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The 2020 Grenache Noir is a Single Vineyard Wine created from 1923 Planted Grenache vines grown on our ‘Stonewell Hill’ Vineyard. It is my 'crack' at making Grenache into a style we affectionately call Barossa Pinot. The oft (tongue in cheek) Barossan quote 'Friends don't let friends drink Pinot' now has an out... 2020 david Franz Grenache Noir!
Stonewell Grenache 1923 Block
Brilliant Garnet Red
Raspberries and
strawberries with hints of plum underpinned with spicy savory darkness.
A deceptively full palate exhibiting rich bright full summer fruits and spicy complexity. Lovely lilting balance between silky tannins bright acid and a lengthy slightly spicy finish.
I've chosen to call this little beauty Grenache Noir as it encompasses my first steps in a quest to capture ‘Burgophile’ sensibilities from Old Vine Barossa Grenache. We have a unique resource that to my mild embarrassment I have overlooked for the many years I have managed the families Stone Well block. The joy available from the 1923 plantings have gone largely overlooked as I tried to make a more muscular and heavier wine than to be honest these vines were able to give while still retaining their unique purity of varietal expression. 1.8 tonne of ‘Survivor’ Vine Grenache was Handpicked in mid April 2020. 33% of the fruit was whole bunch layered in the bottom of each small batch fermenter before field de-stemming the rest of the pick on top. Wild or more accurately indigenous ferment kicked off after a couple of days so during this time we ‘wet the cap’ with 3 pump overs per day. Once active, this was substituted with careful hand plunging 3 times a day (not disturbing the whole bunch on the bottom) - pushing the cap down. The Grenache spent 16 days in active ferment with cooling as needed by pumping over to maintain a low temperature run. At day 9 Plunging was taken to the bottom and the whole bunch worked in earnest to start removing the berries from the stalk. Once the Ferment stopped capping it was Basket Pressed in a single batch and filled to predominantly Old French Oak Hogsheads on Full Gross Lees. Following completion of Malolactic the 2020 Grenache Noir spent a combined 12 months maturation on lees, going from tank to seasoned French oak and back to tank before triple racking over a period of 6 months. The Grenache was bottled without filtration and released in November 2022. The final flourish for this baby is an illustration by my wife Nicki. Quirky as hell but totally appropriate!
