Domaine Clarendon Grenache 2021

Conditions:
After three dry and warm-to-hot vintages in a row, 2021 was a bit of a relief for local winemakers. Heavy rain in the early growing season gave healthy levels of balanced fruit, with the total crush up 28% from the lows of 2020. After a hot start to the season, the weather cooled in December, avoiding any significant heat spikes. The cooler ripening weather and elevated yields show in the elegance and generous fruit in the wines.

Winemaking:
Low yielding, dry grown vines from the Blewitt Springs region in McLaren Vale were hand- picked and followed by a partial whole berry, wild yeast fermentation. All pressings were returned to barrel and eventually bottled onsite without fining or filtration after 18 months in French Oak. The Domaine Clarendon Grenache represents a regional wine composed of the declassified Grenache fruit from the Clarendon Hills single vineyard Grenache wines.

Maturation:
18 months, within a hierarchy of 4-6 year old tightly grained French Oak. Bottled at the winery with no fining or filtration.

Variety: Grenache
Region: Blewitt Springs | South Australia | Australia
Size: 750mL
Alcohol Volume: 14.7%
Standard Drinks: 8.7
CONTAINS SULPHITES
WINE OF AUSTRALIA

Enjoy now with a good decant or cellar for 6–8 years for increased savoury depth and complexity.

The 2021 vintage is quickly becoming known as the Goldilocks vintage. ‘Not too hot, not too cold. It’s just right.’ As the fabled story explains, this is exactly the conditions we experienced across the growing year. A booming 2020 springtime loaded with lots of sun and water encouraged early to mid-season bud burst and these exceptional conditions ensured the vines flourished and subsequently set approximately 25% of additional yield in comparison to the microscopic 2020 harvest. A long and not too-hot summer gracefully ripened the vines and we started picking around mid-March, with the entirety of the Grenache picked before April we had a winery full of excellent wines right from day 1 of the harvest. The conditions paved the way for excellent acid retention and freshness and all wines demonstrated their complexities at very early stages in their lives. The grenache was no exception and I can remember excitedly tasting the wines in barrel across their first 18 months of life. The Domaine Clarendon Grenache always had an excellent floral rose perfume and has amazingly pure raspberry and strawberry fruit undertones. The integrated natural acidity illuminates intense raspberry flavours for all to see on the palate. The perfect accompaniment to any meal.