2025 Aphelion Wait Vineyard Grenache

97 pts
The most structured and savoury of Rob Mack’s single-vineyard Grenaches - dark, earthy and built for ageing.

Price:
Sale price$75.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship, only 2 units left
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Description

The Wait Vineyard has always been the most structural of Rob Mack's trio of single-vineyard Grenaches, and the 2025 is an absolute ripper.

The fruit comes from the Top Bush block on the Wait family's vineyard in the northeast corner of Blewitt Springs. These are dry-grown bush vines planted back in the mid-1940s, giving small berries with intense flavour and plenty of tannin.

Rob keeps the winemaking hands-off, as always. The fruit is hand-picked and fermented 100% whole bunch, slow and cool, then rests on full lees in large neutral French oak. There's no oak polish here, just turned earth, dark cherry and briary, brooding fruit with that slightly saline edge the site is known for. The tannins come in waves and carry the savoury flavours a long way.

It'll keep evolving through to 2034 if you can keep your hands off it, or give it a good decant if opening now.

97 points
"There’s a generosity to this, not plush as such, but just enveloping, with the transparency and refined detail of the house. Tannins pithy, grippy, moreish; acidity energising. As the name says: Wait (or decant). This is excellent."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

96 points
"It’s both seriously firm and ridiculously good... This is as good as you’ll find. Wine of the Year contender."
- Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

97 points - "From 1940s dry-grown bush vines; 100% whole bunch ferment; neutral French oak. The single-site wines are so distinct, especially when given ample air, and perhaps more air is needed in '25. Is this the most complete? I think it edges in. It's lifted with heady spices that take a North African tilt, and just as equipped with florals, more in the blue and purple zone than red, with marasca and amarena cherries, darkly ripe raspberry, blueberry and sun-warmed hardy herbs beneath. There’s a generosity to this, not plush as such, but just enveloping, with the transparency and refined detail of the house. Tannins pithy, grippy, moreish; acidity energising. As the name says: Wait (or decant). This is excellent." - Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

96 points - "Blewitt Springs Grenache, vineyard planted in the 1940s, dry-grown. 100% whole bunch, large format neutral French. One thing I haven’t yet mentioned, but should have: these wines are now under screwcap. All of these 2025 Aphelion single vineyard releases are tight and tannic but this Wait release may well be the tightest of them all. It’s both seriously firm and ridiculously good. Crushed violet characters roll through boysenberry, raspberry, sage, mineral, iodine, mint and graphite. There’s a gravel-stone element here and it turns the feeling of dryness up to 11 but all-told the result is electrifying. This is as good as you’ll find. Wine of the Year contender." - Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

palate

Often the most structural and savoury wine in the range, brooding in character with earth and briary characters dominating the palate.
region notes

Sourced from the Top Bush block on the Wait vineyard in the Blewitt Springs sub-region of McLaren Vale. Planted in the mid 1940’s, this block is dry grown and provides small berries with intense flavour and prominent tannin.
winemakers comments

Part of our premium SV Grenache range, the fruit used to make this wine is sourced from a single vineyard in the northeast corner of the Blewitt Springs area of McLaren Vale owned by the Wait family. The fruit was hand-picked on the 6th March and processed as a 100% whole bunch ferment. After a slow and cool ferment, the fruit was pressed to large format neutral French oak where it remained on full lees until racking for bottling in February 2026.
grape variety

100% Grenache


Deeply coloured with an intense ruby hue.
aroma

Savoury aromatics of turned earth, root vegetable, and dark cherry are subtle but have great depth.
palate

The palate is firm with a very savoury and slightly saline edge. Tannin is the most prominent of the three SV wines, it comes in waves and carries the savoury edge of the wine across the palate with great length. This wine will stand up to a rich food pairing and will benefit with time in the cellar.
winemakers comments

Part of our premium SV Grenache range, the fruit used to make this wine is sourced from a single vineyard in the northeast corner of the Blewitt Springs area of McLaren Vale owned by the Wait family. Often the most structural and savoury wine in the range, brooding in character with earth and briary characters dominating the palate.
food matching

Redolent with a sausage and thyme ragu.
cellaring potential

Enjoy now and will continue to evolve through to 2034.
vinification

The fruit was hand-picked on the 6th March and processed as a 100% whole bunch ferment. After a slow and cool ferment, the fruit was pressed to large format neutral French oak where it remained on full lees until racking for bottling in May 2025.

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type Red
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Grenache
Country Australia
Region McLaren Vale
Australian State SA
Feature High Score
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
The Wine Front
Critic Score 97
Alcohol 14.5%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2025
Closure Screw Cap

Aphelion

Aphelion was established by Rob Mack and Louise Rhodes with a clear vision. They had one thing on their mind, to craft: "Genuine, Authentic, Quality McLaren Vale Grenache."

A couple of vintages in and they are right on the money. They have close relationships with local growers in the Vale who provide them with excellent Grenache fruit and Rob's deft touch in the winery takes care of the rest.

The range is slowly growing, as is their family. Their investigation into their pet variety is deepening, as is their fan base. The small batches of wine that come out of the Aphelion stable should have a close eye kept on them, more often than not there's something exciting and great value in the bottle.

Winemaker Rob Mack Aphelion

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