Grenache Panache

By Mike Bennie

Hardly the world’s sexiest grape, and by no means stable in personality, Grenache is often maligned for its sweeter, simpler tones and at times syrupy texture. However Grenache in Australia comes from sterner stuff. Some of South Australia’s oldest vines are Grenache producing and though often overlooked on the production line for more saleable grapes like Shiraz, Grenache comes into its own when handled astutely. Certainly Grenache plays a significant role in red wine blends, offering further texture, fruit flavour and greater complexity to aromatics.

With over 50 years of family wine making in the Barossa Valley, winemaker Rolf Binder has maintained relationships with some of the great old vine grape growers of the region. Quick with humour on various levels of cleanliness, he’s known for calling it as it is, unashamedly disinterested in trend and makes expressive wines reflecting Australian and Barossan character. His wines explore the nuances of the sub-regions of the Barossa, something younger, aspiring wine makers are beginning to understand is the next chapter for this history steeped wine growing area.

Grenache plays a part in many of Rolf’s wines, including the benchmarking Magpie Estate Gomersal Grenache. The wine comes from a single vineyard in the sub region of the same name (Gomersal) and sets the upper echelon of Grenache wines in Australia. Meanwhile, his eponymous Rolf Binder Christa Rolf Shiraz Grenache blend is priced and styled to the easier drinking end of the market and has more of a friendly appeal, showing how the marriage of the two grapes creates harmonious, youthful wine. “To make good Grenache is harder than making a good Shiraz,” Rolf quips, “the variability and delicate features of Grenache mean that greater attention is required when winemaking.” When making Grenache wines Rolf is “…gunning for tannins and structure. If you get it right, the grape will give you silky yet firm tannins.” Eschewing the tutti frutti styles so often mocked by wine glitterati, Rolf searches for deep, concentrated Grenache fruit with enough structure to handle new oak. “You can’t be afraid of new oak. It’s often a dirty word for many winemakers, but when you find grapes that can handle it, you achieve greater flavour rather than plain wood characters.” It’s a fine line for Rolf’s Grenache. In temperamental years his wines do toe the line of fruit forwardness and can show some of the raw oak power he avoids. 2006 was a difficult year for the Barossa, but the Grenache wines were surprisingly balanced…

Magpie Estate Gomersal Grenache 2006
A really interesting 100% Grenache wine that throws stereotypes of wimpy, sickly fruit and high perfume out the window. Sluggish yet with a muscular, oafish power, this Grenache mashes blackcurrant characters with figs, dates and Indian spice. From a single vineyard in the Gomersal sub-region the grapes form a sturdy base for the two years they spend in oak. Surprisingly only 13.8% alcohol, which tempers the wine and gives it an even, approachable feel. Mellow, musky and pretty sexy as a younger wine with plenty of potential for future years. (91/100, $60.00)

Rolf Binder Christa Rolf Shiraz Grenache 2006
With minimal or no oak handling, this Shiraz wine is blended with Grenache from a neighbouring vineyard to the Gomersal wine above. Each year sees the percentage of each grape varied to find an ultimate, freshness and ripeness balance. This showcases some of the prettier aspects of each grape. Here Shiraz gets nips and tucks, Grenache does the Botox. A really enjoyable, albeit simpler wine which works solo in the glass or with casual bistro dining. (88/100, $25.00)

Rolf Binder Heinrich Shiraz Grenache Mataro 2006
Grenache is added to the earthy, leathery, old vine Mataro that Rolf blends with bright Shiraz to make this medium weighted red wine. The Grenache certainly doesn’t take a back seat here with almost equal parts of each grape found in this wine. While others lathe their wines into supple monochromatics, this red gives us some rustic personality. Its schizophrenics may put some purists off, but I enjoy seeing some real fruit expression in such wine. (89/100, $35.00)