Grenache is the third most widely planted red variety in the Barossa Valley after Shiraz and Cabernet and is one of the most widely planted red wine grape in the world. It has been grown in the Barossa since the mid-1800s where the variety was traditionally used to make fortified ‘port’ wine. When fortified wines started to fall out of fashion, Grenache was widely used as a blending varietal to make light to medium bodied wines in the ‘red-burgundy’ style (and they were labelled as such through to the 1960-70s). Today, Grenache is still used as an exceptional blender especially together with Shiraz and Mataro in GSM such as our Kalleske Clarry’s GSM. Clarry’s such as versatile wine as it benefits from the three varietals in the blend and in a way has something for everyone.
Grenache has also really found its feet as a true standalone varietal and the key to a noteworthy Grenache is to source it from old, naturally low-yielding dry grown vines producing richly flavoured berries and that is exactly where our Kalleske Old Vine Grenache is from, a 1935 planting of dry grown vines and therefore why it is continually regarded as one of Australia’s preeminent Grenache wines.
Grenache is a very versatile variety that is typically picked late in the season when it is fully ripe to display gorgeous rich sweet red fruit characters and soft tannins with a generous and supple mouthfeel whereas you can also create a much lighter style of wine when picked earlier season. Our Kalleske Parallax Grenache is made in this lighter style and is a perfect wine for the warmer weather.
