GRENACHE, CARBONIC MACERATION, FUNKY AND FRAGRANT

I love Grenache, I love its versatility and its drinkability. I was mostly drawn to getting involved with the process and leaning to more textural, structured and savoury versions. Then one day I got to thinking, what about just doing nothing and let the grapes do the work.

So, I chucked a few bins of hand-picked grenache grapes into a tank with a bit of co2, sealed the lid and came back several weeks later. When I lifted the lid, I was hit with a whole lot of gassy funk, but in a really good way. It was wild and feral but mostly intoxicating.

So, for a few weeks after I just jumped on top of these bunches, breaking them up, in real terms to build structure, but mostly to get lost in the ferine like smells that filled the air.

TECHNICAL STUFF

VINEYARD:

• Angaston, Barossa Valley

• Red sands over red and yellow clays

WINEMAKING:

• Hand harvested, fermented Carbonic in closed tanks for several weeks

• Foot treaded to extract tannins from the stalks, skins and seeds

• Aged in 500L puncheons on lees for 9 months

• Bottled unfined and unfiltered