Harvested: Grenache Project 2023

Grenache Project 2023

We’ve started our first Artisans of Barossa Grenache Project from the Ebenezer sub-region. Located at the northern end of the Barossa Valley, at an elevation of 290 metres, with a slight S.E. aspect (132°) and a gentle slope of 1.53° [2.68%], the vineyard has sand and over clay soils, typical of Ebenezer. The rows are north / south orientated, which perfectly, side on, capture the morning sun rising over the Barossa Ranges and the setting sun from the western ridge of the Valley.

Nick Riebke, sixth-generation Barossa, is the grower whose fruit we’re working with: After tending to these vines across his life, Nick knows every contour of his land. He has spent decades honing his ability to work with the seasons and fluctuating conditions to produce the premium fruit sold to prestigious Barossa wine brands and is now used for their label, Lost Penny Wines.

Nick first learned his craft by helping his Dad, Uncle and Grandpa from a young age. The vineyard has been passed through the generations, and Nick counts himself lucky that he still had two generations of grape-growing wisdom to draw upon when it came time for him to take over the family blocks. This old-vine Grenache vineyard was planted by Nick’s grandfather in the 1960s.

From 2023, we will create our first ever ‘eight wine’ Grenache Project. Eight expressions of Grenache, one tonne each, all hand-picked on the same day. The Riebke vineyard is perfect for the Grenache Project, with an estimated 1 tonne per row. The fruit was hand-harvested on the morning of Saturday, 1 April and captured by photographer Sam Kroepsch.