Review: He did it again. Juxtaposed Old Vine Grenache 2018

July 23, 2020

Somehow this slipped through the net. A ball that went through to the keeper, when it should have been slotted through cover for an easy boundary. This Juxtaposed Old Vine Grenache 2018 is a natural four runs too.

While it doesn’t quite have the perfect poise of the 2017, it instead has breadth. From the famed Smart & Wait vineyards in McLaren Vale, Wes Pearson has delivered a Grenache with more lusciousness this vintage, which fits in with the 17 vs 18 harvest generalisations. Red fruit is the star here, complemented by trademark sandy varietal tannins. There’s a smidgen late warmth, but it’s the Grenache joy that drives this on and on. Another natural drinking wine #howgoodisGrenache.

Best drinking: drink it now of over the next five, maybe even ten years. Actually just drink it now as it is good to go. 18.5/20, 94/100. 14.3%, $29. Would I buy it? $29 is too cheap. I’d buy some in a flash.


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  • About me – Andrew Graham


    At 18, I started working in a small suburban bottleshop, largely to buy cheap beer. It was my first year of university, slogging through physics and chemistry, so a liquor shop seemed like fun. Needless to say, I discovered wine, and my life evolved with a unique dual focus - wine and environment.

    Twenty years later and I spend my days wearing many (wine) hats, mostly as a writer, presenter and marketer.

    I now judge at wine shows around the world, sit on the Australian Wine List of the Year awards panel and was once a Wine Journalism Young Gun (but baby that was years ago).

    Currently, I write features for a variety of publications including National Liquor News, Gourmet Traveller WINE and the RAS, plus I'm a former Lifestyle FOOD channel wine expert.

    In 2019 and 2020 I was voted in the Top 30 Best Wine Critics in The World, and in my spare time, I'm a sucker for punishment and run trail ultra marathons, much to the delight of my long-suffering family. Read more about me here or get in touch to book your next wine event with me here

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