The 2011 Sparrow and Vine Dry Red is also safely in bottle. Once that bottle is open though it does tend to empty rather quickly.

 This vintage is a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Mataro, 15% Shiraz and 5% Cinsault. All the fruit was hand picked off Wayne Ahrens’ vineyard at Vine Vale in the Barossa Valley.

Wayne made the wine too, with a deft hand indeed. It is very much small batch winemaking, fermented with wild yeasts, hand plunged, minimal sulphur additions. The Mataro component spent some time in large, old oak barrels, but not so that it is obvious in the wine.

 And a delicious drink it is too. Wonderfully perfumed, quite floral really, almost rose-like with cherry and raspberry fruit scents. The palate is really juicy and cherried, the natural sweetness of the Grenache balanced by Shiraz spice and distinctively fine grained Mataro tannins giving it a bit of a Pinot Noir like mouthfeel.  (I like to refer to it as Barossa Burgundy).  

It has it all really, fruit, spice, fine bones and effortlessly drinkable. Bugger all made too, so if you want some get in touch soon.