As with all fruit grown on the estate, organic-cum-biodynamic certification is a given. This punchy Grenache is the apotheosis of lifted contemporary bodywork. As opposed to many regional peers, it is fragrant, vibrant and jubilant. A celebration of crunchy red fruits, Seville orange accents, lavender, tapenade and iodine, drawn across a carriage of satinesque tannins that boast a clear kinship with those of Pinot Noir. But of course there is a little more grunt here, a little more Mediterranean je ne sais quoi and a dangerous degree of drinkability factor borne of a propitious meld of schist over limestone, flecked in parts with quartz. This is soil-to-glass transmission of an impressive transparency and the sort of fun that does not stop with a single bottle!
Barossa grenache off the Alkina biodynamic/organic-certified property. New releases, first look for me at this producer.
Juicy, slurpy red with good spicy, green herb, mezcal and smoky characters. Fun loving up front, a bit more serious with the swish of sandy-dusty tannins to finish. A bit of crushed rock rumbles through too. Powerful kind of feel despite the freshness and lift here. Nice pot pourri character in scent and flavour too. Feels between serious and fun to drink, which is a pretty good place to be.
93 points, The Wine Front (March 2021)
Sourced from two sections of the estate vineyard, each with varying ground and soil makeup, a key focus for the Alkina team in their recognition of tiny terroir mapping across their 43 hectares of vines. For the record, these are 2016 plantings, certified organic and biodynamic, one section is schist base with some limestone, the other schist and quartzite with limited topsoil supporting bush vines. All whole bunch fermented in three concrete tulips, one with extended skin maceration. The clever crafting of this wine results in a juicy style with a lot of extra, in-built interest, a note of flint which seems to be a vineyard trait here, the variety’s subtle blood lip character seasoning the cherry-ish fruit along with a liberal dash of peppery spice and lightly grainy tannins. Good friendly grenache pleasure with perks.
94 points, Wine Pilot
Colonel William Light, the South Australian colony’s Surveyor-General, named the Barossa in 1837 after the site of an English victory over the French in the Spanish Peninsular War. In the mid-1800’s Silesian and English immigrants settled in the area. The Barossa itself comprises two distinct sub-regions: Eden Valley and the warmer Barossa Valley floor at 270m.The Barossa Valley enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate characterised by hot dry summers and relatively low rainfall. Cool sea breezes from the Gulf of St Vincent modify the temperature, however hot northerly winds can occasionally dominate creating considerable vine stress. Many older established vineyards are dry-grown, but supplementary irrigation is also extensively used. The valley is comprised of rich brown soils and alluvial sands. A long history of uninterrupted viticulture in the area means the Barossa valley is home to Australia’s largest concentration of old-vine Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre with many over 100 years old. Although most famous for Shiraz, the Barossa can also produce fragrant and deliciously fruity Grenache blends and beautifully rich, chocolatey Cabernet Sauvignons.
