-
98
/ 100
-
98
/ 100
-
96
/ 100
7%
OFF
Tasting Notes
Winery Notes
2023 HIGH SANDS GRENACHE
High Sands Grenache is the pinnacle of our estate. Reaching deep within the sandy soil, our prized 1946 old vines produce wines that balance intense power and complexity with fragrance and beauty.
VINTAGE SUMMARY
The growing season began with significantly higher than average rainfall. The cool, wet conditions continued through Spring, setting us up for balanced canopies and lower yields. La Niña weather patterns forecasted cooler temperatures and continued rainfall for harvest. We were able to enhance vineyard practices such as shoot thinning and leaf removal to promote airflow, reduce mildew and increase sun exposure to bunches. From our experience, a cold vintage in a warm region can produce some of the best wines. Due to the cultural practices implemented, we were able to pick the majority of the vineyard in a three-week window prior to Easter, completed in early April. Wines produced from this vintage will be some of the prettiest and most delicate from the Estate.
WINEMAKING
Sourced exclusively from Block 31 (1.7 Ha). At 210m elevation, this is the highest section of the 1946 planted bush vine Grenache, which also has the deepest sandy soil. Hand-picked 20th March, selectively sorted in the winery. Destemmed and 50% whole berries retained. Wild yeast. Fermented in ceramic egg and small 1 tonne open top stainless steel fermenters with a long gentle maceration for a minimum of 30 days, a portion remained on skins for approximately 4 months post fermentation. No pressings are used in this wine. Matured on lees in both older, thick stave Austrian puncheon and ceramic eggs before final blending to predominantly ceramic eggs. Bottled February 2024. Certified Organic / Biodynamic.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity
Classification: Red
Variety: Grenache
Vintage: 2023
Bottle Size: 750ml (Bottle)
Country: Australia
Region: South Australia, McLaren Vale
Alcohol %: 14.5%
Cellaring: 15 Plus Years
Scores
98 / 100"This year, Pete Fraser will launch the High Sands, Ovitelli and Hickinbotham together, giving a better chance to view the connectivity. Well, there is certainly a theme in the '23s. A degree of alcohol less, lower colour and a commanding, yet incredibly fine, structural framework. This is a very different High Sands, a reflection of the cool year, but also an evolving direction, leaning into elegance, soaring fragrance and savoury tension. Red cherry, tart raspberry, intensely floral, swirling with North African spices, musk and orange peel. The palate is coiled at this stage, but the fruit has flex and will bloom with time in bottle, radiating out from the core of mineral-feeling tannin and skein of vigorous acidity. This is truly magnificent now, but the future is one of dazzling possibility."
- James Halliday's Wine Companion
98 / 100
"Vibrant ruby and purple, youthful and bright in the glass. Blackberry pastille, Chinese five spice, and pastrami aromas. Palate is instantly alive with power and intensity yet a youthful vibrancy. Red and black berry fruits sit in the central pylon, strung from there we see a mélange of powdered spices, curing meats and earthy undertones. Tannins are prodigious in their power but never stray beyond the required tension, allow the full textural joy of this wine to carry to an almost limitless end. A wine of juxtaposition, carrying a lightness of being that belies its power and intensity."
- Stuart Knox
96 / 100
"The nose is deeply perfumed, with brooding aromas of mulberries, mocha, dried herbs and tea leaves. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with finely integrated tannins and focused acidity, giving notes of raspberries, cassia bark, potpourri and spices. Very complex and tightly wound, with real purity of fruit. Drink or hold. Screw cap."
- James Suckling
