Duke Reserve Grenache
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2034
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, slow-cooked lamb shanks, grilled Mediterranean vegetables
✨ Technical Specifications
Kilikanoon's 'The Duke' Grenache is a testament to the regal character of old-vine Grenache grown in the Clare Valley. Sourced from select, low-yielding vineyards, this wine captures the grape's expressive personality under the influence of the region's warm days and cool, refreshing nights. Winemaker Kevin Mitchell employs traditional open-top fermenters and gentle basket pressing, followed by maturation in seasoned French oak hogsheads. This careful, non-intrusive approach ensures that the vibrant red fruit, white pepper, and earthy spice characteristics of the terroir remain the focal point, delivering a wine of remarkable purity, structure, and elegance.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1997 by winemaker Kevin Mitchell alongside his viticulturist father Mort Mitchell, Kilikanoon has evolved into one of the Clare Valley’s definitive benchmark estates. Headquartered at an 1860s stone farmhouse in Penwortham, the estate commands access to premier vineyard parcels spanning diverse subregions, including Watervale, Leasingham, and Auburn. Altitudes range from 220 to over 600 meters above sea level, engendering dramatic diurnal shifts that preserve vital acidity and balance the Mediterranean sun. Kilikanoon champions sustainable farming across varied terroirs characterized by red terra rossa over limestone and slate-rich soils, most famously showcased in the ungrafted, dry-grown 1865 Attunga parcel. In the cellar, the winemaking philosophy pairs traditional fermentation techniques with precise maturation in French oak and unadorned vinification for aromatic whites. Revered for power paired with structural elegance, the estate's benchmark bottlings include the storied Attunga 1865 Shiraz, Oracle Shiraz, and the piercing, mineral-driven Mort's Reserve Watervale Riesling.
🍇 Grapes
Grenache