Small Batch Grenache
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2032
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, slow-cooked lamb shanks, grilled Mediterranean vegetables
✨ Technical Specifications
Kilikanoon's Small Batch Grenache is a compelling tribute to the Clare Valley's unique microclimates and South Australia's rich history with Rhône varieties. Sourced from select, low-yielding vineyard parcels, this wine showcases the expressive, spicy, and bright red-fruit character that Grenache achieves in the region's elevated sites. The Clare Valley's dramatic diurnal temperature shifts—characterized by warm, sunny days and crisp, cool nights—allow the grapes to develop rich, concentrated flavors while retaining a vibrant natural acidity. Crafted using traditional, hands-on winemaking techniques such as open-top fermentation and gentle basket pressing, the wine is matured in seasoned French oak hogsheads. This careful oak regime ensures the wood complements rather than dominates the grape's natural elegance, resulting in a beautifully textured, terroir-driven expression of Clare Valley Grenache.
🍾 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