A blend of 3 vineyards this year – Wait, Smart, and Dom’s Block. Wait and Smart are pretty well characterized, from the crus of Blewitt Springs and Clarendon. But Dom’s block is a new one for us (and as it turns out, a one-off as the grower signed a contract with Endeavour in the winter of 22). It sits just off McMurtrie Rd on Strout rd, about 400m from Wirra Wirra. Typical Vale valley floor soils, bush vines, no irrigation, planted in the 30s. Was derelict for about 10 years before it was nursed back to health in 2020. Our viticulturist used to get Grenache from this vineyard in the noughties for the famed Grateful Palate wines going to the US and said that at the time it was some of the nicest Grenache he had ever seen. I’m not sure I would go so far but it’s pretty good. Produces a fleshier style of grenache, denser and less delicate than the higher elevation vineyards in Clarendon and Blewitt Springs, and so in this context I think it works really well to fill out this wine. In barrel about 17 months, racked, bottled, no fuss.

550 6pks produced.