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Old Vine Blewitt Springs Grenache 2025 | 97 Points | Only 1,200 Bottles
WAIT FAMILY VINEYARD · TOP BUSH BLOCK · BLEWITT SPRINGS · McLAREN VALE
Old vines. Extraordinary structure. A Grenache that stays with you.
Aphelion Wait Single Site Grenache Noir 2025 is a premium, old-vine McLaren Vale Grenache from the Wait family's dry-grown Top Bush vineyard in Blewitt Springs, South Australia.
Planted in the mid-1940s, these remarkable bush vines produce small berries of intense flavour, giving Wait its distinctive combination of savoury depth, powerful tannin and exceptional length.
Deep ruby in colour, with dark cherry, turned earth and subtle root vegetable aromatics, this is a Grenache of remarkable concentration and restraint.
Its defining character is structure and persistence. Layers of fine, firm tannin move across the palate in waves, carrying the wine's savoury, slightly saline character through an exceptionally long finish.
Rob believes 2025 is the finest vintage we've ever made at Aphelion. Wait is one of its most compelling expressions.
97 points - Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
96+ points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
"A Wine of the Year contender" - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front.
Why Choose Wait Single Site Grenache 2025?
97 Points - Halliday Wine Companion
Outstanding critical recognition for this old-vine, single-vineyard Grenache from Blewitt Springs.
96+ Points - The Wine Front
Campbell Mattinson identified Wait 2025 as a contender for Wine of the Year, placing it among the most exciting wines of the vintage.
Old Bush Vines - Planted in the Mid-1940s
Sourced exclusively from the Wait family's dry-grown Top Bush block, where old vines produce small berries with remarkable flavour intensity and tannin structure.
100% Whole Bunch
Hand-picked Grenache, fermented entirely as whole bunches and matured in large-format neutral French oak.
Only 1,200 Bottles
A genuinely limited Single Site release, with just 50 Magnums produced separately.
Made for the Long Game
The most structural and savoury expression in our Single Site range, with the concentration, tannin and freshness to evolve beautifully through 2038.
Complimentary Limited Time 2025 Single Site Companion
Exclusively Available Direct From Aphelion Only
Every purchase of the new Single Site Grenache 2025 Collection made direct from Aphelion will receive, completely free of charge, three special launch edition time-limited bonuses:
- A full Enjoyment Guide;
- A perfectly paired Recipe card;
- A Taste Over Time card.
Limited Time Only
Available for qualifying purchases until Monday 2 November at 11:59pm Adelaide time. The wines themselves remain available after the bonuses expire, subject to stock.
About the Companion:
- Single Site Grenache Enjoyment Guide
Includes paired music Spotify playlist, how to serve your Single Site's so they show at their best, each wine's characteristics at a glance, ideas to open all four at home.
- Inspiring, Perfectly Paired Recipe Card
A simply delicious meal suggestion that is easy to make and sure to please. Included in your box with our compliments.
- A Taste Over Time Card.
Record how your Single Site's evolve over time by recording what you notice each time you try them. A Taste Over Time card will be included in your box.
Meet Wait Single Site Grenache 2025
What can an 80-year-old Grenache vine tell you about the place where it grows?
In the northeast corner of Blewitt Springs, the Wait family tends a remarkable parcel of old Grenache bush vines known as the Top Bush block.
Planted in the mid-1940s, these vines have lived through decades of McLaren Vale seasons. Hot summers. Cool winters. Years of abundance and years of very little rain.
They are dry-grown, relying on the natural rainfall and moisture held within the vineyard soils rather than irrigation.
And they produce something extraordinary.
Small berries. Concentrated flavours. Prominent, beautifully persistent tannins.
For Rob, the Wait vineyard consistently produces one of the most distinctive Grenaches in the Aphelion range. It is often the most structural, the most savoury and the most brooding in character.
Where some Grenache wines announce themselves with bright fruit and exuberant perfume, Wait asks for a little more attention.
There is dark cherry, certainly. But also turned earth, root vegetables, briar and a savoury, almost saline quality that runs right through the wine.
And then there are the tannins.
They don't simply frame the fruit. They move across the palate in waves, revealing another layer of texture and flavour with each sip.
