A couple of posts ago, I reviewed a Bekkers Grenache, which was highly aromatic but lacked some secondary components. This 2020 Thisledown Sands of Time Grenache comes from the same area of Blewitt Springs, in the Northern and slightly hilly part of McLaren Vale.
This wine is highly acclaimed. It is very aromatic. The fruit flavours of strawberry and raspberry almost explode in the mouth. This is a full-bodied wine, very aromatic, with a big mouthfeel. It is powerful and concentrated with firm tannins; but again, I think some complexity is missing behind the fleshy initial impact.
Why does this wine stand out in reviews? It is always the same thing. The first impression counts, and big flavours obviously stand out. But you drink a wine like this over an evening, and there is something lacking.
The other thought that comes to mind after drinking these two wines: The wisdom in Australia is that the best Grenache is grown on sand. And yes, this produces pure and aromatic wines, but maybe not much else. In contrast the best Grenache in Châteauneuf-du-Pape is grown on the famous rock field of La Crau. Similarly, the Grenache in Priorat grows on rocky slate soil. Most of Seppeltsfields famous Grenache fruit used to go into Port, but they have now bottled some premium Grenache, which I have yet to try. This is grown on red brown clay.
The Grenache story in Australia is still in its early stages. It reminds me a bit of the Pinot Noir development 20 years ago. This wine is a promising start, and maybe I judge it a bit unfairly, as this wine is very young and will no doubt develop further.
Score: 93/0
4 comments:
Good read, I too find Australian expressions tend to be too primary and find them a bit wanting particularly missing that tannic grip you find in the French expressions. Tonic and yangarra I've found to do a bit better in that department. Vanguardist too. But yes found most others not worth the hype or price tag.
Would much rather drink equivalently priced pinot or nebbiolo tbh.
Agree with your comment. My Australian favourite would be Cirillo 1850 Grenache. I just published a post on some Châteauneuf-du-Pape GSMs - a different cattle of fish.
Interesting! Maybe I should revisit Cirillo. I've only had the entry level and found that pretty forward, maybe a little confected even. Not tried the next tier up. How long would you age and decant out of curiosity?
The old vine 1850 is a really different wine. Much more complex and savoury. I believe it is released with a few years of age. I would ideally drink it at 7 years, with maybe two hours decanting, but it also drinks well from the bottle.
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