Paralian Marmont Vineyard Grenache 2023

Single vineyard Grenache, fruit sourced from ‘The Marmont Vineyard’ Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale grown by the Cross family. Dry Grown on Holocene Sand, East/West aspect, 140-145m altitude. Planted in 1960.

Hand-picked fruit, wild-fermented in a 135-year-old wax lined concrete open fermenter, 20% whole bunch, remainder of fruit destemmed whole berry on top. Gentle cap management with daily hand plunges with the occasional pump over during the peak of ferment over a period of 18-days on skins. Whole bunches were hand squeezed at zero Baume to release the beautiful aromatic carbonic ferment characters back into the wine. Wine was matured on lees for 10 months in a 17 year old 2500L French oak foudre.

Refinement and if anything more tucked in than its predecessor, the 2022. There are aromas of ripe raspberry, pink lady apple skin, thai mint, almond husk and white chocolate. There's a lovely ripe woody sweet spice note, most likely from the lignified rachis whole bunch component which also offers the delicate spine of tannin. Lovely crisp cranberry brightness and overall compactness in this 2023 release.