The 2025 vintage captures this character with extraordinary clarity.
It's a wine that rewards attention, patience and the pleasure of discovering something new each time you return to the glass.
What Does Wait Grenache 2025 Taste Like?
Deeply coloured with an intense ruby hue.
The aromatics are subtle at first, but remarkably deep. Turned earth, root vegetables and dark cherry emerge gradually, giving the wine a distinctive savoury, brooding character.
The palate is firm, concentrated and beautifully structured.
Dark fruit sits alongside earthy, briary flavours and a slightly saline edge. The tannins are particularly prominent, arriving in waves and carrying that savoury character across the palate with exceptional persistence.
There's richness here, but it isn't a wine defined by weight. Instead, its fascination comes from the interplay of flavour concentration, structure and length.
The finish is enduring, savoury and deeply satisfying.
Old-vine intensity. Earthy complexity. Tannins that seem to go on forever.
Made for the Table
Goes With Food
Sunday afternoon. Sausage and thyme ragù bubbling away. Nowhere else to be.
Put a big pot on the stove, open the Wait and invite a few of your favourite people over. The ragù needs a couple of hours. As it turns out, this Grenache loves a little time too.
By the time the pappardelle is ready, the kitchen smells incredible, someone's already cut the bread, and the Wait has begun revealing its layers of dark cherry, wild herbs and savoury spice.
Bring the whole pot to the table. Add parmesan with a generous hand. Pour another glass.
The rich, slow-cooked sauce is glorious with Wait's earthy depth and firm tannins. But the best part? Nobody's in any hurry to leave.
Goes With Cheese
Aged Comté. Crusty baguette. The delicious possibility of skipping dinner altogether.
There's a particular pleasure in cutting into a wedge of beautifully aged Comté. Those tiny crunchy crystals, the nutty, almost caramelised flavours, the way one little piece inevitably becomes three.
Add a warm baguette, perhaps a handful of toasted walnuts, and pour a glass of Wait.
The cheese's buttery richness meets the wine's savoury depth, while those persistent tannins find their perfect companion. Try a sip before the cheese, then another afterwards. Notice how the fruit seems to come forward.
It's the sort of pairing that begins as a little something before dinner and ends with someone saying, "Do we actually need to cook?"
Goes With Music
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms.
It's getting late. The plates have been cleared, but nobody's moved from the table. Someone puts on Nick Cave. That unmistakable piano begins, and for a few minutes, the room seems to settle into the music.
Into My Arms is beautiful because it never tries too hard. Just piano, that extraordinary voice, and a melody that reveals its emotional weight as the song unfolds.
Wait has something of that same quiet intensity. Its dark fruit and earthy aromatics don't give everything away at once. With each return to the glass, another layer emerges. And those long, finely woven tannins linger like the final piano notes.
Some wines are made for the party. This one's for the wonderful part afterwards, when the conversation gets interesting and nobody wants the evening to end.
Goes With Life
For the friends who feel like family. And the evenings you wish you could make last a little longer.
There's something rather lovely about opening a bottle from vines that have been growing for more than 80 years with people you've known for almost as long.
The friends who know all your stories, but still laugh when you tell them again. Who help themselves to another slice of cheese, argue affectionately about the music, and always seem to stay for one more glass.
Wait is made for those evenings. Give it some air, let it unfold over dinner, and see how it changes as the conversation wanders.
Or keep a bottle for yourself. A rainy Sunday, a favourite book, a good chair by the window. Pour a glass now and another in an hour. Discover something different each time.
Because the best moments aren't always the ones you planned. Sometimes they're the ones you gave yourself time to enjoy.
Make Moments Count.
Discover the 2025 Single Site Grenache Collection
One extraordinary vintage. Four remarkable sites. Four distinctly different expressions of Grenache.
Rob believes 2025 is Aphelion's finest vintage yet. The most rewarding way to explore that belief is to taste the vineyards alongside one another.
Our 2025 Single Site Grenache Collection brings together one bottle each of:
- Wait - Blewitt Springs: Old-vine Grenache with extraordinary savoury depth, power and structure. A Wine of the Year contender according to Campbell Mattinson. 97 Halliday · 96+ Wine Front.
