The brand new release of the Artisans of Barossa Grenache Project is a unique and ambitious venture and possibly Australia's deepest exploration of old vine Grenache.
The concept is a simple one: the six producers from the Artisans of Barossa collective each are assigned a single row of Grenache from the same Barossa vineyard then are charged with the task of making a wine that they would want to drink.
Released as a limited edition six-pack, in these six wines you get a unique opportunity to see not only the voice of the vineyard but the individual thumbprint of each of the winemakers.
And these aren't just any winemakers - the Artisans of Barossa are some of the most respected names in Barossa, and indeed Australian, wine.
The heavy hitters this year include:
- Jason Schwarz, Schwarz Wine Company
- Phil Lehmann, Max & Me Wines
- Peter Schell, Spinifex Wines
- John and Tim Duval, John Duval Wines
- Corey Ryan and Simon Cowham, Sons of Eden
- Greg and Allison Hobbs, Hobbs of Barossa Ranges
“There are all manner of groups and initiatives that have proposed a collective yet individual approach to a winemaking schemata, but by my reckoning none so far where a single vineyard of grenache has been explored through the lens of six, diverse winemakers."
The 2019 release is stellar. The vineyard in question this year is the Scheer Vineyard, a site planted to Grenache in 1929 in Rowland Flat at the southern end of the Barossa.
Through sampling each wine in the pack you are taken on a journey of the season. Though only 5 days separate picking times of each wine, the styles, textures and flavours of each wine vary wildly.
From the tightly wound, crunchy Grenache wines of Jason Schwarz and Phil Lehmann, through the soft, sumptuous offerings of Schell and Duval, to the throaty, thumping wines of SOE and Hobbs, you see the full spectrum of flavours and aromas this variety can achieve.
It's a brilliant project. One of the most interesting in the modern Australian landscape. Don't miss your opportunity to sample this one of a kind winemaking project.
