Grenache in French, or also known as Garnacha in Spanish, today is the day where we celebrate one of the wine world's most versatile and beloved grape varieties. A red grape known for its exceptional adaptability, resulting in a wide range of wine styles, from elegant rosés to robust reds, it is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, where the grape is believed to have originated. The grape has its actual origin in the region of Aragon in northern Spain. This may be surprising to people as some of the best-known Grenache wines come from the Rhône region of France (hello Chateauneuf du Pape!)
Thanks to its intense flavours - think strawberries, raspberries and cherries and a sweet spicy component to it, it pairs perfectly with well-seasoned meat, such as a good beef stew or grilled quail. On the other hand, seafood or vegetables are best served with Grenache rosé. Grenache has low to medium acidity and low to medium tannins but feels medium-bodied yet refreshing and has a decent amount of heat (alcohol) to it as well.
So grab a bottle(s) this week!
SAVE 15% on ALL our Grenache wines and blends until Monday 22nd September 2025
1 product
2019 Smalltown Vineyards Clovella Mataro Grenache
Regular price £19.49 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Flovilla Thatch was the dentist’s assistant in the Russ Meyer boob-flick “Beneath the Valley of the Super-Vixens". The name was mis-remembered after a heady night of blending but stuck and this vineyard has been known as Clovella since. The label bears no relation to Russ Meyer's steamy ouput but the sultry nature of the wine does. The design inspiration is all about the meeting of mouths, that energy before lips meet, whether meeting a glass of wine or each other. Two varieties blending into one.
Tasting Notes
It starts with cassis, a nose full of promise. Clove and black pepper spice. The palate is dark and sultry with a dried fruit appeal. It finishes with a gentle lick of oak from the time the wine spends in oak.
Production
Clovella is a field planting of roughly 60/40 Grenache and Mataro. It is a 40 year old vineyard from the Gomersal sub-district of the Barossa Valley that Rolf Binder has been cultivating himself for many years. The wine spends 22 months in older French oak. The purpose of this wine is to show Mataro and Grenache with some development rather than the super-juicy-young-bright Grenache of the moment.
Producer
Smalltown Vineyards express many of the Barossa’s prized districts form Gomersal, Kalimna as well as the Eden Valley and beyond. We work with exceptional vineyards simply expressed using minimal intervention, basket press where relevant, natural ferments in open-top fermenters to best capture the Barossa’s magical flavours. We have a lot of fun with labels because, well because we can. It’s only wine after all…
A note about Sustainability
As of the 1st July, 2019, Australia changed from its previous sustainable programme called EntWine to Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. Smalltown Vineyards is a participant in this programme, which assists with tools and resources to enhance business sustainability, meeting customer sustainability requirements and sustainability claims made by participants.
Specifications
| Year | 2019 |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Cultivar | 60% Grenache, 40% Mataro |
| Country | Australia |
| Alcohol content | 14.5% alc vol |
| Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.9 units |
| Type | Red Wine |
| Cellaring Potential | Awaiting info |
| Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
| Food Matches |
Braises and stews: long slow cooked roasts of pork or lamb. |
| Origin | South Australia |
| Appellation | Barossa Valley |
