Willunga 100 Tempranillo 2024
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.
Our Tempranillo comes from a vineyard in the Tatachilla sub-region of McLaren Vale grown on loamy sand over light clay. The vineyard sits at approximately 70m above sea level and benefits from the cooling sea breezes coming from the Gulf St Vincent.
The fruit was harvested cool and allowed to naturally warm, then was fermented in open fermenter for 7 days, then basket pressed. Once pressed the wine was racked off gross lees to old French oak puncheons for malolactic fermentation and maturation. Wine remained in barrel for 9 months
Smoked lamb cutlets with polenta and roasted cherry tomatoes.
Aromas of dark cherry, mulberry and fresh plum fruit, red liquorice, pepper notes and hints of bay and flowering thyme.
Full flavoured wine showing characters of mixed berries, warm spices - cloves and anise. Soft and silky tannins with lingering flavours.
