If you have yourself a Little Black Book for wine producers to check out - then you should probably be jotting down the name Larnook Wines right about now.
Larnook is a family operation headed by Alexia (Lexi) Roberts, a notable, award-winning winemaker in McLaren Vale for the last 20 years. When Lexi and her husband Damon found a small vineyard atop a hill in the sandy soils of Blewitt Springs, with ancient bush vine Grenache planted in 1922, and Shiraz from 1999, they knew they'd found their new home. A combination of fruit from their own vineyard and a selection of great growers from around the region forms the range.
We were first alerted to their wines when Lexi's debut Grenache Gris (a very promising emerging white variety for the region) took out the Chairperson's Trophy at the 2022 McLaren Vale Wine Show. On its inaugural release, this became the first wine in Australia to be awarded a major Trophy made from this variety - our interest was piqued.
Sometimes when you taste a set of wines from a new producer, the quality jumps out of the glass and declares itself emphatically. Each wine in Lexi's small, curated range feels preened and lovingly manicured. They are polished, vibrant, beautifully packaged, reasonably priced and absolutely delightful to drink. These wines just hit the sweet spot.
Campbell Mattinson had some very positive things to say on the whole set, from the excellent Grenache Gris, detailed rose, juicy Tempranillo and Grenache/Shiraz and the estate-grown Grenache & Shiraz, each wine is worth your attention.
The range is priced from $27 for the white and rose up to $45 for the premium wines and we think they over-deliver at all price points.
Check out one of the most exciting new acts in South Australia right here!
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