We have long worked with old vine Grenache vineyards, although age is relative when you also produce wines from the Vignacourt and Warrine vineyards.
Many of these old vineyards produce very low yields, so we have secured a long-term lease on a slightly younger Grenache vineyard that has a proven track record of producing quality fruit. The cessation of conventional disc tillage has severely suppressed yields at this dry-grown site, but this has allowed us to increase organic matter and soil water holding capacity.
Compaction was alleviated using a chisel plough, which has also encouraged the vines to send their roots deep into the earth to improve resilience. All of which was required in the apocalyptic conditions of the 2024 vintage.
Where Shiraz wilted, Grenache laughed off the extended heatwave conditions to produce this elegant aromatic wine that reminds me of a new world Pinot. Where Vignacourt is a combination of primary and secondary notes, Clarum is all fruit, due to it’s lengthy maturation in larger French oak puncheons and gentle handling in the winery. A difficult wine to put down.
