2025 Kaesler The Fave Grenache, Barossa Valley

Sourced from Kaesler's 'The Fave' block, just 0.48ha and planted in 1930, located directly behind the winery property in Nuriootpa; 100% whole bunch. Bright mid-crimson, with lifted red cherry, satsuma plum and raspberry over hints of exotic spice, fresh and dried citrus blossom, crushed rocks, some funky-edged dried meats, raspberry coulis, lemon zest, gingerbread and turned earth. I like this a lot. It's pure, with just the right serving of funk and twiggy complexity. Trails off savoury, with a briny flick to its tail. Drink to 2036.

95 points Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, August 2026

Like falling into a redcurrant bush, this has the thicket of bush herbs, translucent red pomegranate seed and wild raspberries. Sand paper, cumin powder, dried orange and rosehip. An arch of strawberry fruit gives way to grainy almost nutty tannins, some firm bitter herbs lines and a crunch to the end. This is full of chiseled features, very structurally sound for mid term aging and moreish to drink. It has everything you want in modern, aromatic measured Grenache. Bravo. A peppered salami toastie would go down a treat here. Drink now or cellar for 3-4 years further, to 2030.

94 points Shanteh Wale for Wine Pilot, July 2026

Kaesler farms several Grenache blocks, and in most years the fruit from these contribute to Kaesler’s Avignon GSM-blend. When a particular vineyard performs well enough to stand on its own, as often happens with The Fave, that parcel is set aside as a special treat.

This vineyard was planted in 1930, with its vines standing in loam over moisture-retaining clay subsoils. The hand harvested 2025 fruit was allowed to start fermentation with indigenous yeasts and carbon maceration with regular punch-downs of the caps and pump-overs of the must. The wine was then racked into seasoned, fourth and fifth use French oak puncheons for an eight-month rest before it was bottled with minimal amounts of sulphur dioxide.

About this producer

The Kaesler family were Silesian pioneers of the Barossa Valley in the 1840s and planted their first vines in 1893.

A group of investors led by Ed Peter purchased the by-then run-down property in 1999 and chose to honour the family’s legacy in its name. Today, Peter’s Dural Wines manages the winery as well as Kaesler’s 37 hectares of vines, most of which are considered old vines and some up to 129 years of age, through regenerative farming. The majority of the vines are located around the winery in Nuriootpa, with just over nine hectares in the western Marananga part of the valley.

Third-generation Barossa winemaker Tim Dolan leads a team at the winery that has it eyes firmly set on presenting some of Barossa’s finest wines.