Willunga 100 Smart Vineyard Grenache 2023

Grenache has a wonderfully diverse flavour profile that changes from site to site and throughout its life in the bottle. This sensitivity to a site attracted owners David Gleave MW and John Ratcliffe to McLaren Vale when they first started Willunga 100 in 2004. At the time, few people took Grenache seriously, but they saw great potential in the old bush vines of McLaren Vale, particularly from the Blewitt Springs and Clarendon sub-regions. Today, David and John's vision is to make contemporary McLaren Vale wines with a strong focus on Grenache. With Renae Hirsch as Winemaker, our wines aim to be an authentic expression from each of our unique sites.

A special site with 100 year old vines this vineyard has dry grown Grenache bush vines which were planted in 1923 on ancient loam soil over red-brown clay and bedrock. It’s situated 220m above sea level on the moderate to steep hills of the Clarendon Onkaparinga Gorge. Planted by his father and tended now by 90 year old vigneron Bernard Smart and his son Wayne Smart this small patch of vines holds strong significance in the McLaren Vale region. Many of the Grenache vines planted since 1923 have been from cuttings taken from the Smart Vineyard, including some our own newly grafted vines at Blind Spot Vineyard. We are honoured to continue the heritage of these highly respected vines.