Atlas 2018 Grenache

What the Experts Say

Churinga vineyard, vines planted in 1938. Seasoned in old French oak.

Very light and quite minty, with poached strawberry, cedar, nuts and spice. It’s all squishy red fruit, peppermint tea, and a little oak, has some fine grip to the tannin, but again closes out with quite a lot of mint and liquorice laced red fruit. Acidity is quite brisk. The camphor/minty stuff is a bit overt for me, but a nice wine all up.

90/100 - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

Our Notes

Red fruit on the nose. Crunchy tannin, more than you’d expect for the style, mint and cinnamon on the finish. This isn’t just a classy offbeat Grenache but a real example of vineyard and varietal 

character, probably helped by the wild-yeast fermentation process and, no doubt, the expertise and Clare Valley wisdom of winemaker Adam Barton. 

Winemakers Comments

More akin to Pinot Noir than what wine drinkers might traditionally expect from a Grenache, the nose is dominated by fresh raspberries, sour cherries and ‘just ripe’ strawberries with hints of green herbs. The palate is fruit-driven but with interesting textural complexity resulting from the subtle astringency from the inclusion of whole bunches in the fermentation. This winemaking approach also gave the wine structure, length and persistence.

About the Winery

A passion project of veteran winemaker Adam Barton, Atlas Wines source from five small and carefully-chosen vineyards around the Clare Valley. Atlas' attention to detail and growing knowledge of the Clare Valley geography and ecosystems have lead to a raft of both Australian and international accolades since beginning the business 10 years ago.