Seppeltsfield Grenache 2023 (Barossa) - Wine Review

After enjoying the excellent 2020 Seppeltsfield EC405 Barossa Shiraz/Mataro last year, tonight's red wine review is a lovely Grenache from the same producer that made its debut at the LCBO just over a couple of weeks ago in the June 21st LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by the historic Seppeltsfield, a winery that was established in the Barossa Valley in 1851 by Joseph and Johanna Seppelt, who emigrated from Silesia in Central Europe, just 15 years after the European settlement of South Australia. While their original intent was to farm tobacco, later generations of the family concentrated their efforts on grape growing and winemaking. The Seppelt family is regarded as one of Australia's most successful wine dynasties.

Today, Seppeltsfield is considered a true national treasure as it helped shape the history of the Australian wine industry. Steeped in rich Barossan heritage, Seppeltsfield is a multi-award-winning tourism destination that provides world-class luxury experiences with the cellar door serving as the heart of the estate. Seppeltsfield remained within the family for generations until 1985, and returned to private ownership in 2007 after it was acquired by proprietor, viticulturist, and winemaker Warren Randall, who worked with the Seppelt family during the 1980s, and a supporting cast of proud investors.

The history of Seppeltsfield is punctuated with many moments of visionary foresight. The first was the inception of the 1878 Centennial Cellar - a truly unique and unparalleled system of maturing single barrels of vintage Tawny for 100 years before release. Plans to build the bluestone cellar began in 1866, and it was completed in 1878 by Oscar Benno, son of Joseph and Johanna, following the passing of his father. The visionary Gravity Cellar was designed by Benno and completed in 1888. Built into the hillside on a series of terraces, it allowed for gravity to naturally guide the flow of fruit through the winery to deliver gentle extraction of colour, flavour, and tannin. While the Gravity Cellar was decommissioned in the 1980s due to the need for significant restoration, it was proudly revived for the 2010 vintage.

This red wine is crafted with 100% Grenache that was sourced from vineyards situated on the western ridge of the Barossa. The vineyard was carefully and frequently assessed during the entire growing, especially during the ripening phase post-veraison, to ensure the perfect balance between flavour, sugar, and phenolic ripeness. The wine was vinified through the historic 1888 Gravity Cellar, which is highly regarded for its small batch format and gentle maceration. Crafted in a 'joven' style, this Grenache was vinified without any oak maturation, thus allowing the natural fruit characters of the grape to shine.

The 2023 growing season in Barossa was a challenging vintage that began with a spring that was one of the wettest ever recorded. There was strong budburst, while the growing season saw average soil moisture. Summer days were sunny, with no heatwaves, while diurnal temperatures were average. With temperatures mostly staying below 30°C, along with large canopies, veraison occurred in many varieties in February, which was later than normal. Some rainfall during harvest kept both growers and producers on their toes with crop management and picking dates. While a challenging vintage, growers who paid careful attention to their vines enjoyed a superb vintage. Let's see how this 2023 Grenache from Barossa is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

SEPPELTSFIELD GRENACHE 2023 - Barossa, South Australia (#41439) (XD) - $24.95
Screw cap. Fragrant and open, this has a lovely, lifted nose of great intensity with spicy, ripe dark red berry, raspberry, black cherry, earthy minerals, red plum, red licorice, and touches of dried herb aromas. The mid-weighted palate is dry with lovely red fruit, spices, raspberry, black cherry, licorice, red plum, and dried herb flavours surrounding a core of earthy and graphite minerality. Acids are crisp and lively, while the light tannins have a finely-grained texture. Mildly spicy on the mid-palate, while red fruits, raspberry, and herbal notes taper to graphite and earthy minerals on the long, crisp, and savoury finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

Very small quantities of other fine wines by Seppeltsfield are available at the LCBO, while the full range can be ordered through their Agent - Dionysus Wines & Spirits.