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Description
Grenache is currently experiencing a golden era in Australia.
A truckload of Australian producers are finally giving the variety its due. From the sandy soils of McLaren Vale and the ancient plantings in the Barossa as well as other pockets of the country, some truly stunning examples of Grenache are emerging.
Here are six of our current favourites that exemplify the quality that can currently be found if you know where to look. Six great modern producers of the grape are featured here and it's terrific value to boot.
- 2023 Dune The Empty Quarter GSM
- 2024 Bondar Junto GSM
- 2023 The Story Super G Grenache Syrah Mourvedre
- 2024 Cirillo Vincent Grenache
- 2024 Aphelion The Confluence Grenache
- 2022 Nick Spencer P.A.R. Hilltops Grenache
2023 Dune The Empty Quarter GSM
The 2023 Empty Quarter from the Lloyd brothers’ Dune Wines is a fresh spin on the classic GSM blend, with a splash of Touriga Nacional for extra character. From their Blewitt Springs vineyard, this is McLaren Vale done their way—organic farming, low-fuss winemaking, and a willingness to mix things up.
Medium-bodied, fragrant, and packed with flavour, it’s got those juicy blue and purple fruits, a savoury edge of sage and spice, and fine, dusty tannins that pull it all together. There’s plenty of personality here, but it’s still the kind of wine you’ll happily crack open any night of the week.
Duncan and Peter Lloyd—of Coriole lineage—are proving they’ve got a knack for walking the line between tradition and modern energy. The Empty Quarter is a seriously tasty red with just enough polish and plenty of charm. If you’re after a GSM that’s a bit different, this one’s got you sorted.
95 points
"Year on year, this offers such exceptional value. The varieties, though all dedicated contributors, somewhat fall away here, which is testimony to the cohesion of the wine. It’s medium weight, cut through with ferrous mineral notes, blue/purple florals, cracked pepper, and warmed whole spices. Blue and red fruit notes fill the palate, along with fermented salami and dried woody herbs. Such a beautiful balance of the savoury and the vibrant; made for the table."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)
94 points
"Such a pleasing wine to drink. Blue and purple fruit, coal dust and ozone, sage and thyme, some dried flowers, pastrami and aniseed. It’s medium-bodied, has a distinctly ‘mineral’ feel to it, with fine dusty and peppery tannin, a quiet juicy blueberry succulence, and it’s also quite savoury, bresaola and Spanish black olive, I reckon, with a gently sticky and tactile finish of excellent length. Fresh. Spicy. Yum."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
2024 Bondar Junto GSM
The Bondars don’t miss. Year after year, Selina and Andre turn out wines that hit the sweet spot between polish and playfulness - and the 2024 Junto GSM might just be their most drinkable release yet.
‘Junto’ - Spanish for ‘together’ - says it all: this is Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz in easy, delicious harmony. It’s a wine built for bistros and backyard hangs, with Grenache doing the heavy lifting on the perfume and juiciness, while Mataro lends savoury grip and Shiraz brings its usual plush generosity to the party. All of it aged in old French oak so nothing gets in the way of the fruit.
It’s supple and medium-bodied, red-fruited and spicy, with a savoury lick that keeps it fresh and bright. No heaviness, no fuss - just pure, unfussy McLaren Vale deliciousness.
In a region that so often leans into power, this shows just how much charm and character can come from restraint. You’ll want more than one bottle.
"A Southern Rhone style blend that is intended to be unpretentious and easy to drink.."
- Andre Bondar
95 points
"Red berries, cherries, cranberry, musk, rose, and a dukkah-like toasted nut and spice note… Lithe and textured with silky ribbons of fruit and finely tooled grip. A pure delight, year in, year out."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)
2023 The Story Super G Grenache Syrah Mourvedre
Pepper and spice and everything nice.. Not lyrics to a song (though they could be), rather a fairly apt description of this Victorian GSM, from the Rory who created the Story.
There is not a whole lot of Mourvedre in the Grampians, however Rory managed to get his hands on a really nice small parcel of fruit, that really rounds out this wine. While the Shiraz component brings the fruit and mid-palate heft here, it’s the interplay between the Grenache and Mourvedre that really makes this wine sing. Super pretty nose, a smoky spice element, that aforementioned mid-palate fruit, all lead to a fresh finish, enhanced by that cool-climate natural acidity.
This is a really nice alternative to the GSM wines we see from SA, a bit lighter in frame, fresher in feel, yet still with full-throttle flavour and aromatics.
"This is a beautiful wine to drink, modern and characterful at once... This is a yes."
- Campbell Mattinson (Halliday Wine Companion)
2024 Cirillo Vincent Grenache
The Cirillo Vincent Grenache is, year after year, one of the country's best-value Grenache. It's also a homage to Marco's father, who passed down all of his winemaking knowledge (spanning 8 generations!) down to him.
Vincent is a charismatic character, just like his maker. It bucks the trend of big, sweet, oaky Barossa Grenache and sits firmly in the bright, cheery and gluggable camp.
A portion of whole bunches give it a lifted perfume and silky texture, while the use of older French oak and stainless steel ensure this is a lot brighter and bouncier than many of its Barossa counterparts.
Exceedingly easy drinking and tremendous value.
"Is this the best value red wine in Australia? It'd have to be up there at the pointy end... delivers so much enjoyment for the price. A cracker."
- Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion) on the 2023 Cirillo Vincent Grenache
"This strikes me as among the best value wines yet tasted this year... Delicious! Drink or hold." - Ned Goodwin MW (JamesSuckling.com) on the 2022 Cirillo Vincent Grenache
2024 Aphelion The Confluence Grenache
Aphelion has built its reputation on Grenache, and The Confluence is the wine that best captures what they’re about – purity, energy and a real feel for McLaren Vale fruit. Winemaker Rob Mack works with a handful of trusted growers across Blewitt Springs and McLaren Vale proper, bringing together parcels that balance brightness, perfume and structure.
The 2024 vintage saw a mild, steady season, giving fruit that ripened slowly and kept its natural acidity. Each parcel was treated gently – lots of whole berries, some whole bunches, and older French oak – so the focus stays on fruit expression and fine, sandy tannins rather than oak or weight.
What you get in the glass is a Grenache that feels lifted and precise but still generous, with bright red fruits, spice and that lovely savoury edge that keeps you coming back. It’s made to drink now but will reward a bit of time in the cellar too.
2022 Nick Spencer P.A.R. Hilltops Grenache
As Nick Spencer says, "If you like - Pinot Noir then you will love this Grenache..."
This is a very different beast to the more dense and powerful styles of Grenache out of South Australia, Nick's P.A.R. Grenache is built more on delicacy and freshness - a lacy framework of tannin and some beautiful spice.
With no oak in the road, Grenache's most compelling characteristics are thrust to the fore. It's juicy, it's delicious, it's Grenache stripped back to it's most sexy and smashable.
95 points
"So bright, so pure, so lovely. Raspberry, strawberry, roses, spice and a flicker of mint and herb... Delightful."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
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