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Johann’s Garden Barossa Valley Grenache Blend 2018

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An Island Chef

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Johann’s Garden Barossa Valley Grenache Blend 2018

As you start to learn about wine there are names of regions, vineyards, and individuals that you begin to take notice of. They may be part of a large multinational company, a particular geographical area, or centuries old family run businesses. Henschke is certainly a name to look out for. The family started making wine in the Eden Valley in 1868. The company is now run by the fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke and his wife Prue a viticulturist. And why should you take notice of the name Henschke, well one of their wines produced from the single ‘Hill of Grace’ vineyard is one of the most sought-after Shiraz wines in the world.

Johann’s Garden Barossa Valley Grenache Blend 2018

Grenache

Grenache has been cultivated in Australia from the mid-eighteen hundreds. Australia now has some of the world’s oldest Grenache vines continuously producing grapes for wine. There are now around one thousand five hundred hectares of Grenache vines in cultivation around only 1% of the total planting in Australia. For the majority of the twentieth century, Grenache was used to make fortified wines. Today it is used in blends in GSM along with Shiraz and Mourvèdre and increasingly in standalone wines that highlight its elegant style. Grenache wines are usually ready to drink, and the lighter, fresher wines are perfect chilled.

Johann’s Garden Barossa Valley Grenache Blend 2018

Johann’s Garden is named after the early German settlers who pioneered wine-making in the Barossa Valley. Many of their wine-making techniques survive through to the present. The wine is made from selected low-yielding Barossa Valley vines handpicked by growers who have supplied the Henschke family for years. A blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Shiraz grapes similar to those found in the Rhone and Provence are fermented for seven to ten days, gently pressed then aged in French hog’s head barrels for ten months before blending.

The wine is crimson in colour and loaded with fruit aromas of raspberry, cherries, and plums. The wine is packed with juicy fruit flavours of stewed red fruit, with hints of chocolate, pepper, and nutmeg spices from the oak. This is a big, deep wine, with silky tannins, balanced acidity, and a lovely long finish. I was very happy just enjoying the wine with a plate of cured meats, but it would pair beautifully with a venison casserole or roast lamb. Johann’s Garden won a silver medal at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards and is a great introduction to wines produced by one of the best names in Australia if not the world.

Grape variety                               76% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre, 6 % Shiraz                     

Country of origin                         Australia

Region                                           Barossa Valley

Vintage                                          2018

Alcohol                                          14.5%

Notes

Grey Glacier is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The bottle is sealed with an innovative Vinolok glass stopper.

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Welcome to The Caskaway

Personal, subjective and in no way definitive but I hope The Caskaway reveals a little of the passion I have for wine and beer. I’m no expert but I love to learn and wanted to share my knowledge and discoveries with all my drink writing in one convenient place. Why am I doing this when there is so much information out there already? Well, if one person reads and tries something new, I will call that a win.

There are honest tasting notes that you might hopefully find helpful, entertaining and maybe even instructive. Some posts try to help with the confusing and often obscure specialist terminology and language in both the beer and wine worlds and yes, there is a lot! Finally, there are links to all of my favourite recipes made using wine and beer (see below), and finally some expanded reviews of great pubs and other bits and pieces.

Formerly a full-time chef and publican, I’ve worked for two breweries, an award-winning Jersey based wine merchants and now try to write and broadcast about food and drink for local and national media including What’s Brewing and BBC Local Radio.