2018 Get In My Belly Grenache

GRAPEGROWER & WINEMAKER

Josh Pfeiffer

FRUIT SOURCE
Grown on our Heysen Estate Vineyard using organic and biodynamic practices, our Grenache was planted in 2001 using the clone BVRC139. The west-facing slope has quite a bit of ironstone at the top of the hill, with deeper red clay and biscay soil towards the bottom, giving the fruit great complexity within the 2,359 vines.

WINE MAKING

Picked over two dates, the 14th and 19th of March 2018, with the latter being hand picked by the legends at Gondola Gondola, 2KW, Bistro Blackwood, Shobosho, Crafers Hotel and Stones Throw in Adelaide.

20% whole bunch was used to give this wine some crunch on the palate, and some spice and lift on the nose. The remainder of the fruit was gently destemmed out in the vineyard and fermented as whole berries to give a nice carbonic maceration juiciness to the wine. The wild ferment was foot stomped twice a day in old concrete fermenters for 12 days before gentle basket pressing. The wine was then aged in old French oak puncheons for 6 months before blending and bottling with no fining and no filtration.

TASTING NOTE

2018 was a great year for Grenache, with warm, dry conditions throughout vintage allowing ripeness to be reached while still retaining great natural acidity. Deep ruby red in colour, with some nice dark broody aromas, this is one of my favourite vintages of this wine. The whole bunch component adds a nice smokiness to the wine, and gives an extra layer of tannin that helps bring it all together.

The palate is fresh and crisp with a layer of bright red fruits that draws the wine across the palate, makes you salivate and leaves you wanting more. The tannins are fine and elegant, and the acidity gives this wine a lot of precision on the palate.

TECHNICAL DATA
Alc: 13.5% pH: 3.50  T.A.: 5.31 g/l

RECOMMENDED CELLARING
Ready to drink now or cellar for 5-7 years.

REVIEWS
96 Points/Top Gold/Trophy – Best Grenache of Show at the 2019 Marananga Wine Show, Barossa Valley.

93 points- Gary Walsh, Wine Front- March 2019- “Redcurrant, raspberry, potpourri, reship and a little spice. Medium-bodied, red fruits and a pretty, but juicy flavour, sure-footed emery tannin, spice and peel, and a dry and satisfying finish. Beautifully made and great to drink. Drink: 2019-2024+”

93 points- Gary Walsh, Wine Front- July 2019- Did 50 2018 Barossa G + GSM etc on Monday (all blind) and this was submitted again. Anyway here is a note from a blind tasting- Raspberry rope, chamomile, dried flowers. Soft, approachable, juicy, silky and fine, there’s no rough edges or acid, just bouncy joy red fruit and a solid finish. A bit of ‘mineral’ too. Very good. Could hoover this.”

93 points- Mike Bennie, Wine Business Magazine June 2019.

92 Points & 6th Best 2018 Grenache in The Barossa – Huon Hooke ‘The Real Review’ – January 2020 “Bright, medium to light red-purple colour of good hue. Clean, fresh spicy grenache aromas, the fruit doing the talking. There are Campari-like bitter herb nuances on the palate and the tannins are fine and tight and add a nice backbone to the wine. Some fruit sweetness at the core. A quite lovely wine, whose structure seems to augur well for the future. (20% whole bunches; wild ferment; unfined & unfiltered)”