- Plaisted's - Blewitt Springs: From vines planted in 1947. Perfumed, tightly wound and built to reveal itself over time. 96 Wine Front · 94+ Halliday.
- Hickinbotham - Clarendon: High-elevation Grenache with savoury precision, vibrant red fruit, crystalline acidity and intricate tannins. 96 Halliday · 96 Wine Front.
- Brini - Blewitt Springs: An elegant, aromatic expression with dark fruit, floral lift and mineral tension. 96 Halliday · 95+ Wine Front.
Four vineyards. One extraordinary vintage. Four very different personalities.
All four are tightly wound, structured wines that reward curiosity, generous air and time.
Taste them side by side. Share them with friends. Discover which vineyard speaks to you.
EXPLORE THE 2025 SINGLE SITE GRENACHE COLLECTION →
Buy Direct from the Aphelion Family Winery
When you buy Wait Single Site Grenache direct from Aphelion, you're supporting the small family winery that works with the Wait family to bring this remarkable old-vine vineyard to life in the bottle.
You're buying from the people who know the vineyard, picked the fruit, made the wine and chose the moment it was ready to share.
You'll also find our complete Grenache range, including limited releases and access to wines that may never reach retail shelves.
Thank you for supporting our family winery directly.
Our Bottled Sunshine Wine Club members enjoy exclusive and pre-release wines, early access to new releases and events, 10% off additional purchases and free shipping.
DISCOVER THE APHELION WINE CLUB →
More About Wait Single Site Grenache 2025
The Vineyard +
Wait Single Site Grenache Noir 2025 comes from the Top Bush block on the Wait family vineyard in the northeast corner of Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, South Australia.
The Grenache bush vines were planted in the mid-1940s and are dry-grown.
These old vines produce small berries with intense flavour and particularly prominent tannins, giving the wine its distinctive savoury, structured character.
Wait is often the most structural and savoury wine in our Single Site Grenache range, with earthy, briary flavours and remarkable persistence.
The vineyard is a compelling demonstration of how vine age, growing conditions and the character of an individual site can shape a wine.
How We Made It +
Variety: 100% Grenache Noir
Region: Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Vineyard: Wait family vineyard, Top Bush block
Vine age: Planted in the mid-1940s
Harvest: Hand-picked on 6 March 2025
Fermentation: 100% whole bunch, with a slow, cool ferment
Maturation: Large-format neutral French oak, on full lees until racking for bottling in February 2026
Alcohol: 14.4% ABV
Production: 1,200 standard bottles and 50 Magnums
Closure: Screwcap
Winemaking: Unfiltered, unfined and vegan
Our approach to the Single Site Grenache wines is deliberately consistent, allowing the character of each vineyard to take centre stage.
Whole-bunch fermentation contributes aromatic and savoury complexity, while maturation in neutral oak allows the fruit, tannin and individual expression of the Wait vineyard to remain clearly visible.
Serving and Cellaring +
Serving temperature: 16-18°C
Drinking window: Enjoy now, with continued evolution through 2038.
Give Wait time to reveal itself.
Wait is a particularly structured Grenache, with prominent tannins, savoury depth and exceptional length.
If drinking young, we recommend decanting generously and allowing the wine time to open in the glass.
Its initially subtle aromas of dark cherry, turned earth and root vegetables become more expressive with air, while its tannin structure makes it an especially rewarding partner for rich food.
For collectors, the wine's concentration, firm tannins and persistence provide an excellent foundation for cellaring.
Stored correctly, Wait 2025 should continue to develop additional complexity through 2038.
Critic Recognition - 2025 Vintage +
97 points - Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
Outstanding recognition for the 2025 Wait Single Site Grenache, highlighting its place among Aphelion's most highly regarded wines.
96+ points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Mattinson identified Wait 2025 as a contender for Wine of the Year, an exceptional endorsement of this old-vine Blewitt Springs Grenache.
These reviews relate specifically to the 2025 vintage. Reviews and awards for earlier Wait vintages can be found in the separate Accolades section.
Shipping and Delivery +
We ship Aphelion wines direct from our family winery in McLaren Vale to eligible Australian delivery addresses.
