The 2021 Syrah Grenache is concentrated, dark and almost brooding, with notes of blackberry, mulberry, licorice, resin and roast beef crust. This is spicy like aniseed, inky and dark, with clove and star anise. It is significantly darker in aspect and countenance than I expected. It’s always good to remember you don’t know everything—wines like this one remind me. There is sweet roasted beetroot, bloodroot, dolce paprika and black tea. You can drink this at any time, but I actually think it will be better in the future. Like so many of the 2021 reds from South Australia, this is a cellaring proposition of the highest order.

The quest to create a fine wine beacon for McLaren Vale means attention to the smallest details. Vineyard parcels are selected from our ‘artist’s palette’- the landscape of McLaren Vale- to capture aromatic spice, elegance and soft, silky texture; all underpinned by the generous flavours of McLaren Vale. Shiraz Grenache blends form the core of McLaren Vale’s long wine history. First planted in the 1840s this blend is undergoing a fine-wine rennaissance and finding a new generation of admirers seeking mid-weight, aromatic red wines.