Grenache Masterclass Mixed Six Pack

There are only 0.7ha of beautiful 40+-year-old Grenache vines on the Rayner Block. The public knows the vineyard for it's supreme Shiraz. Many a winemaker has sought it for its stunning Grenache.

This is the top red wine in the Bondar range for a reason. As with all of the best modern styles of Grenache coming out of McLaren Vale, the emphasis here is squarely placed on making a fresh, aromatic yet powerful style of wine that tells the story of vintage through the lens of this noble grape.

With only 310 dozen in existence of wine, you'll have to be quick if you want to find out what he's talking about. Drink some now, keep some for later, we have a feeling this will be something pretty special in a few years time. Another win for the Bondars and for all lovers McLaren Vale Grenache lovers!

Sifting through the top producers in McLaren Vale can be difficult to navigate, but if you want something lo-tech and quietly exquisite, the wines of Samuel's Gorge should be on your hit list.

Mike Bennie summed up winemaker Justin McNamee's operation like this; "There’s bits ‘n’ pieces seemingly everywhere, but within the chaos is a magnificent winemaker orchestrating through minimal intervention, some of the Vale’s most exciting wines."

McNamee believes that Grenache is the variety that most honestly conveys the season. This 2016 Grenache is a flyer. It's a power-packed wine but with the reins held tight. The high-toned aromatics of McLaren Vale set to a rugged and complex backdrop.

Made in tiny volumes and notoriously difficult to track down; wines like this are the reason why Samuel's Gorge is one of the most loved indie producers in the Vale.

The S.C. Pannell GST has been a hugely successful wine for Steve Pannell over the last few years, winning multiple accolades across the national Wine Show circuit.

In many ways, this wine typifies Steve's philosophy on Australian red wines. The GST is about freshness and balance, a red wine that puts drinkability and versatility front and centre. All three components of the blend working in harmony.

Steve describes the 2016 like this: "This GST is a bit like a blend of all the previous GST vintages; with the richness and fruit of the 2014, the perfume and elegance of the 2015, and the tannins that are the hallmark of 2016." 

Australian red wine doesn't get more glugable than this. Fans of this wine in the past should buy with supreme confidence.

The Esprit is Peter Schell's Grenache dominant blend made from vines up to 160 years old.

The 2015 Esprit is much heavier on the Grenache component than previous years, the quality of the Grenache fruit demanding front and centre stage in this iteration of the blend.

As Pete says,  "With Esprit we are seeking a pure, finely structured expression of the Barossa."

This, as with all Spinifex's wines, is balanced to perfection. If you love old vine Barossa Grenache, value-wise the Esprit is as good as you will find from any producer in the region.

Brett Grocke moved to a new shed to make his wines in 2016.

What he hadn't planned on was that the wild yeasts he had relied on for almost a decade to ferment his wines wouldn't come with him. 

What resulted was plenty of stuck ferments and a lot of wine was lost. Lessons learnt the hard way. 

What we have here is a 'Meld' of the best finished wines from the vintage. Old vine Mataro, Grenache and Shiraz at a steal.

Gary Walsh awarded it 94 points and it's a lovely warming red wine to drink.