Shipping costs and available delivery options are calculated at checkout. Bottled Sunshine Wine Club members receive free shipping on additional purchases.
Wine deliveries are subject to Australian liquor laws and delivery restrictions.
Questions About Wait Single Site Grenache 2025
What makes Wait Single Site Grenache 2025 special?
Wait 2025 comes from dry-grown Grenache bush vines planted in the mid-1940s on the Wait family's Top Bush block in Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale. The old vines produce small berries with intense flavour and prominent tannins. The resulting wine is deeply savoury, earthy and structured, with exceptional length. Only 1,200 standard bottles were produced.
Should I decant Wait Grenache 2025, or cellar it?
Both are excellent options. Wait 2025 is particularly structured, with firm tannins and deep savoury complexity. If opening it young, decant generously and allow it time to develop in the glass. The wine is also suitable for cellaring and is expected to continue evolving through 2038.
Is Wait Single Site Grenache 2025 vegan?
Yes. Wait Single Site Grenache Noir 2025 is unfiltered, unfined and vegan. It is made from 100% Grenache and fermented entirely as whole bunches.
Can I buy Wait Grenache directly from the winery?
Yes. You can buy Wait Single Site Grenache 2025 directly from Aphelion Wine Co., the small family winery in McLaren Vale that makes the wine. Buying direct supports the producer and provides access to Aphelion's Grenache range, limited releases and Wine Club benefits.
About Aphelion Wine Co.
Aphelion is a small, family-owned winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia, founded by Rob and Louise Mack.
Grenache has been our focus since our first vintage in 2014. We work closely with growers and make small batches from remarkable vineyards, allowing differences in place and season to remain visible in the finished wine.
We believe great wine belongs at the table, shared with good food, good people and conversations worth having.
Aphelion began with Grenache. Our focus is Grenache. And our future is Grenache.
From $90.00
1947 Old Vine Blewitt Springs Grenache 2025 | 96 Points | Only 1,200 Bottles
PLAISTED'S VINEYARD · BLEWITT SANDS · BLEWITT SPRINGS · McLAREN VALE
Almost 80-year-old vines. Extraordinary concentration. An epic new chapter for Aphelion Grenache.
Aphelion Plaisted's Single Site Grenache Noir 2025 is a premium, old-vine McLaren Vale Grenache from a remarkable vineyard planted in 1947 in the Blewitt Sands district of Blewitt Springs, South Australia.
New to the Aphelion Single Site range in 2025, Plaisted's is our most concentrated and full-bodied Grenache of the vintage. Deeply perfumed, richly textured and beautifully structured, it brings together layers of blueberry, raspberry and dark cherry with violet, cedar, sweet spice and orange zest.
Its defining character is power held in perfect balance. Concentrated fruit, powerful but finely structured tannins and fresh natural acidity combine in an exceptionally long, savoury finish.
Rob believes 2025 is the finest Grenache vintage we've ever made at Aphelion. Plaisted's is an exciting new expression of what makes McLaren Vale Grenache so extraordinary.
"Magnificent grenache. So perfumed, so sure, so firm and yet so well extended."
"It's an epic release from Aphelion."
96 points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Why Choose Plaisted's Single Site Grenache 2025?
96 Points - The Wine Front
Campbell Mattinson describes this debut wine as magnificent Grenache and an epic release, praising its extraordinary perfume, layered fruit and beautifully controlled finish.
Old Vines - Planted in 1947
Sourced exclusively from the middle section of the Hatwell family's Plaisted's vineyard in Blewitt Sands, where old Grenache vines grow in deep sandy soils.
The Most Concentrated Wine in the Range
Our fullest-bodied 2025 Single Site Grenache, with dark fruit, powerful yet finely structured tannins and remarkable intensity.
100% Whole Bunch
Hand-picked Grenache, fermented entirely as whole bunches and matured in large-format neutral French oak.
Only 1,200 Bottles
A tiny inaugural Single Site release, with just 50 Magnums produced separately.
A Wine Worth Waiting For
Tightly wound and richly layered, with the structure, concentration and freshness to continue evolving through 2038.
