Winemaker Notes
Pair with roasted pork belly with crunchy crackling and homemade fennel and caraway seed gravy.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 The Tri-Centenary Grenache was the year that broke the drought, although it remained a drier vintage in the scheme of things. The 2008 reds from Barossa were flashy, showy wines, and that is evident here—and appreciated. However, the thread of DNA exists across all of these wines tasted so far. The old-vine vineyard endures through all, and this 2008 is a beauty. It has supple red fruits, exotic spices and graphite tannins. This is super. There are also notes of rose hip, florals and cracked pistachio, even. It has many years to go before this starts to fade.
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Wine Spectator
Bright, velvety and appealing, with juicy red berry and fresh tomato flavors, gliding smoothly over a sleek frame, lingering well. Offers depth and subtlety. Drink now through 2018. 120 cases imported.
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.
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.