In Australia, good winemakers find something in Grenache that just doesnt seem to show in any other part of the worldby Barry Smith/ August 15, 2017 /Leave a commentPublished in September 2017 issue of Prospect Magazine

Ive never really liked Grenache. Wines made from this grape typically combine a sweetly floral aroma with a juicy tartness that is just on the edge for me. Nothing seems to bridge the heady aroma and the crunchy strawberry fruit.

But then I discovered what could be done with this variety. After recent tastings in McLaren Vale, south of Adelaide, I now believe that it could be Australias best grape. There, good winemakers find something in Grenache that just doesnt seem to show in any other part of the world.

I learned this from Wes Pearson, a maverick Canadian now settled in the soils of South Australia. By day, he is a biochemist at the Australian Wine Research Institute, and at other times he makes wine. He buys in grapes, picked just ahead of ripeness to avoid that jammy character found in some Australian reds. His entry-level wines are bottled under his Juxtaposed labels with cinematic characters portrayed in lurid colours. These include a Fiano white wine, called Bigger boat after Roy Scheiders famous line from Jaws. Theres a Pinot Meunier ros, with bite and character. In the reds there are Sangioveses Grenaches and Shirazes as well as unfamiliar blends such as that of Grenache and Tempranillo. The finer wines are under the label of Dodgy Bros. Despite the name, they are poised wines with depth, and the best of them was the 2014 Archetype Grenache. An almost old world nose, rich in the mouth, balanced, with a cherry-like finish restrained by fine bitterness. Fine, opulent and utterly delicious.

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Read more from the original source:
Biochemistry and dodgy bros: How I came to love a new wine - Prospect