Larnook Blewitt Springs Grenache 2022

Larnook is a small label to watch. Quality is high across the board. Winemaker Alexia (Lexi) Roberts had been crafting award-winning wines for almost two decades in the McLaren Vale region for brands such as Penny's Hill, Black Chook and Wirra Wirra when she and her family found a property on top of a hill in the sandy soils of Blewitt Springs. The picturesque property contained a small vineyard at an elevation of 140m planted with two of McLaren Vale’s regional hero varieties, Grenache and Shiraz. The old bush-vine Grenache was planted in 1922, making the vines over 100 years old. They knew they'd found their new home. The family launched their Larnook label in 2022.

"A delicious wine from centurion bush vines on deep sandy soil; matured in old French puncheons for nine months; 25% whole bunches. It's spicy, flora, ferrous and minerally; cherries and red fruits abound on the complex, reserved, mid-weight palate. Fine nebbiolo-like tannins and fresh acidity to finish. Compelling and great value."  Nick Munday

Old vine Grenache looking east towards the Mt Lofty ranges.

"100 year old bush vine Grenache grown on our property in Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale. An elegant and fine expression of Blewitt Springs Grenache with floral notes, red fruits and underlying five spice, anise and cardamon. The palate has great purity and power, a fine and balanced expression of this wonderful McLaren Vale sub-region."  Larnook

Expert reviews

"A delicious wine from centurion bush vines on deep sandy soil; matured in old French puncheons for nine months; 25% whole bunches. It's spicy, flora, ferrous and minerally; cherries and red fruits abound on the complex, reserved, mid-weight palate. Fine nebbiolo-like tannins and fresh acidity to finish. Compelling and great value."  Nick Munday, Canterbury Wines - 95 points and Special Value Wine  ★ 

"Grenache grown on 100-year-old bush vines. It’s a treat. It’s firm, spicy, meaty and complex, the fruit all charm and nuance, the structure nebbiolo-esque in its laciness and tension. Cherries, earth, sand, twiggy herbs and a meaty, undergrowth-y, X-factor element. It’s not dense but nor is it light, and it has presence in spades.  Drink 2024-2032+."  Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front - 94 points  

Awards

Special Value Wine – Canterbury Wines  ★ 

About the winery

Alexia Roberts

Winemaker Alexia (Lexi) Roberts had been crafting award-winning wines for almost two decades in the McLaren Vale region for brands such as Penny's Hill, Black Chook and Wirra Wirra when she and her family found a property on top of a hill in the sandy soils of Blewitt Springs. The picturesque property contained a small vineyard at an elevation of 140m planted with two of McLaren Vale’s regional hero varieties, Grenache and Shiraz. The old bush-vine Grenache was planted in 1922, making the vines over 100 years old, while the Shiraz was planted in 1999. They knew they'd found their new home.

The family established Larnook Wines in 2022. Larnook is an aboriginal name meaning 'to build a camp or nest'. The aim and philosophy were simple – to hand craft premium wines that express the iconic McLaren Vale wine region. Larnook produces single vineyard wines from their Blewitt Springs home block, together with a collection of small batch wines made from fruit sourced from quality growers in the McLaren Vale region.

Larnook is a small label to watch. Quality is high across the board and Lexi hit the ground running by taking out the Chairperson's Trophy at the 2022 McLaren Vale Wine Show for her inaugural Grenache Gris - the first wine in Australia made from this variety to be awarded a major Trophy.

Lexia is an advocate of planting alternative white grape varietals in McLaren Vale. In addition to a Grenache Gris she also produces a Picpoul, both of which are grown primarily in the south of France. "I think it's about connecting to the Mediterranean climate and producing wines that work really well with our lifestyle," she says. "We're a coastal wine region, with lots of seafood; we’re big on local, seasonal produce, and I want to make wines that have great drinkability, that work well with those food pairings. I'm looking to make whites that have interest, that have flavour and structure."