Alkina Kin Field Blend Red: a quintessentially Mediterranean blend of equal parts Grenache and Shiraz, with a stiffening dash of Mataro serving as a ferrous, iodine-doused rivet across the back end. Biodynamic. Naturally fermented. Matured in concrete and eggs. Mercifully, no aggressive punchdowns or new oak in sight. The team at Alkina understand the fragility of great Grenache, as much as they comprehend the joys of the juicy nary-a-care sort of expressions that it is well capable of, juxtaposed against many of the world’s greatest wines that it is responsible for. Rayas anyone?. Pulp, sap and riffs on kirsch, nori and bloodstone define this. Some whole bunch (40%, or thereabouts) confers tone, authority and a spiced souk of cardamom, pepper and clove. Real thrust of fruit and parry of fine structural bones. Absolutely delicious drinking! In the pantheon of the country’s best.
So it’s grenache, shiraz around 45% each, 10% mataro. From certified biodynamic-organic vines. Wondering if a real field blend and all picked same day and co-fermented or not…
Soupy, sour-cherry leaning red with tomato leaf and green capsicum and smoky-black tea characters. Despite the diffuse texture there’s quite a bit of gummy, grippy tannin rolling through and the finish is both tart and puckering at once. Quite an assertive, firm wine, missing some easy pleasure but perhaps it’s structure you are after. The more it sat in glass and opened up the more I liked this – take your time.
93+ points, The Wine Front (March 2021)
Attractive terra cotta notes with a bright red-fruit feel, together with blueberries and darker-fruit notes. The palate has a plush, ripe core of brambly berries and quite a rich, open-knit feel. Bold flavors and easygoing, ripe tannins. A blend of 45% grenache, 45% shiraz and 10% mataro.
92 points, JamesSuckling.com (September 2020)
Not surprisingly, the hero varieties out in this Greenock district vineyard are grenache, shiraz and Mataro, here in a 45:45:10 blend harvested from a range of older and newer plantings across several quite different ground profiles. The Alkina team work intensely on separating small vineyard sections according to their geologies – this was the first vintage they made such intricate divisions, picked and vinified individually, fermented with an average of 40% whole bunch by indigenous yeast then matured in a mix of concrete and oak vessels. Fragrant, vibrant and juicy with tasteful fringe benefits like a streak of salt-cured meat and gastronomic faint orange amaro bitters, finishing with a touch of subtle chalkiness. Delicious.
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.
