Grenache, in the hands of McLaren Vale’s most astute producers, can be the most supple and beguiling of grape varieties. It all depends on the age of the vines and the complexity of the vineyard sites – and McLaren Vale has both in abundance.
The best Grenache vineyards, mostly dry-grown bush vines up to 120 years old, have arguably become Australia’s take on grand cru: rare, idiosyncratic and expressive vines on exemplary sites. And the results from the 67 samples submitted to Decanter by 30 invited producers for this elite regional tasting did not disappoint. The top wines were extraordinary.
Scroll down to see notes and scores for the top 30 McLaren Vale Grenache wines
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"}
David Sly’s top 30 McLaren Vale Grenache wines
{}
{"wineId":"80421","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80422","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80423","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80424","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80425","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80426","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80427","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80428","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80429","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80430","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80431","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80432","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80433","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80434","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80435","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80436","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80437","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80438","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80439","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80440","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80441","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80442","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80443","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80444","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80445","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80446","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80447","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80448","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80449","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"80450","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
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