What are the chances? This is the second Australian wine tasted in as many weeks made in a joven style, blending Grenache and Tempranillo, but referring to the former as Garnacha instead of the more bogan-sounding Grenache. This one is from micro-producer Smallfry, and the bottle in front of me is one of a run of 110 cases.
Dowie Doole's G&T showed a Grenache Garnacha-dominant flavour profile of jammy red fruit, with Tempranillo adding savouriness and complexity at the edges. This, by contrast, takes a completely different approach, with funky, meaty Tempranillo taking centre stage, and Grenache adding some soft fruitiness. On the nose, the smell of pulling weeds, charcuterie, spice and soft red fruits. It's light and fun, and its savouriness is attractive to me. No oak that I can detect.
The palate is feather light, almost insubstantial, and it all might be too ephemeral if it weren't such easy fun. Entry is sweet, but this quickly fans out to a savoury middle palate that is perhaps a bit dilute. The after palate shows the greatest complexity of flavour -- crushed leaf and fresh cranberries -- plus a smattering of grainy tannins. Finish is decent.
Very refreshing style. Personally, I prefer this to the Dowie Doole, though the latter's generously sweet fruit will win many fans too.
Thanks for you nice comments, I hope this style of wine has real future in OZ.
G'day Wayne,
I hope so too - and my congratulations to you for creating a compelling argument in favour of this. It's a really fun wine, so easygoing and easy to fit into any number of real-world situations. Breezy fun.
Julian.