The Cornerstone Grenache vineyard at Marananga is fondly referred to as ‘Hopeless Hillâ€? a place where only Grenache and weeds will survive! The sloping, east facing 2 acre block is primarily hard quartz rock, with a thin veneer of around 4 mm of loam. Tucked below a ridge of straggly gums, the vineyard is mercifully protected from the hot north-westerly winds and late afternoon sun, with gully breezes that creep up the south east line of the creek at the bottom of block helping to keep the fruit in top condition through a long ripening season. An almost impossibly good place to produce immaculate Barossa Valley Grenache.
The vintage will be remembered as one of best in living memory. Although preceded by a dry winter and spring, what rainfall we did receive was perfectly timed to coincide with budburst and flowering. The weather conditions remained mild through the growing and ripening seasons, and cool to cold nights and warm days allowed great natural acid retention in the grapes, and slow flavour/colour and tannin development in the fruit.
Hand-picked on March 10, the fruit was destemmed, but not crushed, allowing the whole berries a slow, cool ferment over 6 -7 days to promote brighter varietal character in the wine. The wine was matured for 10 months in seasoned French oak hogsheads prior to bottling.
The nose shows confectioned raspberry notes at first, then musk, strawberry and blue fruits. This is a very pretty wine, bursting with fresh strawberries and jube, bubble gum like characters from the carbonic maceration. The palate shows a lovely wash of red/ blue fruits before the emergence of minerally – gravelly tannins, bright acidity, a delicious line of white pepper, and charry oak on the finish.
Cellaring recommendation: 10 years plus
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