2024 Wellington Grenache

Old vine | Single vineyard | 1332 bottles produced

This wine is named after our maternal Grandfather, who helped Lorraine and Neil to start Elderton Wines. Gramps, as we called him, was a larger than life personality that always had an eye for a great opportunity. He loved fine wines, especially the big reds of the Barossa.

From our Greenock vineyard on the Western Ridge of the Barossa Valley, established by the Helbig family in 1915. This beautiful contoured block of Grenache was planted in 1969. Sandy loam over red clay with patches of ironstone throughout, the vines here are quite lean in terms of vigour and seem happy that we ask very little of them  as we prune to low bud numbers. In recent years we have applied straw mulch under vine to keep the soil and rootzone cool, whilst providing beneficial nutrients to the soil as it decomposes over time.  

Picked 22 March 2024. 26% whole bunch. Fermented in a concrete tulip, with no temperature fluctuations, allowing for a very even extraction of tannin and brightness of fruit. Four day cold soak, followed by wild fermentation. 12 days on skins before pressing off into a combination of old French oak puncheons and large format (1350L) old French oak foudre for malolactic fermentation. Full ferment lees, racked before bottling.

Alcohol: 14.5

Aroma: Brooding mix of sweet cherry and spice, with a touch of stalk

Appearance: Medium garnet

Taste: Juicy fruit with typical Greenock vineyard ironstone backing, dried sage and thyme with some red berry fruit and chalky tannin all swept up in a tightly woven ball of restrained power.

Mouthfeel: Juicy and bold

Ageing Process: Seasoned French foudre