2023 Clarendon Hills Onkaparinga Old Vine Grenache

Region

Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale is a sprawling hillside region 12 kms North East of McLaren Vale town centre. Famous for its deep sands and many flowing hillsides, Blewitt Springs is home to some of the oldest Old Vine Grenache plantations in the world. The Onkaparinga Grenache Vineyard was planted circa 1945. The region enjoys added comparative elevation to its surrounding McLaren Vale districts and its abundantly flowing hillside aspects have a deeper hidden secret to their prominence: a mineral rich subterranean, highly decayed layer of ironstone and quartz that impart a myriad of nuanced mineral notes to the wines produced. The 6 km proximity to the Great Southern Ocean and St Vincents Gulf also imparts a gift of Chardonnay like acidity to the reds which impart an infinite freshness to the wine style. The Onkaparinga Old Vine Grenache vineyard is a single vineyard expression from an old gnarly low yielding bush vine patch of Grenache section of our "Onkaparinga Vineyard" is also home to our Onkaparinga Syrah site. The Grenache section has a due West aspect and receives the shade in the morning and warm afternoon sun. It is located at 290 metres above sea level and represents Blewitt Springs’ higher altitude stony geology with less sands in this section and more highly compacted geology of coarse quartz, ironstone, shale fragments. This site is approximately 500 metres away from our Romas Vineyard.

Conditions

The 2023 vintage was the third La Niña growing cycle in a row of vintages since 2021. The markedly cool and late ripening seasons of La Niña, of the 3 last vintages, 2023 would turn out to the latest overall picked and best overall vintage of the trio. The relentlessly wet winter of 2022 continued in to a wet and warm and unusually humid spring time encouraging optimal canopies and fruit set. However very mild summer ensued and the vineyards did not record a 40 degree Celsius day for the Summer, which was unique. The mild Summer delayed the onset of veraison as a result. Autumn soon arrived and so did perfect sunny 21 degree weather every day coupled with very cool nights. Eventual full maturity came approximately 3-4 weeks later than the already late 2022 vintage. The result: amazingly exquisite fruit with preserved acidity and remarkable floral aromas. Some of the most exceptional fruit that we have picked in recent years. Throughout the entire production process from grapes approaching full ripeness, at the crusher, in the tank, in the press, out of the barrel and in to our glasses the 2023 wines have demonstrated another very special layer. The floral component and perfectly portrayed fruit core gives these wines a an uncanny precociousness to them.

Winemaking

Low yielding, dry grown vines from the Blewitt Springs region in McLaren Vale were hand-picked and followed by a 40% whole berry, 100% destemmeed, wild yeast fermentation. Gently pressed and returned to barrel for 18 months in only well seasoned, high end, French Oak.

Maturation

18 months, within a hierarchy of 3-9 year old tightly grained French Oak. Bottled at the winery with no fining or filtration.

Grape Variety

100% Old Vine Grenache

Closure

DIAM

Production

3000 bottles

Winemaker

Roman Bratasiuk