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.
- 2024 Aphelion The Confluence Grenache
- 2024 Yangarra GSM
- 2023 Spinifex Esprit
- 2024 Vanguardist Oeno Grenache
- 2025 Bondar Junto GSM
- 2023 Frederick Stevenson 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.
2024 Yangarra GSM
The Yangarra GSM is a class act. This single vineyard wine from the stunning Yangarra estate sets a high bar for all others in the region.
The Yangarra team has focused their attention on producing the country's finest iterations of Rhone varieties and this is arguably his best version of this classic blend to date.
The dizzying aromatics and succulent fruit of Grenache meets the plum/choc combo of McLaren Vale Shiraz and the grunt of Mourvedre.
This is the quintessential McLaren Vale red.
2023 Spinifex Esprit
When Pete Schell started Spinifex back in 2001, wines like Esprit completely changed the conversation about what the Barossa could be. It shifted the focus away from sheer power and moved it toward perfume, finesse, and structure. Fast forward to the 2023 release, and it’s still one of the most compelling Grenache blends in the country, especially when you consider the pedigree of the fruit.
Pete sources this from eight different patches of dirt across the valley, including spots in Ebenezer and Williamstown. Some serious history here - the vine age ranges from 75 to over 150 years old. While the blend moves around occasionally, the Grenache was so strong this year that it really had to be the hero. It makes up over 80% of the blend, rounded out with bits of Shiraz, Counoise, and Cinsault.
It's textbook Spinifex winemaking, using wild yeasts and seasoned oak so the fruit does the talking. It’s not a heavy, syrupy red; instead, it’s deeply characterful and complex with a lovely savoury edge.
If you’re a fan of old-vine Barossa reds that prioritise character over brute force, this is exactly what you should be looking for. Honestly, for the price, it’s hard to find anything else in the region that comes close to this level of quality.
2024 Vanguardist Oeno Grenache
The Oeno Grenache shows exactly why Michael Corbett is regarded as one of the country’s finest interpreters of Blewitt Springs. From 54-year-old bush vines rooted in deep sand on the Rende Vineyard, this is Grenache that trades weight for precision, delivering clarity, texture and drive.
Handpicked fruit was fermented with 60% whole bunches, then matured for 15 months in a mix of French oak puncheons and a 1,500L concrete sphere. It’s fragrant and energetic, with red cherry, cranberry and spice lifted by subtle herbal and floral notes. The tannins are fine and shaping, giving the wine both line and persistence.
Oeno may be the entry point to the Vanguardist range, but it has all the class and polish of the top wines. Pure, focused and effortlessly drinkable, it’s another masterclass in modern McLaren Vale Grenache.
95+ points
"I’ve perhaps worn this analogy out, but the nebbiolo echoes are resounding, if it is also decidedly, unquestionably varietal. Excellent, and great value, with time sure to bring greater rewards."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)
2025 Bondar Junto GSM
"Junto" is Spanish for "together," and that sums up the philosophy behind this wine perfectly. It is Andre and Selina Bondar's take on the classic McLaren Vale blend, but stripped of the heaviness you might expect from the region. This is designed to be fine, frisky and fresh, a wine built for bistros and backyards rather than the cellar.
The 2025 release is Grenache-dominant (72%), providing the perfume and juicy red fruit core. Mataro (13%) adds a savoury spice and structure, while a small splash of Shiraz contributes a bit of plushness. A notable addition this year is the 7% Counoise from their own vineyard, a variety that helps keep the alcohol in check and lifts the freshness.
To keep things in the lighter spectrum, the fruit is picked early and fermented with around 20% whole bunches. This gives the wine a tight, herbal nerve that cuts through the fruit sweetness. In the glass, it is loaded with blue and red berries, fresh herbs and a savoury lick that keeps you coming back. It is pure McLaren Vale fruit without the sunburn.
"Junto is supposed to be medium bodied, fresh, unpretentious and delicious..."
- Andre Bondar
95 points
"The medium-weighted, accessible, everyday drinking red from Bondar, a wine made to fit the climate and culture of the region. And this nails it, again... Such a beautiful thing."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)
2023 Frederick Stevenson Grenache
Steve Crawford works with some great old vineyards across the Barossa Valley, with the Hongell Grenache coming from a vineyard just to the south of the historic Barossa sub-region of Tanunda.
It was made with 30% whole bunches and old oak. Steve looks to capture the personality of each vineyard he works from, here he's done a top notch job.
It's Barossa Grenache with a different look. It's bright, crunchy, and wickedly drinkable. Grenache fans with a penchant for original expressions of the variety should get on this, particularly as volumes are limited.
94 points
"Red fruit, cranberry, white pepper, dried herb and rosehip, a little orange peel. A lighter bodied style, crisp and lively, fine dusty and peppery grip, a light amaro tang to it gives it a cool alpine character, with a crisp red fruited finish of brightness and excellent length. Beautifully made with a distinctly Italianate (Pelaverga springs to mind) quality to it. I’m all about this. What a great drink!"
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
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