2024 Vinya Vella Old Bush Vine Grenache

96 pts
Gorgeous 96 point Barossa Old Vine Grrenache from the Halliday Viticulturist of the Year.

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Sale price$65.00
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Description

2026 Viticulturist of the Year
Halliday Wine Companion Awards

Vinya Vella is a living piece of Barossa history: 4 hectares of gnarled, own-rooted bush vines, many planted more than a century ago in the deep sands of Vine Vale. These old soldiers are Dylan Grigg’s pride and joy, farmed by hand with his father, Paul, and coaxed into producing some of the country’s most soulful Grenache.

Dylan isn’t just a grower - in this year he was named Viticulturist of the Year in the Halliday Wine Companion Awards, recognition of both his global expertise and his stewardship of Australia’s oldest vines. With a PhD on the role of vine age in wine quality and a career consulting across Australia and Europe, Dylan combines rigorous science with instinctive farming. As he says, “Every day is a school day… there are lessons everywhere if you open your eyes.” Vinya Vella is his chance to put that philosophy in the bottle.

Picked in two passes for balance, the fruit was given a gentle, low-intervention vinification: wild ferment, a third whole bunch, a short rest in old oak, no fining or filtration. It's beautiful, medium-bodied Grenache laced with red berries, rose petal and spice, underpinned by sandy tannins and a savoury core that speaks clearly of its site.

It’s a wine that doesn’t rely on volume but on detail, unfolding slowly, rewarding patience, and carrying the quiet authority of both its vines and its grower.

96 points
"A bright and cracking grenache from the very impressive '24 vintage, from last year's Halliday Wine Companion Viticulturist of the Year, Dr Dylan Grigg... Most importantly, it's just flippin' delicious and a wine that is pretty hard to resist."
- Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)

96 points - "A bright and cracking grenache from the very impressive '24 vintage, from last year's Halliday Wine Companion Viticulturist of the Year, Dr Dylan Grigg. Dark ruby with a bouquet that is pretty as a picture. Raspberry, cranberry, red cherry and satsuma plum veiled with exotic spice, citrus blossom and dried citrus rind, gingerbread, dried meats and turned earth. Everything in its right place with a mid-weighted, savoury palate shape showing plenty of detail and mineral drive. Most importantly, it's just flippin' delicious and a wine that is pretty hard to resist." - Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)

This Grenache comes from our own vines at the Vinya Vella vineyard, there are only 2600 vines that provide fruit for this wine. We aim to harvest at a time that can capture the vibrant, lifted, floral, and textural side of the variety, not too early and not too late.

Each year we tackle the never ending challenge of growing grapes, frost, wind, rain or no rain the list goes on. We manage these vines as individual units as they are all unique, this requires attention to detail and an experienced eye. The soil at Vinya Vella is deep fine sand which helps to produce a medium bodied wine with lifted aromas. The wine shows a core of crisp fruit and a long finish of fine tannins that only old vines can deliver. This wine looks great on opening and will suit a range of occasions and meals now and in the future. Don't be shy to share.

2024 was a warmer season compared to the previous 2023 release, also interestingly this season had the shortest veraison to harvest time of any vintage we have bottled. The 2024 wine is a step up in refinement, it is medium bodied with red fruit, floral aromas and a core of crisp fruit inter twined savoury characters. Those who have tried previous vintages will see the undercurrent of site expression that links all our releases. We are happy with the 2024 and excites us to share it.

As a season 2024 will be remembered as having a frosty start, we unfortunately lost a percentage of our grapes in spring as they were flowers, re-growth and careful thinning saw us still have a harvest to be proud of even with the reduced volume. The season was warm and dry with some moderate heat spikes, notably mid Feb and again in March right around harvest. Luckily for us again, Grenache is an isohydric variety so it manages its internal water well and doesn't spike ripeness like some. The frost affected vines also were some time behind in maturity so this meant we were harvesting in a good window of freshness, not lean and not too heavy. Just like the wine.

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type Red
Body Full Bodied
Variety Grenache
Country Australia
Region Barossa Valley
Australian State SA
Feature High Score
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 96
Alcohol 14.5%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Cork

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