2024 Head Wines Old Vine Grenache, Barossa

A pretty-as-a-picture grenache sourced from a 1940s-planted site at Trial Hill, Pewsey Vale and a 1880s-planted block in Ebenezer. 10% whole bunch and matured in neutral oak for 11 months. Aromas of red plum, raspberry and wild strawberry with a touch of cranberry lift and hints of gingerbread, cola, exotic spice, citrus blossom, dried citrus rind, charcuterie and light amaro nuance. The fruit is gorgeous, pure and weighted just so, the tannins are billowing and pillowy and the acidity is bright. Once again '24 comes up with the goods. Drink to 2040.

94 points & Special Value Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, March 2026

Deep, bold and bright red laced with a good rim of purple; the bouquet is young, fresh and undeveloped, with a youthful jubey simplicity at this stage, cherry, banana, and the spices are very subtle. The wine is medium-weight, but the tannins are plentiful and supply a clean, dry finish. This looks to have the ingredients of a smart wine but just needs time to mellow and build complexity. Drink to 2039.

90 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, July 2025

Alex Head follows a negociant model of working with select growers rather than farming his own vineyards. This has allowed him to spend years understanding the characteristics of the varied sites of the Barossa while refining his winemaking style: some retention of stems, ferments using indigenous yeasts, minimal sulphur throughout the wine-making process, and bottling without fining or filtration.

The use of the words ‘Old Vine’ shows respect to the Barossa Old Vine Charter which was set up to celebrate and maintain the special sites and history of the Barossa. In 2024, the milder conditions meant for Alex that the best Grenache was to be found in the warmer sites. A dry-grown site planted in the 1940s on Trial Hill in Pewsey Vale at an elevation of 480m performed particularly well in 2024 and forms the backbone of the final blend which also contains a smaller amount from the Riebke vineyard of Ebenezer (first planted in the 1880s) at 290 meters and the Stonegarden in Springton (first planted in 1858).

For Alex, the Old Vine is not an exercise in ripeness. Fermentation takes place in open top fermenters, followed by maturation on fine lees in a mix of French oak barrels few of which were new. The aim was for the richness and sweetness of old vine fruit to remain the focus, and for the wine to be approachable and elegant even in its youth.

Drinking well already on release and likely to cellar well for a decade or more. The wine would be delicious textural treat with red braised pork belly, with a bit of crunch from a garlic chive and bean sprout stir-fry.