Complimentary Limited Time 2025 Single Site Companion
Exclusively Available Direct From Aphelion Only
Every purchase of the new Single Site Grenache 2025 Collection made direct from Aphelion will receive, completely free of charge, three special launch edition time-limited bonuses:
- A full Enjoyment Guide;
- A perfectly paired Recipe card;
- A Taste Over Time card.
Limited Time Only
Available for qualifying purchases until Monday 2 November at 11:59pm Adelaide time. The wines themselves remain available after the bonuses expire, subject to stock.
About the Companion:
- Single Site Grenache Enjoyment Guide
Includes paired music Spotify playlist, how to serve your Single Site's so they show at their best, each wine's characteristics at a glance, ideas to open all four at home.
- Inspiring, Perfectly Paired Recipe Card
A simply delicious meal suggestion that is easy to make and sure to please. Included in your box with our compliments.
- A Taste Over Time Card.
Record how your Single Site's evolve over time by recording what you notice each time you try them. A Taste Over Time card will be included in your box.
Meet Plaisted's Single Site Grenache 2025
Some vineyards are worth waiting almost 80 years to discover.
In the Blewitt Sands district of McLaren Vale, the Hatwell family tends a remarkable parcel of Grenache vines planted in 1947.
For nearly eight decades, these vines have been quietly doing what great old vines do. Sending their roots deep into the sandy earth, weathering the seasons and producing fruit that carries the unmistakable character of its place.
In 2025, Rob chose a small parcel from the middle section of the vineyard to create something new for Aphelion.
Our fourth Single Site Grenache.
And what an introduction.
The vines grow in deep sandy soils, producing berries with particularly thick skins. The resulting wine is deeply coloured, richly concentrated and beautifully structured.
It's the most powerful and full-bodied Grenache in our 2025 Single Site collection, but there's nothing heavy-handed about it.
Instead, it has a captivating perfume of violets, blueberries and raspberries, with cedar, sweet spice and orange zest adding layer upon layer of intrigue.
Then come the tannins. Firm, persistent and remarkably controlled, carrying the wine across the palate with extraordinary length.
For Campbell Mattinson, writing in The Wine Front, this is Grenache of exceptional quality. He describes the wine as magnificent, praising its perfume, assurance and remarkable length.
And yet, for all its generosity, Plaisted's is keeping some of its best secrets for later.
It's tightly wound today, with the concentration and structure to reveal even greater complexity over the years ahead.
A remarkable debut. A vineyard with almost 80 years of history. And a wine whose most exciting chapters may still be ahead of it.
What Does Plaisted's Grenache 2025 Taste Like?
Deeply coloured, richly concentrated and wonderfully perfumed.
Layers of blueberry, raspberry and dark cherry rise from the glass, lifted by violet, cedar, sweet spice and a delicate hint of orange zest.
The palate is full-bodied and richly textured, with generous dark fruit framed by powerful yet finely structured tannins.
Fresh natural acidity brings energy and definition, ensuring the wine's remarkable concentration never overwhelms its sense of balance.
Look a little closer and you'll find mint, savoury herbs and subtle earthy notes woven through the fruit.
The finish is exceptionally long, savoury and beautifully controlled.
This is a Grenache that reveals itself slowly. Give it air, return to the glass and discover how its layers unfold.
Extraordinary perfume. Velvety concentration. Power, precision and a finish that seems to go on forever.
Made for the Table
Goes With Food
Slow-roasted lamb shoulder. Crispy potatoes. A generous helping of good company.
There are few things more satisfying than carrying a beautiful slow-roasted lamb shoulder to the table, knowing it's been cooking for hours and will fall apart with the gentlest nudge of a fork.
Make it a proper feast. Golden potatoes with crunchy edges, a big bowl of something green, and plenty of those delicious cooking juices.
Open the Plaisted's while the lamb rests. Give it a generous decant, sneak a taste, and let its remarkable perfume of blueberries, violets and sweet spice fill the glass.
When everyone finally sits down, you'll discover why this pairing works so beautifully. The richness of the lamb meets Plaisted's powerful, finely structured tannins, while its concentrated fruit and fresh acidity bring the whole plate to life.
