Fireblock Old Vine Grenache 2005

Fireblock

Old Vine Grenache 2005

Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia

$23-26 available at select private stores

Time for a little Father’s Day math. Men like fire. Dads like grilling. Red wine goes with grilled foods. Answer = buy red wine for your Father’s Day gift.

I am obviously a wine writer, not a mathematician. Regardless, Father’s Day is this weekend, and grills will be firing on all cylinders. This Clare Valley Grenache is a superb partner for your BBQ – able to work with anything from veggie kabobs to sausages to salmon to rib eye.

The name Fireblock refers to the plot of dirt in Clare Valley that was planted back in 1926, predominantly to Grenache. It had been previously designated a “fireblock” given its proximity to the local railway line, and out of concern that sparks from the steam locomotives could start bushfires. And they’re not kidding about old vines. Fruit sourced from this 84 yr old dry grown vineyard has produced a wine with intriguing complexity. Spicy wild strawberry and raspberry aromas to begin, leading into bright and silky red fruit of all types – currants, cherries, raspberry, strawberry and rhubarb. There’s a fluid floral curl that ducks in and around herbal earth, and a purity of mineral fruit that is alluring. This is a curious wine with age lines, learned patience, and a lot of character – probably much like Dad.

One of the more versatile red grapes in the world, Grenache is somewhat of a chameleon grape. It thrives in southern France and Spain (where it is known as Garnacha) and can range from light and confected to brooding and intense. Grenache vines tend to perform best in dry and hot growing regions. Grenache was one of the first vines to arrive in Australia, in the early 1800s, and was the most widely planted red grape planted until the mid 20th century, when it was overtaken by Shiraz.

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Fireblock Old Vine Grenache 2005

Fruit sourced from this 84 yr old dry grown vineyard has produced a wine with intriguing complexity. Spicy wild strawberry and raspberry aromas to begin, leading into bright and silky red fruit of all types – currants, cherries, raspberry, strawberry and rhubarb. There’s a fluid floral curl that ducks in and around herbal earth, and a purity of mineral fruit that is alluring. Heaps of character here.