The derelict vineyard Grenache 2020  McLaren Vale, Grenache (100%)  The Name  At a time when Grenache was considered  unfashionable Chester Osborn maintained  a vigilant search for old vine McLaren Vale  Grenache vineyards, showing faith in a  variety that has been central to d’Arenberg  since the very beginning. His search  unveiled a number of old bush vine and  poorly maintained trellised vineyards in  various states of disrepair.  The Vintage  Winter and Spring rains were quite good  which meant vigour was high. October  and November saw some cooler weather  which made flowering and set spread out  over a long period with an intense short  heat wave in the middle of set reducing the  crop significantly. A nice rain on the 1st of  February set the vines up well and mild to  cool, dry, weather prevailed. A few slightly  warmer nights in the later part of ripening  helped the last sugar push. Yields were  down significantly, the lowest in memory,  however, quality is exceptional. Some of the  best wines seen for years. Great colour, fruit  characters, flavours and length.  The Winemaking  Walking the vineyard rows and tasting  grapes, Chester determines the ideal picking  time for each individual vineyard.  Small batches of grapes are gently crushed  and then transferred to open fermenters.  Foot treading is undertaken two thirds of  the way through fermentation, the wine is  basket pressed and transferred to a mixture  of new and old French oak to complete  fermentation and mature for 12 months.  Harvest dates  Residual sugar  12 Mar - 21 Mar  0.6 g/l  The Characteristics  The deep colour makes an announcement  on how intense this wine will be. Fresh on  the nose with a mix that starts evolving from  red fruits like raspberry and rhubarb, goes  through spicy notes and finish with more  black fruits like plum and liquorice. The  palate is superb. An initial wave of fresh red  fruits, cherries and raspberries makes room  for a rich and spicy impact in the mid-palate.  Herbal notes freshen the tone. The acidity is  on point with the medium body and precise  oak treatment. The tannins are firm and  polished. Outstanding quality, ready to enjoy  now but will cellar for longer if this is what  you are after.  Alcohol