Old Bush Vine Grenache 2023

Old Bush vines are hand pruned to vigour by experts Dylan and Dan. In spring the vines are shoot thinned to minimise wounds made at pruning time and focus growth to points of strength, depending in 2023 extensive leaf plucking was completed only on the eastern and southern sides to expose the bunches to morning sun and aid airflow. After veraison bunches that had not coloured evenly were removed reducing the variability between what is left behind.

The undervine area is controlled without sprays. A traditional knife on a 1940’s Fiat tractor is operated manually to avoid each vine but cut the weed roots just under the sandy soil surface leaving them in place to shade and break down. 

The mid-row is managed according to the season, cover-crops of cereals and legumes are planted in autumn, left to grow all winter and rolled or mown in spring to reduce frost risk. As the sand dries out little re-growth occurs, if it does this is mown again. 

Fruit maturity is judged by tasting and measuring, the first pick had a baume of 13.4 while the second pick was riper at 13.75.

14.5% ABV
3.64pH
4.6g/l acidity
Vegan
S02 at bottling
Unfined and unfiltered
Diam closure

Winemaking is the same as 2021 and 2022 and the still in process 2024. Here Winemaking is kept as consistent as possible to follow the seasons and learn the true expression of the site and the year. I am a viticulturist, a vine observer, I am constantly working in the vines and watching and feeling the season to grow healthy even shoots that carry healthy even bunches. With this aim we are refining the viticulture each season so with consistent winemaking we can see the true expression of the site and season. Perhaps I'll adapt some aspects but for now it's a matter of keeping it simple so I can hear and feel what these wild old vines are telling us each year. We take two picks each year only to see what difference this time on the vine provides, this is tiny production so it all ends up in the bottle but we can learn about harvest decisions this way.

The grapes are hand picked and sorted to ensure only the most healthy, mature and clean bunches are retained. These are transported 2km to the cellar before being chilled overnight and placed in the fermenter the following morning.

Harvested 18th March and 26th March, 2023.

The first harvest was from the deeper sand to the back of the block which I prune first, and the second harvest was from the middle of the block. 

Both parcels were treated the same, hand picked and put into 1500L stainless open-top fermenters.

33% De-stemmed whole berries on the bottom
33% Whole bunches in the middle
33% De-stemmed whole berry on top
1% magic

Wild ferment began spontaneously, juice was racked over the top of the tank from the bottom once ferment began. Gentle cap submersion mid ferment and after 8 days on skins when the ferment was slowing, juice was drained off, the whole bunches were foot stomped and the skins and bunches were pressed to tank to finish fermentation.

Once dry the wine was transferred into old oak puncheons and left until bottling. Bottling occurred 10 months later.

"For a wine made from low-yielding, very old bush vines, this wine is surprisingly bright, fresh and medium-bodied. Wild-fermented with 33 per cent whole bunches, the rest whole berries, pressed into old puncheons, bottled after 10 months, the wine has a scarlet translucence in the glass, pretty aromatics – rose petals, cinnamon, crunchy red berries – and a shiny red cherry character in the mouth, supported by fine, savoury, dusty tannins. Gorgeous."

- Max Allen, The Financial Review. November 2024

"The dry rakes of spice through the pure, ripe fruit. This is another beautiful grenache from the Vinya Vella vineyard. Violets, blueberries, licorice and raspberry characters run with sweet spice and more fresh florals. The tannin here makes the wine stand up straighter. The garden flower aspect gives it an exotic vibe. This is light, bright and impressive, at once, and it’s also delicate."

- Campbell Mattinson, 95 Points, The Wine Front. December 2024

More reviews here.

South Australia
1-6 bottles: $10 flat rate
7-11 bottles: $20 flat rate
12+ bottles: free shipping

Rest of Australia
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7-11 bottles: $30 flat rate
12+ bottles: free shipping