Yangarra Old Vine Grenache 2024

Yangarra Old Vine Grenache 2024
$50, 14% alcohol, screwcap, McLaren Vale.

‘Old Vine’ here refers to a dry-grown, bush-vine, biodynamic-certified block of grenache that was planted in 1946. It’s fermented wild with 50% whole berries. Some of this wine was left macerating on skins for over two months. It was matured in a mix of amphora, ceramic egg and foudre.

The flavour here is savoury in general and yet it’s driven by a sweet, juicy ripeness. That’s the sleight-of-hand that drives the quality of this wine straight towards excellence. It’s a wine of finesse, and of filigreed tannin, and of juicy, raspberried, come-hither fruit, and yet throughout there are notes of rust, chalk, dried herbs, saltbush and crushed, dry leaves. It’s a ripping drink, decidedly good value in the overall scheme of things, charismatic and charming. 94 points.

—

Yangarra Estate is a Mattinson 10-Star Winery.