Massena Stonegarden Grenache 2018 in Red

Australia
Grenache
Zalto Denk'Art Bordeaux Glass

Stuart McCloskey - Tasted 6 September 2024. "Hand harvested in two separate picks. The earlier pick was destemmed, fermented and aged on skins in a ceramic egg. The second parcel seeing some whole cluster inclusion. 2018 was a very good year for Barossa Grenache, which translates beautifully. The bouquet is wonderfully aromatic and decadent – rosehip, a touch of wood smoke, raspberry liquor, leather, smoked meat, juniper, rosemary, thyme, earth, truffle, black tea, along with sweet spices… The palate feel is akin to cashmere – long and shapely. The tannins are so fine – weblike and provides the softest embrace. The fruit feels autumnal, almost brooding. This isn’t in a rush – it’s one of those bottles that you open a book to. Sip, turn a page, pour a little more, and by the end of chapter three – it’s disappeared in an afternoon of uncomplicated deliciousness. Undoubtedly, this is a super-premium Grenache which is handled sensitively. The balance is incredible, as is the succulence and length. I do love the blood orange finish… Italianate feel. Fans of mature Barolo will like this a lot. Served using Zalto Bordeaux stemware. Decanted for an hour. Drink now to 2030…"

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit “Sweetly ripe and immediately appealing, the splendidly lifted bouquet shows dark plum, olive, cumin and cured meat aromas, followed by a gorgeously rounded palate that's silky and flowing. Elegant yet generous with richness and persistency. At its best: now to 2030.”

Winemaker Notes: Harvested in two parcels from the purest planting of Grenache on the historic vineyard. The first parcel is destemmed into a ceramic egg and aged on skins for several months to extract a fine grain tannin structure. The second parcel is fermented as whole bunches and foot stomped over a period of two weeks giving a broader more grainy tannin profile. A fine acid balance is the hallmark of this vineyard and combined with a fine boned structure will ensure this Grenache is constantly evolving as it ages.

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£32.50 per bottle £27.50 per bottle RRP £32.50 Save £5.00 25 in stock

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£82.50 per case of 3

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£330.00 per case of 12

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Excludes UK Duty and VAT, and can either be delivered to a UK bonded warehouse in the UK, or released for international delivery.

£149.10 per case (6x75cl) £121.50 per case (6x75cl) RRP £149.10 Save £27.60 Only 5 in stock

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These wines will incur a home delivery charge as they are stored at our bonded warehouse.

£198.15 per case (6x75cl) £165.00 per case (6x75cl) Only 5 in stock

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Massena

Massena was established at the turn of the century by Jaysen Collins and Dan Standish. In Jaysen's own words "What started as an adventure into wine by a couple of gung-ho fellas, looking to make some interesting wine, has truly been a journey. We started off by respecting our old vines and focussing on Grenache and Shiraz, moved quickly into alternative varieties and our production methods always held true to minimal intervention.

In some ways we were trailblazers, in front of the curve; in new varieties or style interpretations. Like making dry, light, textured, barrel fermented Rosé in 2007 and getting blank looks as to why we’d been doing this - roll forward ten years and everyone’s got one of these. Why would you plant Saperavi, Primitivo and Tannat in the heady days of the early 2000s Barossa Shiraz obsession? We were looking for drought tolerant, thick skinned or higher acid varieties that would combat our changing climate. When the style was big, black and oaky, ours was herbal, spicy and lowly oaked - designed for the dinner table not a glass staining contest. Now this is becoming the norm in our part of the world."

Jaysen continues "Massena was not started as a profit making, slickly marketed wine company, it was conceptualised to have fun making wine that we liked to drink or had an interest in learning how to make. Our board meetings were on the golf course followed by a long lunch, when we really should have been combing through our sales budgets or strategising our cost saving initiatives. That sounded boring and we were only in it to actually make the wine, not ordering someone to do it for us. The authenticity in Massena is it has al... Read moreways been about making the most interesting wine possible at that given time and thoroughly enjoying the process, not chasing what is the current fad or trend. Then suddenly you become old enough in the cycle that the style of the day just rolls around and finds you!"
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