2024 Oliver's Taranga Small Batch Grenache, McLaren Vale

Made in the first year in the new winery (the old Gemtree winery, where they also host a coterie of exciting small producers), this came off three estate blocks, with an average age of 30 years; 10% whole bunch; matured half in steel, with the rest a 4500L cask, older puncheons and a concrete egg. This sits neatly in the grenache zeitgeist, moderately pale in hue, fragrant, fruitful but not overt, with red-fruited appeal, a dusty hint of earth, wafting florals, some spice, a textural, fruitful cushioning and a cleansing but not brisk finish. It’s lovely, and fine value.

93 points Special Value Marcus Ellis winecompanion.com.au

Early summer berries. Plump raspberries, wild strawberries and nettle leaf. There is some terra cotta clay and an autumnal leaf savoury note that halts this wine from being in the red confectionery realms but the fruit is ridiculously spirited and vivid. Mouth watering and a pulpy sensation to the drinkability. Another wine from Oliver’s Taranga that should be included in your yearly allocation. Heck buy more than case, before you know it you’ll be wondering where it all went. Accessible wine like this makes me a brand addict for life. If they can do this in this price range what more can they do! Serve with fatty pork and truffle salami. Drink no or will cellar for another 5 years.

93 points Shanteh Wale winepilot.com

Oliver’s Taranga Small Batch Grenache is a masterclass in modern McLaren Vale winemaking that honours the past while embracing the future. This small production wine is crafted from old bush vines on the Taranga family estate, one of the oldest continuously owned grape-growing properties in McLaren Vale, with roots dating back to 1841. The Oliver family has farmed these soils for generations, but it’s Corrina Wright, sixth-generation vigneron and head winemaker, who has been instrumental in bringing these old vines into the spotlight under the Small Batch label.

The fruit for this Grenache comes from low-yielding parcels planted on ancient Blewitt Springs sands and ironstone-rich soils. These sites are elevated, dry grown and exposed to cool gully breezes that allow for a longer ripening season. This gives the wine finesse, purity and energy, rather than overt ripeness or weight. The approach in the winery is hands-off: partial whole bunch, wild ferment, minimal extraction, and maturation in old French oak puncheons to preserve the fruit’s vibrancy and aromatic lift.

In the glass, it’s light to medium in body, but aromatically intense. Wild strawberry, raspberry, cherry kernel and rosehip leap out first, followed by savoury touches of rooibos, fennel seed and crushed granite. There’s a soft, silken texture to the palate, with fine sandy tannins and bright acidity keeping it fresh and layered. It’s a wine that rewards time in the glass and will continue to evolve beautifully in bottle over the next 5 to 8 years.

Corrina’s small batch Grenache is part of a wider shift in McLaren Vale towards lighter, more expressive styles of this historically underrated variety. It captures both the region’s Mediterranean heart and a contemporary, almost Pinot-like elegance that has critics and sommeliers taking notice.

Ideal with spiced lamb, chargrilled eggplant, or Moroccan tagine. Drink now with a good decant or cellar with confidence.