Winemaker Notes
This Grenache is more about the variety than the oak. The tannins are soft, with great length. The balance between the primary fruit and the acid make this a beautifully seamless wine that mimics Rhone styles. The wine was matured in aged seasoned hogsheads for 24 months. The final wine has aromas of dark berry fruit, dried herbs and spice. The palate is medium to full-bodied with intense yet subtle delicate flavors of cherry, aniseed, white pepper and savory notes. This is one of the few Australian Grenaches that will reward over a decade of cellaring.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This delivers an immediate sense of depth on the nose, stacking up blackberries, dark cherries, mulberries and warm baking spices with hints of fresh saddle leather and chocolate. The palate has depth of flavor in a precisely framed structural core, and the tannins are sturdy and smooth in that old-vine way. This builds and holds in impressive fashion, as blackberries and plums lift to a redder-fruit finish. Plenty of spices, too. Drink now to 2030+.
Range: 96-97 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The current release of Cirillo's most famous wine, the 2012 Ancestor Vines 1850 Grenache features aromas of pomegranate and raspberry. Medium to full-bodied, it's crisp and silky, picking up some herbal notes on the long finish.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.