The Derelict Vineyard Grenache
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Slow-roasted lamb shoulder, Peking duck, wild mushroom ragout
✨ Technical Specifications
The story of 'The Derelict Vineyard' is one of resilience and rediscovery. This historic McLaren Vale vineyard was abandoned for decades, left to be choked by weeds, wild blackberries, and native scrub. Against all odds, the ancient, dry-grown Grenache bush vines survived this period of extreme neglect. When d'Arenberg reclaimed the site, they discovered that these hardy, deep-rooted old vines produced incredibly low yields of highly concentrated, characterful fruit. In keeping with d'Arenberg's traditional methods, the grapes are gently foot-trodden in open fermenters and basket-pressed, yielding a wine with rich, earthy complexity, vibrant red fruit, and a distinctively rustic charm that pays homage to the vineyard's wild past.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1912 by Joseph Osborn, d'Arenberg stands as an iconic pillar of McLaren Vale viticulture, stewarded today by fourth-generation chief winemaker Chester Osborn. The estate spans undulating coastal landscapes influenced by the moderating maritime winds of the Gulf St Vincent, resting upon complex, ancient geologies ranging from calcareous Terra Rossa to sandy loam and weathered limestone. Viticulture is rigorous and certified organic and biodynamic across all estate-owned and leased vineyards. While renowned for formidable Rhone-style reds, d'Arenberg's white winemaking upholds identical artisanal rigor: gentle whole-bunch basket pressing ensures minimal phenolics and purity of expression. From the racy, textural The Money Spider Roussanne and crisp The Dry Dam Riesling to the lusciously layered botrytised expressions The Noble Semillon and The Noble Botryotinia Fuckeliana, the wines epitomize balance, crystalline minerality, and vibrant natural acidity.
🍇 Grapes
Grenache
🍷 ABV
14.0% - 14.5%