For a vegetarian feast? Make a golden mushroom and thyme tart with caramelised onions and Gruyère. Serve with a sharply dressed green salad. The earthy mushrooms and buttery pastry are wonderful with Plaisted's dark fruit and savoury depth.
Either way, this is a wine that deserves the good plates, the big serving dishes and a second helping.
Goes With Cheese
Clothbound cheddar. Quince paste. A little something spectacular after dinner.
When the main course is finished and everyone insists they couldn't possibly eat another thing, bring out a generous wedge of aged clothbound cheddar.
The proper stuff. Crumbly, deeply savoury, with those wonderful nutty flavours that come from patient ageing.
Add a little quince paste, a handful of toasted walnuts and some crisp crackers. Nothing complicated, just a few excellent things that belong together.
Now pour the Plaisted's.
The cheddar's savoury richness is a delicious counterpoint to the wine's concentrated blueberry and dark cherry fruit. The quince brings a little sweetness, the walnuts echo its earthy complexity, and those beautifully structured tannins keep everything in balance.
Try the cheese first, then a sip of wine. Then add a little quince and try again.
It's a tiny tasting adventure, and a lovely excuse to discover how one remarkable wine can show so many different sides of itself.
Someone will almost certainly ask for another slice.
Goes With Music
Fleetwood Mac - The Chain.
It's late afternoon. The last of the cheese is disappearing, someone has taken charge of the music, and those opening guitar notes of The Chain drift across the room.
A few heads start nodding. Someone knows every word. And when that unmistakable bassline kicks in towards the end, there's absolutely no chance anyone's going home just yet.
Plaisted's has that same wonderful sense of anticipation.
It begins with an irresistible perfume of blueberries, raspberries and violets. Then the layers build. Dark cherry, cedar, sweet spice, a little orange zest. Beneath it all, powerful, beautifully woven tannins hold everything together.
And just when you think you've discovered everything it has to offer, there's that extraordinary finish. Long, confident and impossible to ignore.
Like The Chain, this is a wine with plenty of moving parts, but somehow they come together to create something magnificent.
Turn it up. Pour another glass. Some things are worth experiencing all the way to the end.
Goes With Life
For the milestones worth celebrating. And the ones still waiting to happen.
Think about the next occasion you'll really want to remember.
A significant birthday. An anniversary. A long-awaited reunion. Perhaps the day someone finally gets the keys to their first home, or announces something wonderful over dinner.
Now imagine opening a bottle from Grenache vines planted in 1947, a wine that's been quietly waiting for its moment.
There's a little ceremony to it. Retrieving the bottle, carefully decanting it, pouring the first glass and watching everyone's reaction as those extraordinary aromatics emerge.
And there's something lovely about knowing this is the very first vintage of Plaisted's Single Site Grenache we've ever made.
Of course, you don't have to wait for a milestone. Sometimes the best reason to open a remarkable bottle is that you've gathered your favourite people together and the evening feels worth celebrating.
But if you do put one away, perhaps write a date on the box. Give it a few years. Imagine the pleasure of opening it when that special day finally arrives.
Some bottles celebrate the moment. Others become part of the story.
Make Moments Count.
Discover the 2025 Single Site Grenache Collection
One extraordinary vintage. Four remarkable sites. Four distinctly different expressions of Grenache.
Rob believes 2025 is Aphelion's finest vintage yet. The most rewarding way to explore that belief is to taste the vineyards alongside one another.
Our 2025 Single Site Grenache Collection brings together one bottle each of:
- Plaisted's - Blewitt Springs: The most concentrated and full-bodied of the four. Perfumed, powerful and richly layered, from vines planted in 1947. 96 Wine Front.
- Wait - Blewitt Springs: Old-vine Grenache with extraordinary savoury depth, power and structure. A Wine of the Year contender according to Campbell Mattinson. 97 Halliday · 96+ Wine Front.
- Hickinbotham - Clarendon: High-elevation Grenache with savoury precision, vibrant red fruit, crystalline acidity and intricate tannins. 96 Halliday · 96 Wine Front.
- Brini - Blewitt Springs: An elegant, aromatic expression with dark fruit, floral lift and mineral tension. 96 Halliday · 95+ Wine Front.
