We all hear about wine trends that seem to come and go on a regular basis and that is expected because tastes change and wine producers need to ‘move with the times’ if you will. Grenache seems to be the latest variety that has had a consumer resurgence, admittedly for a little while now. You can call it what you like. I’m still going to call it a ‘Grenachesance.’ Tacky, maybe. Apt, definitely!
Yalumba’s 2023 Samuel’s Collection moves like a dancer that has found its rhythm in this Grenachesance era. Loose in the limbs, light on its feet, confident without ever needing to show off. Grenache…in motion.
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia Price: $28 Source: Retail Purchase
Raspberry and red plum rise with an easy grace, joined by a touch of spice. It glides across the palate with bright youthful fruit, fine tannins, and a gentle line of acidity that keeps everything lifted. It’s fruitful and bold without too much palate weight while remaining varietally expressive and effortlessly charming.
What I love most is the clarity of its character. This is Grenache being so definitively Grenache. Supple, open, with charisma. Yalumba’s long history shows in it’s balanced restraint and its trust with this variety. A family winery letting the variety speak on its own. A wine that not only marches to its own beat, it dances to a rhythm of its own making.
Words from a Wine Glass 