Adelina Estate Grenache 2021

Adelina’s captivating Grenache comes from a two-acre parcel of Adelina Estate vines, planted in 1942 on deep, grey sandy loam over a clay base. It’s a plot known as the Springfarm Valley Estate, or sometimes simply Block Two, and it’s just a stone’s throw away from the iconic Wendouree vineyard. Col McBryde knows his wines and as an unabashed fan of the legendary Château Rayas, his aim here has always been to produce a Grenache of great finesse and perfume from these old vines. There have been far more wins than misses!

The 2021 was entirely destemmed (with plenty of whole berries). The wine then spent 16 days on skins in concrete, before being pressed to large-format, neutral French oak for eleven months. It’s a superb Grenache from a grower who knows how to eke the best out of this variety. This is, once again, such a unique expression in the context of Australian Grenache. It’s just so fine, so lucid and so digestible. Last year we wrote that the 2020 was ‘a Burgundy lover’s Grenache’: this year only underscores the impression.

342 six packs produced of this beauty, which is kind of like Barbaresco, by way of Clare, with Grenache as its muse, though don’t mind me. So fine and brightly lit, with crisp dry acidity and fine brick dust tannin.  Spiced strawberry, raspberry and red cherry, a little fennel, almond, something of an Earl Grey tea perfume, in with some other floral things, like dried roses maybe. Medium-bodied at most, a subtle pomegranate tang, wonderful sense of energy and precision, with a very long finish, stony tannin trailing. Beautiful. - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, 95+ points,

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Grenache
Country - Australia
Region - Clare Valley, South Australia
Vintage - 2021
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13%