2024 Vanguardist V Mourvedre

Vanguardist is one of just a handful of Australian producers championing Mourvèdre as a varietal wine. Michael Corbett is a staunch advocate for the variety, and this single-site expression from Blewitt Springs is a clear example of why. It’s grown just a stone's throw from his benchmark Grenache site, on the same sandy soils that define this pocket of the Vale.

The 2024 vintage captures that classic "wild" Mourvèdre personality. After a dry, warm run home into harvest, the fruit was hand-picked and fermented with about a third whole bunches. It spent 18 months in old French puncheons, including a second winter in oak, which has helped round out the variety's naturally boisterous tannins. It’s got the rare balance of being a "big" savoury wine that still feels light on its feet.

It’s a very Rhone-adjacent style, loaded with blackberry, blueberry, and those signature gamey, wild herb notes. The mouthfeel is sinewy and chewy, with a distinct blood-orange acidity and a salty, mineral finish that pulls everything together. It’s a serious, complex red that’s built for the cellar, but it’s so well-knit that it’s hard to resist right now.

96+ points
"Umami notes, kombu and roasted nori. Bountiful, detailed, fine and unmistakably natural tannins complete an exceptional package."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points
"Plum, spices, floral notes, an earthy new leather guttural thing lends great appeal, black pepper, almond paste, some green herb, but such perfume!.. Very good. Mataro fanciers will be well pleased."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)