Grenache 2024

Grant Nash is a celebration of Grenache and this is our straight Grenache or Vitamin G, as we call it, because it's essential for a happy life!

Dark, broody and evocative; Vitamin G is an exploration into Grenache’s darker side and it takes a few moments to unfurl its full potential in the glass.

The nose is complex and constantly evolving to show dark cherries, plums, white pepper, cardamom and a sprinkle of cocoa powder and baking spices. Hints of orange peel and amaro add to the intrigue. The palate is a seamless mix of plush, dark fruits woven with supple, polished tannins.

The Grenache is hand harvested from gnarly old McLaren Flat bush vines planted in 1941 and the smaller, more concentrated bunches were selected for Vitamin G. A little dollop of Mourvèdre was added to accentuate the darker, spicier notes.

Open fermentation, hand plunged, matured in French oak puncheons & no fining.

93+ points - The Wine Front - Campbell Mattinson

The combination of red rose and red licorice flavours is pretty seductive here. So too the inlay of sweet spice. This is a fresh, open-faced grenache, unmolested, lightning-struck with tannin and all the while running on wide rails of flavours. It keeps it all going impressively through the finish and while it’s appealing up-front, it’s also a wine that creeps up on you. Oh yeah, it’s a juicy-and-joyous-style, happy days, I thought at first. But the more I looked at it the more there was to see. This is not a wine to be taken for granted. It’s fun but there’s more. I put my glass down and it occurred to me that this was life in a bottle.

NB. I never use the “+” sign for wines with a drinking window starting “now” but this wine just seemed to warrant it.

93 points - Halliday Wine Companion - Marcus Ellis

This comes off the same 1941-planted grenache bush vines in McLaren Flat that go to the GSM ‘lunch wine’, but here the smaller and more concentrated bunches are selected. This holds the accessible, easy-to-like line of its blended sibling, but it goes deeper into spice and earthy interest. Dried cranberry, cherry, raspberry compote, red licorice, goji berry, dried mint, young bay … well, a bit Old Bay in its spice complement. There’s also a little cacao nib and brewed coffee. It’s medium in weight, somewhat generous, yet savoury and high on detail.