'Numb Hand Pruner' Grenache (cellar door reserved stock)
Grenache
2004

Making a resurgence in recent years for its spicy, savoury flavours, Grenache has a bouquet of cherries and raspberries with a full palate showing silky tannins and a long, lingering finish.

This wine is an excellent example of one of the iconic McLaren Vale varieties lovingly crafted in the traditional style.

The Vintage

The fruit for this classic McLaren Vale Grenache came from a 12 hectare patch planted in 1965 by Antonino Conte and his sons Rocco and Modesto. The story goes that the countless days and weeks of hand pruning this vineyard – long before mechanized power tools - led to mutterings of having numb hands at the end of the working day. Forty years on, the legacy of 'The Numb Hand Pruner' is a vineyard that is in its prime, producing fruit of stunning depth and varietal character.

With kind vintage conditions in season 2004, with a long and mild ripening period and fine weather right up to harvest time, excellent quality, fully ripe fruit was machine harvested at the end of March and despatched promptly to the winery for processing.

Vinification

The fruit was received at the winery at around 14.5 ° Baume and crushed immediately, with the juice allowed to steep on skins before pressing. Fermentation on skins was carried out for around seven days, with the wine then being despatched to a combination of new and prior-use French and American oak hogsheads for extended maturation. The individual barrels were then assessed and the finished wine blended before bottling in June 2005.

Technical

Alcohol by volume; 14.5% v/v

Awards and Accolades

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87 Points 2008 Edition: James Halliday Wine Companion View Editorial EDITORIAL: Light to medium bodied; spicy red and black fruits; as so often, doesn't have a lot of structure, but is easy to drink. Vines planted by the Conte family in 1965. Cork. 14.5% alc. To 2008.

Availability

Very limited cellar door reserved stock.