2003 Clarendon Hills Grenache “Old Vines”. Kangarilla Vineyard, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia. 15% alcohol. $60.
Deeply colored with moderately thick, lightly pigmented, and slow moving legs. Quite aromatic with lots of green pine, some turpentine, raw fermentation, and candied amorphous fruit scents. Acidity is too prominent and jarring. Moderate tannin. Better in the mouth with strong but controlled fruit flavor. Still the off putting nose just kills much of the wine’s quality. 100% Grenache from 80+ year old dry farmed vines that was raised in neutral French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Roman Bratasiuk, Clarendon Hills’ owner, winemaker, and viticulturist, uses wild yeasts to ferment his wines. Drink now (2008) to 2012. 87 points.