Cirillo '1850' Ancestor Vine Grenache 2019 - In Bond

99+ Points - Angus Hughson, Winepilot and Vinous “This stunning young 2019 Grenache Ancestor vine, from the country’s oldest vines for this variety delivers an almost perfect mix of pristine primary dark cherry and red licorice aromas lifted by layers of mountain herbs, red earth and meat spices with genuine concentration and focus. Young, compact and still a little shy, it has all the pieces in place with energetic flavours, beautiful composure and refinement yet with a firm base of gravelly tannins before gliding to a pristine finish of astounding length. With the perfume of the 2017 vintage combined with the density of tannins from a year marked by long periods of dry, warm to hot conditions, this is as good as Barossa Grenache gets and may achieve perfection in time.”

Some vineyards produce great wines. Others make history. Cirillo's remarkable Grenache is crafted from fruit grown on vines planted in 1848, from what is widely believed to be the oldest surviving Grenache vineyard on Earth.

Rooted in the deep sandy soils of the historic Light Pass district in the Barossa Valley, these ancient, own-rooted vines have been producing fruit for 178 years. Every bottle offers a direct connection to Australia's earliest viticultural history - a vineyard whose resilience, provenance and rarity are simply extraordinary.