Sunshine Drinking

96 Points - James Halliday "From a single vineyard; free-run juice only used. Remarkable wild yeast wine with no additions until bottling. Beautiful nutty infused strawberry and cherry flavours, mouthfeel, balance, length. All boxes (and then some) ticked. 13% alc, screwcap."

94 Points - Stuart McCloskey “The bouquet soars with blackcurrant leaf, pea-pod, passionfruit, gooseberry, grapefruit, lime and a murmur of minerality. Equally, the palate flies with greengage, stone fruits, citrus, herbs and expands beautifully across my palate. Mouth-watering and fully charged to provide immediate satisfaction. Very good value.”   

Bob Campbell "Dry, concentrated Sauvignon Blanc with passionfruit, nettle, oyster shell and mineral flavours. Quite a textural wine with good weight and length. A pretty wine with good regional and varietal identity."

Exclusive to The Vinorium

95 Points - James Halliday "From a single vineyard in Karridale, whole berries pressed to old barriques and a 600l demi-muid for 11 months with lees stirring. Green-gold; a barrel-fermented sauvignon blanc that challenges normal beliefs and practises, made possible by the quality of the grapes. It marries honeyed richness and complexity, honey and crystallised grapefruit skin with dancing acidity."

Jaysen Collins (winemaker)  - "I love Grenache, I love its versatility and its drinkability. I was mostly drawn to getting involved with the process and leaning to more textural, structured and savoury versions. Then one day I got to thinking, what about just doing nothing and let the grapes do the work.

So I chucked a few bins of hand-picked Grenache grapes into a tank with a bit of CO2, sealed the lid and came back several weeks later. When I lifted the lid I was hit with a whole lot of gassy funk, but in a really good way. It was wild and feral but mostly intoxicating. So for a few weeks after I just jumped on top of these bunches, breaking them up, in real terms to build structure, but mostly to get lost in the ferine like smells that filled the air."

Jaysen Collins (winemaker)  - "I love Grenache, I love its versatility and its drinkability. I was mostly drawn to getting involved with the process and leaning to more textural, structured and savoury versions. Then one day I got to thinking, what about just doing nothing and let the grapes do the work.

So I chucked a few bins of hand-picked Grenache grapes into a tank with a bit of CO2, sealed the lid and came back several weeks later. When I lifted the lid I was hit with a whole lot of gassy funk, but in a really good way. It was wild and feral but mostly intoxicating. So for a few weeks after I just jumped on top of these bunches, breaking them up, in real terms to build structure, but mostly to get lost in the ferine like smells that filled the air."

Jaysen Collins (winemaker) - I always get mesmerised when I see a flock of birds floating and drifting in the wind. It brings a sense of freedom and joy to me. I knew the bluebird is the symbol of happiness so I had a concept for the label – I just needed the wine!

So with this idea floating about in my head, I set out to make a great drink that brings a true sense of delight. I found an east facing vineyard in the shallow soils of the Adelaide Hills that just gets the morning sun – no baked flavours here. I got rid of the stalks and just fermented this as whole berries. Just before coffee in the morning and after a cold beer in the afternoon I quickly give it a plunge by hand, nothing too serious or strenuous. It’s bottled early to catch the brightness I’m looking for, meaning it’s dangerously drinkable whenever you need a pick me up.

Decanter Magazine – Top 10 wineries in McLaren Vale

95 Points - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) "Dried roses, ripe raspberry, something like black jelly beans, some sweet spices. Medium to full-bodied, plush and mouth-filling, but gentle too, with insistent silky tannin nudging it along, soft acidity, a savoury cast to a long finish with a cushion of royal purple velour tannin easing it out. Delightful. Texture is a highlight here."

93-95 Points - Joe Czerwinski (RobertParker.com) "The full-bodied 2017 Griffon's Key Grenache (tasted out of 500-liter puncheon) boasts knockout aromatics of roses and black cherries. Sweetly ripe fruit, silky tannins and a long, zesty finish suggest this will be great shortly after release yet have the potential of aging for up to a decade."

Medium ruby red in colour, this wine presents complex aromas of red fruit and cherries with notes of violets and forest floor. In the mouth, it is medium-bodied with excellent acidity and very fine tannins, balanced with an intense, fresh fruity note and long finish. This wine can be enjoyed young and has excellent cellaring potential for the next 6 to 8 years.