D’Arenberg The Beautiful View Grenache 2022

There was a time when putting the word “Grenache” on a wine label was tantamount to putting a skull and crossbones for all to see. Marketing suicide. Grenache on the dining table was about as welcome as the current president at a Democratic convention. A number of wineries worked hard to improve the image, perhaps none more so than d’Arenberg, and so it seems only fair that they are now reaping the rewards with some brilliant efforts attracting serious attention. They currently offer a trio of Grenache from McLaren Vale, different subregions/vineyards, (they refer to them as Single District Grenache) from both the 2016 and 2022 vintages – two cracking years in McLaren Vale. This is also a great way to see just how well Grenache can age and how it progresses. Also worth mentioning is for all of those who ran a mile at the mere thought of a glass of Grenache in days gone by, they actually drank endless amounts of the stuff, as it was included in everything from sparkling reds to fortifieds and a great many red blends in between, but was never identified. Label integrity took that option away. The method of production, used across the board in this series, sees small batches gently crushed and kept separate until blending. Two-thirds of the way through fermentation, foot treading is employed. Basket pressing follows, into a mix of new and older French oak barriques, for the competition of fermentation. Pale crimson in colour, the nose reveals aromas of red fruits, tobacco leaves, dried herbs, raspberries, warm earth, animal hides and a hint of strawberries and cream. Well balanced, the wine lifts on the palate and offers exceptional length with a line of juicy acidity. It finishes with a mix of silky and silty tannins. Enjoy this over the next six to eight years.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.

Wine writer and critic