Alex Head dropped this, and a pack of other Grenache, around in person a few weeks back, purely to get into the Grenache Day vibe (which started back here). I’m very here for it when the wines are as good as this Head Ancestor Vine Grenache 2020.

Sourced from a block near Springton in the Eden Valley planted in circa 1858. I had it open for a few days and everyone who tried it was impressed. Seriously, how can you not love a wine that has joyous fruit AND x-factor layers?

Great colour – purple meets ruby. Ultra juicy purple fruit on the palate too. Joyous purple fruit, which is great given the tricky season. Great flesh, a real expanse of flavour, tending just a smidgen warming to finish, but that’s the trade-off for the sheer width of fruit. Then, late in the piece, it gets darker. More mysterious. A bit dry and darker, with late, typically fine grain sandpaper tannins. Superstar vibrancy here, with the glycerol fruit juiciness for mass appeal, with the sexy time structure to keep wine writers happy.

A winner.

Best drinking: now, or in several years time. I don’t know why you’d wait. 18.7/20, 95/100. 14.5%, $109. Head Wines website. Would I buy it? Why not eh?