Willunga 100 Smart Vineyard Grenache 2023

Tasting three Grenache from three different sites, and while they share similar traits, they’re quite different in character, which is very encouraging, and as it should be. This is from 1952 plantings. Ripe cherry, blackberry, black tea, dried herb and floral things, slight menthol. Medium to full-bodied, a more robust style with chewy tannin, lots of impact and presence, dark spices, raspberry and cranberry brightness, in with more emphatic ferrous things, and a firm finish of excellent length. Quite a wine. 95 Pts, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front.

A special site with 100 year old vines this vineyard has dry grown Grenache bush vines which were planted in 1923 on ancient loam soil over red-brown clay and bedrock. It’s situated 220m above sea level on the moderate to steep hills of the Clarendon Onkaparinga Gorge. Planted by his father and tended now by 90 year old vigneron Bernard Smart and his son Wayne Smart this small patch of vines holds strong significance in the McLaren Vale region. Many of the Grenache vines planted since 1923 have been from cuttings taken from the Smart Vineyard, including some our own newly grafted vines at Blind Spot Vineyard. We are honoured to continue the heritage of these highly respected vines. Winery Note 

Reserved coolness to the wine, blue fruit... blueberry, dried herb spice and delicate aromas of violet and touch of cedar, sandalwood. A wine in it's infancy, coiled and maybe a touch shy at this stage, with air the wine elongates and shows more cherry pip and sheen, depth and lengthy finish. Mitch Milicich, FWC