Blewitt Springs, Kangarilla, Onkapringa Hills || McLaren Vale
100% Grenache
14% Alc
95 - 35 years old vine
A very late harvest.Cool and cloudy. Winter rainfall was good,and the wet conditions continued into Spring.Summer was mild without any extended heatwave periods. Cloudy weather returned during the ripening period. Anervous period of waiting ensued as grape phenolic ripening was particularly slow. 2023 was not a vintage in whichto overcropnor to panic and pick too early. Patience was the name of the game.The resulting wines are a littlelower in alcohol, higher in fresh acidity and show wonderful fragrance.
Hand harvested 7th, 24th of March and 3rd, 5th April, 2023.Each parcel fermented separately. An average of 7%whole bunches added to small open fermenters. Remaining fruit destemmed (not crushed) and machine-sorted to remove shrivelled berries. Cold soaked for 5-6 days prior to the beginning of extended natural fermentation (no yeast added). Gentle pumpovers with the aim of minimising over-extraction. Basket pressed to aged Frenchoak (500L puncheons). A small parcel was matured in a concrete tank. Aged on fine lees with no sulphur additions until completion of malolactic fermentation (July 2023).Racking in August 2023 and March 2024. The components were blended together and bottled in July 2024.
Not far from the McLaren Vale township lies a vineyard of old, dry-grown Grenache that we’ve long admired. We source a tiny parcel of terrific fruit from these old warriors. To this backbone we add three small parcels from vineyards in Kangarilla, Blewitt Springs, Onkaparinga Hills. Grenache from these higher elevation parts of the valley deliver fragrance and pretty aromatics.
Grenache is a hero variety for McLaren Vale and is experiencing a renaissance. With a unique affinity between variety and place, when carefully grown and gently handled McLaren Vale Grenache has the capacity to make beautiful, expressive wines.
In our Grenache we search for indian spice (cloves, cumin and star anise), fragrance and pretty aromatics. We love Grenache's clarity of fruit. It's no shrinking violet though, and has the capacity to age beautifully.
Fine slinky tannins, attractive mid-palate viscosity and linear fresh acidity.
96 points - Andrew Caillard
94 points - James Suckling
95 points - The Wine Front
95 points - Halliday Wine Companion
92 points - Wine Advocate
Bekkers McLaren Vale Grenache 2023
Halliday Wine Companion 5 Red Star
"In McLaren Vale, South Australia, the Bekkers story is born of a rare connection with nature and a world of experience. We have been fortunate to encounter some of the best the wine world has to offer, but nothing has diminished our conviction that McLaren Vale can deliver world class wines. We aim to be an emblem for fine wine in our region. Our wines are gently crafted in tiny quantities, with an accent on finesse and fine texture. We strive to inspire confidence and push the limits of what’s possible for McLaren Vale and Australian wine. Our fine wines are loved by devotees world-wide with whom we have formed strong relationships. They share an appreciation for craftsmanship infused with the efforts and soul of the maker. As small family winemaker, we aspire to stand proud amid the world’s most coveted wines and their craftsmen.
This is a story of special wine……from the soil to the soul."