Grenache “The Tithing” McLaren Vale 2018 – Willunga 100

To produce the Grenache “The Tithing” McLaren Vale Willunga 100, the hand-picked fruit was open fermented at high temperatures with regular pump overs and plunging down to ensure optimum early extraction. This regime was lessened toward the end of the ferment to maintain the delicate aromatics of the Grenache. The wine was aged in a mixture of older French oak hogsheads and new Ermitage and Taransaud hogsheads for nine months to add complexity and mid-palate richness. The wine was bottled under screw cap to maintain freshness and ensure longevity.

“The Tithing” is made only in the best vintages, from small parcels of premium bush vine grapes grown in the Di Fabio Vineyard in the Blewitt Springs subregion of McLaren Vale. The bush vines here have an average age of 60 years and the soils are North Maslin sand with a clay sub soil. These darker, heavier soils contribute an abundance of dark fruit and bold tannins.

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.