2023 Jericho McLaren Vale Grenache

We’ve been following Jericho’s wines for well over a decade, and they’ve always been a source of reliably delicious, great-value drinking. This release feels a little extra special though - it’s the first Grenache to come off their own vineyard in Blewitt Springs, the subregion that’s become the heartland for the variety in McLaren Vale.

The site is classic Blewitt Springs: ancient sandy soils, plenty of sun, and cooling sea breezes from the Gulf. That combination gives Grenache its perfume and its trademark fine, sandy tannin – both of which are on full display here.

The 2023 is fragrant and pretty, with red berries, violets and a flicker of spice on the nose. The palate is juicy and bright – cranberry, ripe cherry – with that savoury backbone that makes you want another glass. Winemaking is gentle and unfussy: hand-picked fruit, a short ferment, and just six months in old French oak.

It’s an early release style that’s built for drinking now, the kind of wine that suits a long lunch or a midweek bowl of pasta. Fresh, silky and absolutely spot on.

"It’s light of weight, could likely be chilled a fraction, but it’s got tannin, and will match a broad range of dishes. Delicious."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)