2020 Ministry of Clouds Tempranillo Grenache, McLaren Vale

84 % Tempranillo, 16 % Grenache. Based upon four vineyards of Tempranillo, from cool sites in Blewitt Springs and McLaren Foothills and our own estate vineyard atop the Onkaparinga Ridge. We retained 15% wholebunch, including a portion which we carbonic macerated, and then de-stemmed the balance to retain whole berries for traditional open ferment. With a desire to preserve freshness and vibrancy and to build a wider aromatic profile on the Tempranillo, it was left to the Grenache component to provide mid palate intensity. Old vine Grenache from a range of blocks up to a 100 years of age were destemmed and fermented in large open vats, with daily pump overs. After basket pressing the wine was matured in a mixture of stainless steel, old French oak puncheons, and a large 5000 litre old oak foudre for 10 months maturation before bottling … 14.4 % alc/vol.

'This wine combines bright notes of pomegranate, sarsaparilla, violets and nutmeg typical of dry grown Tempranillo, with the perfume and succulence of old vine Grenache. This medium bodied wine is pretty, but deeply flavoured, and deliberately moreish. A lithe and juicy wine, it errs on the blood orange, cherry, red berry spectrum on the palate supported by savoury tannins built around a nervy structure.'

Julian Forwood and Bernice Ong