Family Article

Grenache is the emerging hero variety of McLaren Vale. Traditional blends of Grenache from our region generally focused on the varieties Grenache (G), Shiraz (S) and Mourvedre (M), and thus the term GSM. For many years in the old world Grenache has had many more blending partners. In France, namely the Sourthern Rhone, it can be blended with Cinsaut, Counouise, Picpoul Noir, Muscardin. In Priorat Spain, with Carignan. We started planting some of these obscure Southern Rhone and Priorat varieties in 2008 which has culminated in our first Noir blend being produced. Many of these varieties, including Grenache, have a blanc (white), gris (grey) and noir (black) expression of the variety, which lead to calling this the Noir.