Swinney Grenache 2021

The Grenache coming from the Swinney team, both at this level and with their Farvie range, has stunned winelovers and there is no let-up here – another absolute cracker. From their Wilson’s Pool vineyard, the fruit is handpicked, destemmed and berry sorted into small wooden and stainless steel fermenters, by way of gravity. 25% whole bunches with a natural fermentation. The wine spends fourteen days on skins before it is pressed directly to fine grained, large format, seasoned French oak for eleven months maturation. The final blend is 90% Grenache, 7% Mourvèdre and 3% Syrah. A vibrant crimson hue, this offers a fully fragrant nose with cranberries, exotic spices, pepper, florals, raspberries, a hint of coffee grinds plus a touch of the delicatessen. Such an alluring nose. A mid-weight style with good focus and a seductive texture, through to a lingering finish, which is just slightly drying, thanks to the tannins, which are a mix of the silky and sandy, something we do see with this variety. This should drink superbly for at least a decade.