2017 Cirillo Estate 1850 Ancestor Vine Grenache, Barossa Valley

The vineyard that is the source for this wine was planted in 1848 and endures today. The vines are bush vines, but some of the vines have single stakes here and there to support the old wood. It's a special place. 2017 was cold and wet in the Barossa and high cropping across the region. This was a challenging combination for many producers; however winemaker Marco Cirillo openly prefers these vintages, and that can only be down to the fact that these old vines are largely self regulating with their yields and growth. So, this 2017 Ancestor Vines 1850 Grenache flows in the mouth with red berries, finely crushed rocks for tannins, tobacco and pepper berry, pastrami, pink peppercorns, raspberry seed and caper brine. It has a lovely flavor arc in the mouth, supple. It is clear, pure, sensational. I love the tannins. It's sapid and palate staining but so light! The wine was matured in a combination of tank and barrel. (Twenty percent of the wine was matured in old wood for just seven months). It then spent five years in tank prior to bottling. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2023 – 2037.

96 points Erin Larkin robertparker.com

A cooler year that Cirillo enthuses makes for a bit of gristle, this is exceptional. Six-years in tank before release, this full-weighted wine riffs on redder fruits, rather than dark. Raspberry bon-bon, red pastille, rose petal, bergamot and a slake of tannins clad in licorice root and tea tree. Yet there is nothing drying about it as it revels with air, growing more pixelated of tannins, fresher and even more aromatic. Wonderful length. Compelling freshness. This will make fine old bones. Drink or hold.

96 points Ned Goodwin MW jamessuckling.com

This 2017 old vine Grenache 1850 Ancestor Vine is a little shy at first but then shows breathtaking purity of dark cherry and musky plum with some more exotic cinnamon stick and red licorice hints. The 2017 is beautifully textured and weighted, and despite quite serious underlying power, it remains light on its feet. The excellent vibrancy of fruit is on show and slowly builds layer upon layer of savory roasted meat complexity. Strong ironstone adds backbone to a delightfully perfumed finish. It's a world beater with killer length and the best 1850 yet from Cirillo.

The small Cirillo Estate, run by winemaker Marco Cirillo and his wife Annika Lehmann, was one of the first modern wineries in Barossa to truly focus on Grenache. In the 1970s, the Cirillo family purchased their Light Pass vineyard, planted in 1848 with Grenache and Sémillon. The vineyard survived the relatively recent decimation of Barossa Grenache stocks, no doubt in part due to its exceptional location on sandy soils, proving to be the best suited to Grenache in Barossa. After selling their fruit to wineries such as Rockford and Torbreck for decades, Marco Cirillo took over, and the estate was born. Today it remains home to unique Barossan expressions and excellent value, particularly among the entry-level wines.

98 points Angus Hughson vinous.com