Four vineyards. One extraordinary vintage. Four very different personalities.
All four are tightly wound, structured wines that reward curiosity, generous air and time.
Open them together for a memorable Grenache tasting with friends. Or cellar them and follow how each vineyard develops over the years ahead.
Which one will become your favourite?
EXPLORE THE 2025 SINGLE SITE GRENACHE COLLECTION →
Buy Direct from the Aphelion Family Winery
When you buy Plaisted's Single Site Grenache direct from Aphelion, you're supporting the small family winery that discovered the potential of this remarkable old-vine vineyard and brought its first Single Site release to life.
You're buying from the people who know the growers, picked the fruit, made the wine and chose the moment it was ready to share.
You'll also find our complete Grenache range, including limited releases and access to wines that may never reach retail shelves.
Thank you for supporting our family winery directly.
Our Bottled Sunshine Wine Club members enjoy exclusive and pre-release wines, early access to new releases and events, 10% off additional purchases and free shipping.
DISCOVER THE APHELION WINE CLUB →
More About Plaisted's Single Site Grenache 2025
The Vineyard +
Plaisted's Single Site Grenache Noir 2025 comes from the middle section of the Plaisted's vineyard, owned by the Hatwell family, in the Blewitt Sands district of Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, South Australia.
The Grenache vines were planted in 1947 and grow in deep sandy soils.
This remarkable old-vine block produces fruit with particularly thick skins, contributing to the wine's deep colour, concentrated flavour and powerful tannin structure.
For the inaugural 2025 release, Rob selected fruit specifically from the middle section of the vineyard to capture its distinctive character.
The result is the most concentrated and full-bodied Grenache in our 2025 Single Site range, with dark fruit, exceptional perfume and remarkable length.
It's a beautiful demonstration of how old vines, deep sandy soils and the character of an individual vineyard can produce a wine unlike any other.
How We Made It +
Variety: 100% Grenache Noir
Region: Blewitt Sands, Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Vineyard: Plaisted's vineyard, middle section, owned by the Hatwell family
Vine age: Planted in 1947
Harvest: Hand-picked on 16 February 2025
Fermentation: 100% whole bunch, with a slow, cool ferment
Maturation: Large-format neutral French oak, on full lees until racking for bottling in February 2026
Alcohol: 14.5% ABV
Production: 1,200 standard bottles and 50 Magnums
Closure: Screwcap
Winemaking: Unfiltered, unfined and vegan
Our approach to the Single Site Grenache wines is deliberately consistent, allowing the character of each vineyard to take centre stage.
Whole-bunch fermentation contributes aromatic and savoury complexity, while maturation in neutral oak allows the concentrated fruit, powerful tannins and distinctive expression of the Plaisted's vineyard to remain at the forefront.
Serving and Cellaring +
Serving temperature: 16-18°C
Drinking window: Enjoy now, with continued evolution through 2038.
Give Plaisted's the time it deserves.
This is a particularly concentrated and tightly structured Grenache, with powerful tannins, fresh acidity and exceptional length.
If drinking young, we recommend decanting generously and allowing the wine plenty of time to open.
Its rich blueberry, raspberry and dark cherry fruit becomes increasingly expressive with air, while layers of violet, cedar, spice and savoury complexity gradually emerge.
Marcus Ellis noted that this was the most reticent of the four 2025 Single Site wines and found it showing at its best on day five after opening.
For collectors, the wine's concentration, firm tannins and natural acidity provide an excellent foundation for long-term cellaring.
Stored correctly, Plaisted's 2025 should continue to develop additional complexity through 2038.
Critic Recognition - 2025 Vintage +
96 points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
"Magnificent grenache. So perfumed, so sure, so firm and yet so well extended."
Mattinson praises the wine's velvety layers of blueberry, raspberry, violet and cedar, with sweet spice, mint, ozone and orange adding further complexity.
He highlights the remarkable control and persistence of the finish, describing the wine as an epic release from Aphelion.
Published: 26 August 2026.
94+ points - Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
Ellis describes a tightly wound, deeply structured wine with savoury complexity, firm tannins and a long future ahead of it. He notes that Plaisted's needs more time than its Single Site siblings to reveal its full character, and expects its quality to become increasingly apparent with age.
