2024 Cirillo The Vincent Grenache, Barossa Valley

Cirillo The Vincent Grenache from the Barossa Valley is one of those quietly brilliant wines that has earned a cult following among critics and Grenache lovers alike. Sourced from 100-year-old, dry-grown bush vines in the heart of Nuriootpa, this wine delivers extraordinary purity and finesse — not through weight or oak, but through elegance, restraint and a deep respect for the vineyard.

Marco Cirillo, one of the true champions of old-vine Grenache in Australia, keeps things traditional in the best way. The fruit is hand-picked, destemmed and fermented with minimal intervention, then matured in older French oak barrels to allow the character of the site to shine. There’s no rush — just patient winemaking that lets the wine evolve at its own pace.

It opens with aromas of wild raspberry, redcurrant, rose petal, baking spice and dusty earth. The palate is mid-weight, vibrant and silky, with a core of juicy red fruit, savoury spice and incredibly fine tannins. There’s a lifted, almost Pinot-like elegance here that critics frequently point to — the kind of subtle power that rewards both early drinking and cellaring.

Food pairing: perfect with roast duck, chargrilled eggplant, Moroccan spiced lamb, or mushroom and lentil pie. Also excellent with aged hard cheeses or a warm beetroot salad with goat cheese.

Cellar potential: drinking beautifully now, but will develop gracefully over the next 8 to 12 years, gaining more earthy complexity and forest-floor depth.