Juxtaposed Smart Vineyard Grenache 2021

Spicy, complex florals, red and dark fruits, fresh compost and pipe tobacco. Rich and full bodied, with thoroughly defined curves, dripping with fruit, draped in silk. Like the Wait, there is a lovely tension between the sweet and savoury elements, with curry leaf, bitter chocolate and the silk , morphing into fine, sandy tannins. A truly remarkable grenache of astonishing value and it’s great to see richness, presence and power and not some Burgundy/Barolo wannabe. Waters Wine Co

I’ve been oscillating between this and its Wait vineyard sibling, struggling to determine which I prefer. While this is not the winner, at least for now, I suggest you buy both. This may well outpace the other in time. There is more intensity, sap and while ‘power’ is too philistine a word for these beauties, more oomph. Ferrous, even. Yet the mocha seams of oak are more obvious and weighing on the flow, a minor foible to be erased, surely, with patience. Not the pinot-esque beauty queen Wait, but so much to adore. Raspberry bonbon, candied orange peel, vanilla, cardamon and the tamarind of the Marrakech souk. 95 Points – Ned Goodwin MW (Halliday Wine Companion)