About The Pack
Every year in Australia, Grenache soars to new heights.
Here's three of the finest examples in the country right at the apex of the variety.
True connoisseurs should experience each of these wines at least once.
2016 Head Wines Ancestor Vine Grenache
In this Ancestor Vine Grenache, you can see Alex Head's winemaking passion and philosophy distilled into a single bottle.
From an ancient vineyard in Springton in the Eden Valley, these warhorse vines planted in 1858 yield fruit of dazzling concentration and complexity. In the hands of Alex, the fruit sings.
The attention to detail here is the thing that sets it apart. The fruit is delicately handled every step of the way. From hand picking to manual plunging and pigeage (foot stomping) twice a day, every effort is made to extract the maximum potency of flavour from these grapes. The aim here is clear, Alex says, "Made with complete respect to the fruit and aiming above the great CNDP (Châteauneuf-du-Pape) in terms of quality and longevity." He's aiming high and he is nailing it.
Make no mistake, this wine is a leading light in the Australian Grenache revolution. An ambitious project coming to fruition. In the highest ever score for a Grenache on The Wine Front, Gary Walsh awarded the 2016 vintage a monumental 97 points and wrote these words, "Incredible. I’m thinking about the great Grenache wines of the world while I taste this, and surely, this is one of them."
This is a wine not to be missed.
Read more about 2016 Head Wines Ancestor Vine Grenache2015 Yangarra High Sands Grenache
There are few wineries in Australia with as clear a vision as Yangarra. Their commitment to producing world class, Australian grown, Rhone style wines is second to none. Combine that with a keen eye for exceptional terroir and the formidable winemaking skills of Peter Fraser and you are looking at one of the most exciting wine ventures in the country.
Their High Sands Grenache is a wine to behold. It has been compared to the great Grenaches of Chateauneuf du Pape, iconic wines like Rayas and Beaucastel, just to be mentioned in the same discussion is nothing short of incredible for an Aussie wine.
This release of the High Sands marks another step forward in the assertion of truly great Australian wines on the world stage. High Sands sits firmly in the top echelon of Australian wine of any style. It was one of only two Grenache in the country to receive 98 points from James Halliday.
If you want to see the very best Grenache that Australia has to offer, the High Sands is simply remarkable and a drinking experience that will stay with you for many years to come.
Read more about 2015 Yangarra High Sands Grenache2015 Bekkers Grenache
The Bekkers Grenache is sourced from an old, dry grown vineyard near the McLaren Vale township.
Toby has had his eye on this vineyard for many years and now gets a small amount of fruit from these "old warrior" vines to make his wonderful expression of the variety. He says that, "Grenache augments the subtle differences of vintage and vineyard in sharper relief than Shiraz." The 2015 vintage is absolutely on song.
This is a Grenache that makes a statement. It says that McLaren Vale Grenache can rival any in the world. Huon Hooke awarded the 2015 95 points and Max Allen called it, "One of the most outstanding wines of the thousands I tasted last year..." and James Halliday awarded it one of the highest scores of the year with a huge 98 points cementing its place amongst the very best Grenache in the country.
Lovers of premium Grenache, this will make a stunning addition to your cellar.
Read more about 2015 Bekkers Grenache