Description
“Pete Schell and his partner Magali Gely operate what I think is the best new wave of small scale Barossa wine companies to emerge at the beginning of the 21st century. These weren’t big, blockbuster, showy wines designed to impress. They were wines that managed to take the best of the Barossa’s sometimes forgotten varietal traditions and fuse them onto a very European flavour sensibility. ” Max Allen. The future makers.
“It seems that Spinifex wines can do no wrong.” Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front.
First introduced as an understudy to the Spinifex Garçon, this is the impressive follow-up to last year’s inaugural Cigale. Pete Schell’s flair with Mediterranean varieties is undeniable, and this juicy, bright, savoury take on a Southern Rhône blend is another feather in his cap.
It’s a heady mélange of Mataro (56%), Cinsault (24%) and Grenache (20%) from Spinifex’s Dominion vineyard in Vine Vale and three growers in the Barossa GI. The Cinsault comes from an old block in Bethany, the Mataro from two blocks in Ebenezer in the northern part of the Barossa, and the Grenache is from Pete’s own vineyard, as well as from his usual Garçon sources: old, dry-grown vines in the Barossa’s deep, coarse, sandy soil. The sites feature predominantly dry-grown vines aged between 30 and 110 years, and soils vary from classic terra rossa to deep sand.
The fruit mainly fermented as whole berries (a small portion of Grenache bunches were retained) in tank. The wine matured on light lees for 10 months in a combination of concrete, steel tank and 1250- and 700-litre seasoned wood. Mataro shines through, bringing savoury, gamey aromatics and full-throated fruit while the Cinsault lends spice, perfume and elegance to the palate and Grenache rounds things out with juicy red fruits and remarkable freshness. The perfect package.
93 points, Dave Brookes, The Wine Companion “… Red plum, red cherry and raspberry fruits with some cranberry high tones and hints of exotic spice, amaro, drying meadow flowers, dried citrus rind, biltong and ginger. Febrile and filigreed with a snappy, spacious mouthfeel and line, some sour cherry and red plum acidity swooping up at the back end. Great drinking.”
90 points, Stuart Knox, The Real Review “Medium to deep ruby red colour. Mulberry, blackberry and candied violets on the nose. Medium to full weighted: mixed berries and sweet spices sit at the core with a lift of acidity adding liveliness. Good length on a gravelly tannin carry.”
RRP $32 Our Special Price $27.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine
