On the authenticity scale and in terms of grape and place, modern Australian Grenache is a pretty great thing. That’s likely because it’s still an underdog grape, despite all the positive words that us wine journos throw at the variety. The Riesling of the Australian red grape family.
Anyway, let’s run with a bit more love for Australian Grenache, hey? Sourced from the Foggo Rd Block, planted in 1928 in McLaren Flat, this Juxtaposed Shadow Creek Vineyard Grenache 2023 has x-factor. It wasn’t the easiest vintage in the Vale, but there are these Turkish Delight, dark chocolate and purple jelly bean light/dark shades to this red that make it feel speccy.
Glace cherries, a tarry blackness to the flavours, a slight bitter alcohol warmth, with the trade-off being the deep blackness. Finessed, natural feeling acidity and tannins, too. Yeah, it’s bold but also kinda magnificent in its old vine concentration and splendour.
- Best drinking: now to a decade, but I like it earlier
- Score (out of 20): 18.7
- Score (out of 100): 95
- Alcohol %: 14.4
- RRP (in $AUD): 47
- Winery website: https://www.juxtaposed.com.au/
- Would I buy it?: sure would
THE VERDICT
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2 Comments
Give this one three to five years and it sounds a beauty. A little bit of ying and yang thrown in there at present which makes your assessment an interesting read. Like a Formula one driver, hit the rough a bit yet steer back on course quickly. The Championship is a few years away but this will finish on the podium.
It’s so good.