Grenache McLaren Vale 2022 – Willunga 100

To produce the Grenache McLaren Vale Willunga 100 the three selected parcels were hand harvested and vinified separately. Fermentation took place in stainless steel, open-top fermenters. Two parcels were fermented with 20% whole bunch (equating to approximately 14% whole bunch across the wine). Gentle basket pressing took place after 10 days on the skins. Following primary fermentation, the wine was transferred to seasoned French oak puncheons to undergo malolactic conversion. The wine remained in barrel for 10 months prior to bottling without fining.

The 2020 Grenache is sourced from the estate-owned ‘Blind Spot’ vineyard in the sub-region of Blewitt Springs in McLaren Vale.The 100% dry-grown, bush vine Grenache comes from three different sections of the vineyard, each with a slightly different aspect and elevation. The average vine age is approximately 50 years old, and the soils of the vineyard are deep Maslin sand over a base of ironstone and clay, resulting in grapes that have great depth of flavour.

Willunga 100 is in McLaren Vale, south of Adelaide. The grapes come from a range of selected vineyards in McLaren Vale, including some over 80 years old. Head winemaker Skye Salter is supported by Mike Farmilo who has 40 years of experience working in McLaren Vale. Together they aim to produce unique and distinctive wines which capture the essence of the region. They use modern equipment alongside traditional winemaking techniques to ferment the small parcels of fruit arriving at the winery. The term “hundred” originates from late Saxon and Norman England and refers to an administrative unit of government, meaning that 100+ households had to live in the area to qualify for its place on the map. Willunga 100 select their fruit from small parcels just as the district was divided up into ‘100s’, or small lots.