October’s Wine of the Month is finally here and this time we venture south to the beautiful McLaren Vale to one of my absolute favourite places, McLaren Vale III Associates.
The III Associates have been receiving worldwide recognition for their fantastic wines, especially their Squid Ink and Giant Squink Shiraz.
Recent accolades in New Zealand, and the unbelievable feat of receiving the ‘Best Wine’ at the Vienna International Wine Show last year for the 2010 Giant Squid Ink Shiraz placed this small but incredibly talented winery well and truly on the international landscape (did I mention that just a lazy 11,000+ wines were entered!).
Their Shiraz has been getting the plaudits, but Grenache is where we decided to head for this month’s tasting.
The 2012 Four Score Grenache from vines planted in 1928 located outside the cellar door is the wine that we were fortunate enough to sample this month (under the guise of research of course!).
These old vines are completely dry grown and as the name suggests have been producing for well over 80 years.
The 100% Grenache spent 24 months in two and three year old American and French oak and like everything else I have tasted from winemaker Brian Light, this wine is nothing short of exceptional!
My tasting was once again done with wine connoisseur, Grenache lover and lawyer to the stars, Mark ‘The Evil One’ Calligeros.
The wine looks deep red in the glass and on the nose we detected berries, and possibly even a hint of vanilla. The tasting notes also mentioning spice with deep intensity combined with subtle oak maturation of the older barrels.
The palate showed berries and spice, and Mark detected a touch of sweetness at the front but with fine tannins at the finish – something backed up by the tasting notes.
This wine is very well balanced and is an incredible Grenache, a variety that is very quickly becoming my favourite and just about the perfect food match!
Even though this wine is just a baby, having being harvested in mid-March 2012, the complexity and balance of this wine will see it cellar for several years.
Overall an awesome wine from one of the absolute best wineries and cellar doors in not just McLaren Vale, but the whole of South Australia. The ‘Four Score’ is a bargain at $35 per bottle and definitely worth a bottle (or dozen!).
As Molly Meldrum would say, do yourself a favour and go and see the good folk at the III Associates on Foggo Road at McLaren Vale and tell them I said g’day.
Visit III Associates for more details
Until next month,
Cheers,
Scott
