I’ve always been particularly drawn to this producer’s Grenaches, feeling they capture the easy appeal and drinkability of the variety especially well. This wine, from the Second Take range, represents an attempt to diverge from standard winemaking practices, although in this case the process used is starting to look rather mainstream: some whole bunch, no fining, no filtering. A fair bit of new French oak (36%) rounds out the regime.

Not that it’s especially evident, such is the exuberance of the fruit. This shows the expressive aromatics of Grenache to full advantage, with red fruit and flowers taking centre stage, supported by some sap, coffee grounds and spice. It’s appropriately fresh at this stage, smelling like the young wine it is and, such is the appeal, one would have to gain something pretty interesting with bottle age to compensate for the vibrancy of its youth.

In the mouth, correspondingly transparent and fresh. It’s not a heavy wine, being just medium bodied and briskly acidic. Fruit is boldly sweet and verges on confected, but steps back into a network of savoury spice and sap in the nick of time. The after palate becomes progressively tauter, with flavours darkening slightly as the finish concludes on mostly oak-driven terms, some loose-knit tannin adding welcome texture. Still, it’s a wine that will reward lovers of fruit-forward styles, and won’t dominate a meal or demand too much contemplation.

Update: holding up remarkably well after a couple of days; in fact, it’s more coherent than it was when first opened. Deceptive longevity.

Yelland & Papps
Price: $A40
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample