JC's Own Angaston Foothills Grenache 2019

96+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Produced from old vine Barossa Grenache vineyards (circa 150 years of age) which is quite the story. The bouquet is a real beauty, reserved and you must work a little to unravel the complexity which is locked away. Black raspberry liqueur but not in a heavy, sweet sense – more to demonstrate the concentration and depth. There’s lots of sweet spice which provides an exotic feel, a lovely marriage against the savoury herby character. Minerals are at play (imagine how deep those roots go down) with violet and graphite too. The palate feel is graceful and the fruit flows in willowy ribbons. The tannins provide the gentlest hug and merely offer a supporting role to the fruit, which very much matches the bouquet. Perhaps more mineral-led. The sweetness of the fruit (courtesy of ancient vines and thoughtful winemaking) contrasts beautifully with the spicy lift. Wonderfully fresh and I love the long white pepper finish. Despite being unfined and unfiltered – this is polished. I love the shape and mouthfeel, everything weaves magically. Decant for 1-2 hours. Drink now to 2026 (a few more years wouldn’t hurt). Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.” 

Winemakers Note: Old vine Barossa grenache vineyards are a rare treat. Walking amongst the old bush vines gives me such a wonderment of what has transpired in the years gone by to get to this moment in time. It’s like i am breathing the air of times past - it can be truly something quite moving and somewhat magical.

I’ve been working with Barossa grenache since my first vintage and whilst versatile, it can easily become overly sweet and some people can even call it lolly water. But not this special site - no way josé. It gets cool air draining from the Eden Valley across the red sands, so I’ve found it leans more toward complexity and structure, which is what pushes my buttons.
How do I treat such a special site - pretty simply is the answer. 100% whole bunches get a foot treading over several weeks, I press it to large oak barrels and bottle it unfined and unfiltered. That means when I taste this wine I’m still caught up in the magic from the vineyard that has transpired for well over a century. I’ll wipe the tear from my eye as I have another glass.

Please note: this bottle does not fit inside our single and double wooden gift boxes.