The Stonegarden Northwest Grenache – It states Barossa Valley on the label however the vineyard is a little more into the Eden Valley apparently.
Originally planted in the late 1850s now offers some well-established and very old vines. Including these 160+ year-old Grenache vines that must surely be amongst the oldest in Australia if not the world.
This brings me to the wine at hand The Stonegarden Northwest Grenache 2021.
I met the winemaker Ben Radford the ex-chief winemaker for Rockford wines at a trade tasting Tuesday at Hazel in the city.
Ben was more than willing to tell me about the wine and how the Stonegarden venture came about, he still consults for Rockford wines whilst making one of the best Australian Grenache wines I have ever drank and believe me I have been drinking my way through a lot of Grenache both imported and Australian of over the years.
Ben’s business partner is ex-oil and gas engineer Glen Monaghan, who at the time was looking around for a hobby vineyard and tasted a glass of Grocke’s 2013 Grenache made from the fruit from old Stonegarden vineyard. Fell in love with the quality of the wine.
The rest as they say is history. He purchased the vineyard and went into partnership with Ben Radford and started this exciting new brand. Of the finest quality wines from this old vineyard.
Giving this old vineyard site the chance to show off the distinguishing flavour and character of the vines. Producing the most interesting Grenache I have had the pleasure of drinking in a number of years.
Stonegarden produces two styles of Grenache a field blend with deeper flavours and a different tannin structure and a little more perfume. And seemed to be a little more approachable than the Northwest.
However, the wine of the day was quite clear. I have tasted a lot of Grenache over the years as Grenache has always been on my table.
The Stonegarden 2021 Northwest Grenache. I fell head over heels in lust with the crisp acid and tannin entwined with hints of red rose petals and musk stick confection notes that washed effortlessly across the plate with both energy and enthusiasm.
This wine would go with light-spiced Chinese roast duck.
PS. This wine is a keeper and will age and evolve with time in the cellar.
Michael Lillis
