Description
Michael Corbett’s latest releases from Vanguardist Wines mark an exciting evolution for the winemaker, showcasing his deep connection to the Rende Vineyard in Blewitt Springs.
The 2024 Vanguardist Rosé leads the pack with its vibrant blend of Grenache and Syrah, offering blood orange, pink grapefruit, and a savoury mineral edge. Meanwhile, the 2023 Oeno Grenache highlights the lighter, friskier side of the vineyard, with bright raspberry and cherry notes and a fine tannin structure that will age gracefully. Rounding out the collection is the 2023 Blewitt Grenache Syrah, a stunning 55/45 blend that captures the unique sandy soils of Rende with red and blue fruits, earthy herbs, and vibrant acidity.
Together, these wines reflect Corbett’s deep respect for the land, making them essential additions for any serious wine lover. Michael Corbett is on fire at the moment. This is the best way to test drive his newest releases.
- 2024 Vanguardist Wines Le Marx Riesling
- 2024 Vanguardist Wines Rose
- 2023 Vanguardist Oeno Grenache
- 2023 Vanguardist Blewitt Grenache Syrah
2024 Vanguardist Wines Le Marx Riesling
This takes Clare Valley Riesling in a different direction than most. Winemaker Michael Corbett sourced this fruit from his friend Ben Marx from Ben's vineyard in Clare Valley.
Named with a nod to the vineyard's owner, Ben Marx (of Gertie fame - if that rings a bell), this wine celebrates the long-standing friendship between Marx and winemaker Michael Corbett. Their shared passion for oenology shines through in this single-site Riesling, which showcases the unique terroir and flora that thrive in the picturesque, terraced vineyard at 550 metres above sea level.
The 2024 vintage brought both challenges and rewards, leading to a Riesling that bursts with freshness, intensity and textural intriuge. Hand-picked in the cool morning hours, the grapes were foot-crushed and cold-soaked before fermenting naturally in a 900L egg-shaped vessel. This careful process, along with aging on lees and full malolactic fermentation, has imbued the wine with a unique shape and texture, this is not your average Clare Valley Riesling but it's a very good one.
It has a beautifully balanced profile of brown lime, grapefruit pith, and a steely, mineral acidity that is both refreshing and structured. The wine’s roundness and mouthfeel are enhanced by extended lees contact and 100% malo-lactic fermentation.
Its smashability factor is high, as well as the quality. It's a powerful, savoury, textural Riesling that is super drinking now or in a few years time.
94 points
"Quite some brine and seaweed here, and not specifically any fruity, maybe mixed citrus and green apple is closest, also some chamomile and mint. It’s saline and savoury, kind of nutty, has a gentle sort of manzanilla tang, quite some powdery chalky texture, and finishes long and, well, kind of electric, like ozone or a quick lick of a 9V battery (don’t mind me). It’s an excellent wine. Distinctive and different."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
2024 Vanguardist Wines Rose
This is the first release of the Botanic Rose for Michael Corbett at Vanguardist, and it's an absolute belter.
Made from Michael's Rende vineyard Grenache and Syrah, the vineyard’s sandy, mineral-rich soils and high elevation provide the perfect conditions for these varieties.
Despite a challenging vintage, Corbett's careful hand delivered a lovely, serious and textural wine here. The fruit underwent natural fermentation in stainless steel and a concrete sphere, it was then aged on lees with full malo-lactic fermentation, which has brought a rounded mouthfeel and fine tannin structure to this class-act Rose.
This is a beautifully textural Rose filled with character and zestiness. A special wine from a special part of McLaren Vale.
95 points
"It’s a more serious style, though not at the expense of charm and drinking appeal. Blood orange, pink grapefruit, redcurrant with some rosehip and fennel perfume. It’s light and frisky, but has good depth, fine dusty tannin grip, a juicy citrus tang, something a little earthy and concrete-like too, subtle strawberry and raspberry flavour, something saline too, with a good crunch and grip on a finish of excellent length. Beautifully made. It takes rosé seriously, which is always a big plus in my books. Twist my arm, but only very gently, for 95 points. Resistance is futile. Oh, and I reckon it will age well too. Bonus."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
2023 Vanguardist Oeno Grenache
The Oeno Grenache is the latest offering from one of Australia’s top Grenache experts, Michael Corbett. While it’s his third-tier Grenache, it offers exceptional value, especially for a wine of this calibre.
This debut release comes from the Rende Vineyard in Blewitt Springs, perched over 200 metres above sea level. Named after the evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) that thrives alongside the vines, the Oeno Grenache is a wine designed to highlight the lighter, friskier Grenache components on the beautiful Rende vineyard.
Handpicked and whole-bunch fermented, with 60% of the grapes left in their clusters, the wine spent 11 months in French oak puncheons before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Expect bright notes of raspberry, red currant, and cherry, with hints of spice and earthiness.
This organic, vegan-friendly Grenache is beautifully balanced and built to age. But with such a limited release, it won’t be available for long—making it a smart grab for anyone looking to add a top-notch Grenache to their collection without overspending.
93 points
"Raspberry, cherry, a fair bit of herb and bunchy spice, also some almond paste and floral notes. It’s sappy and red fruited, quite spicy, dusty tannin grip, perhaps a little sweet and sour ex whole bunch stuff, some pomegranate tang, with a bright finish of fine length. It has something of a ‘mineral’ character to it, and a subtle amaro bite in the aftertaste. It looked more cohesive and compelling after some time in the glass. It’s a good wine, kind of on the cusp of ripeness, but has plenty of energy and grip."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
2023 Vanguardist Blewitt Grenache Syrah
Here's another great debut from Michael Corbett, one of Australia’s premier Grenache producers. This mid-weight blend captures the essence of modern McLaren Vale, perfectly balancing power and finesse.
Sourced from the Rende Vineyard in Blewitt Springs, this wine is a tribute to the unique terroir of the area. Named after the vineyard’s location, Blewitt Springs, the site sits over 200 metres above sea level, in the sandy topsoil and ironstone pockets that produce the best wines in the area.
The 2023 vintage was marked by a cool, slow-growing season, leading to a later harvest. The Grenache and Syrah were handpicked separately, with the final blend being a harmonious 55/45 split. About 50% of the wine underwent whole-cluster fermentation, enhancing its complexity. After blending, the wine spent 11 months aging in a three-year-old French oak cuve (foudre) before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.
In the glass, the Blewitt Grenache Syrah offers a vibrant mix of red berries, blue fruits, and plum, with savoury herbal notes and a touch of earthiness. Medium-bodied and beautifully structured, it’s an organic, vegan-friendly wine that will only improve with time. If you love Michael's stylings with Grenache, you'll love this blue-fruited beauty of a blend.
94 points
"This is quite spicy, quite the incense and garam masala thing happening, along with red fruit, blue fruit, dried herbs and an earthy stony thing. It’s medium-bodied, quite dusty and spicy, the white peppery tannin is very appealing, and yet there’s some succulence and almost almond richness to flavour, with bright acidity, lots of energy and a finish of excellent length. The old McLaren Vale synergy of Grenache and Shiraz is working to great effect here, albeit in a more frisky and lively framework. This is fresh, and kind of sappy, but very good to drink. Different, but good."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
Customer Reviews
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