult in the Aus market for local producers) 70% grenache from the eastern, warmer end of Rioja ‘Oriental.’ Cherry cola, cinnamon spice, raspberry, strawberry.
2021 Álvaro Palacios, Finca Dofí, Gratallops, Priorat, Spain ~RRP $270
Grenache with 4% Carignan from home of the variety, vinified in foudre with whole bunches. Lilacs, lavender, cocoa powder, sappy blackcurrant, gingersnap biscuits, fennel seed, grippy, dusty tannins.
2021 Comando G, Rozas 1er Cru Garnacha, Sierra de Gredos, Spain ~RRP $130
Caused lively discussion in the room about natural wine, faults, and ‘cult’ status amongst sommeliers. An admirable project reviving depopulated winegrowing areas (after Franco’s reign), forgotten old vine Garnacha, natural winemaking with horse drawn ploughs and apparently loose hygiene. Obvious Brettanomyces, oxidated, sour cherry warhead lollies. Not my style, nonetheless world renowned producer.
2024 Giovanni Montisci, Barrosu Cannonau di Sardegna, Sardinia, Italy ~ RRP $100
Grown on an old sea mount, once a Catalan capital, on volcanic soils. An exciting 75 h area of small plots, more inland and higher altitude. Full of sunshine, lush blackberry, ripe plum, spice, black pepper; 15% Alc./Vol. more like Aus grenaches of 80s and 90s but a satisfying mouthful.
2023 Domaine la Barroche, Pure, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône Valley, France ~RRP $440
Nearly pure 97% Grenache; sandy soils, mistral winds, galet stones stay warm under vines, so vine respires acid to flavour all night. Very complex with light touch; rosehips, beetroot, raspberry, wild strawberry, whiff of farmyard, white pepper, fantastic acid drive.
2021 A.A. Badenhorst, Raaigras Grenache, Swartland, South Africa ~RRP $160
1952 planted vineyard on granite soils; a regional characteristic of African vegetal scrub (as opposed to the eucalyptus in Aus). Herbal, lighter weight, raspberry notes, with some grip. Seen as a cult producer, but perhaps not as complex as other examples.
In all, it was a great tasting and varietal spotlight. Plenty of spirited arguments about our tolerance for wine faults here. And, in a warming climate, Grenache may soon cut Pinot Noir’s lunch as the most interesting red varietal we produce on mainland Australia.
Thanks to 67 Pall Mall Melbourne Team, Anna Webster from Wine Companion, Amelia Nolan, Stephen Pannell and Giles Cooke MW.