Published: 3 September 2026.
Shipping and Delivery +
We ship Aphelion wines direct from our family winery in McLaren Vale to eligible Australian delivery addresses.
Shipping costs and available delivery options are calculated at checkout. Bottled Sunshine Wine Club members receive free shipping on additional purchases.
Wine deliveries are subject to Australian liquor laws and delivery restrictions.
Questions About Plaisted's Single Site Grenache 2025
Is Plaisted's Single Site Grenache a new wine from Aphelion?
Yes. The 2025 vintage is the inaugural release of Plaisted's Single Site Grenache Noir. It joins Brini, Wait and Hickinbotham as the fourth wine in Aphelion's premium Single Site Grenache range. The wine comes from Grenache vines planted in 1947 in the Blewitt Sands district of McLaren Vale.
Is Plaisted's Grenache 2025 suitable for a special gift?
Yes. Plaisted's 2025 is a limited-production, critically acclaimed old-vine Grenache with excellent cellaring potential through 2038. Its inaugural vintage makes it a particularly thoughtful gift for a wine lover, a milestone birthday or an anniversary, especially for someone who enjoys collecting and discovering exceptional Australian Grenache.
Is Plaisted's Single Site Grenache 2025 vegan?
Yes. Plaisted's Single Site Grenache Noir 2025 is unfiltered, unfined and vegan. It is made from 100% Grenache and fermented entirely as whole bunches.
Can I buy Plaisted's Grenache directly from the winery?
Yes. You can buy Plaisted's Single Site Grenache 2025 directly from Aphelion Wine Co., the small family winery in McLaren Vale that makes the wine. Buying direct supports the producer and provides access to Aphelion's Grenache range, limited releases and Wine Club benefits.
About Aphelion Wine Co.
Aphelion is a small, family-owned winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia, founded by Rob and Louise Mack.
Grenache has been our focus since our first vintage in 2014. We work closely with growers and make small batches from remarkable vineyards, allowing differences in place and season to remain visible in the finished wine.
We believe great wine belongs at the table, shared with good food, good people and conversations worth having.
Aphelion began with Grenache. Our focus is Grenache. And our future is Grenache.
From $90.00
Clarendon Single Site Grenache 2025 | 96 Points | Only 1,200 Bottles
HICKINBOTHAM VINEYARD · BLOCKS 111-113 · CLARENDON · McLAREN VALE
High elevation. Long, slow ripening. Extraordinary precision.
Aphelion Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache Noir 2025 is a premium McLaren Vale Grenache from the highest, south-facing blocks of the celebrated Hickinbotham vineyard in Clarendon, South Australia.
The highest-altitude wine in our 2025 Single Site Grenache range, Hickinbotham brings together vibrant cranberry and cherry fruit, savoury herbs, lifted florals and a beautifully intricate framework of tannin.
Its defining character is energy and precision. The long, cool ripening season gives the wine remarkable flavour development without sacrificing freshness.
Rob believes 2025 is the finest vintage we've ever made at Aphelion. This is a compelling expression of why.
96 points - Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
96 points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
"It's quite exquisite, really."
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Why Choose Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache 2025?
96 Points - Halliday Wine Companion
Marcus Ellis praises the wine's savoury complexity, vibrant red fruit, grippy natural tannins and crystalline precision.
96 Points - The Wine Front
Campbell Mattinson calls Hickinbotham an exquisite Grenache, highlighting its fragrant fruit, remarkable structure and beautifully interwoven tannins.
One Remarkable Site - Clarendon
Sourced exclusively from Blocks 111-113 at the highest elevation of the Hickinbotham vineyard, with a southerly aspect that protects the fruit from the hottest afternoon sun.
100% Whole Bunch
Hand-picked Grenache, fermented entirely as whole bunches and matured in large-format neutral French oak.
Only 1,200 Bottles
A tiny Single Site release, with just 50 Magnums produced separately.
Built to Evolve
A tightly structured, medium-bodied Grenache with vibrant acidity and excellent cellaring potential through 2035.
Meet Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache 2025
What happens when Grenache is given all the time it needs?
At the highest point of the Hickinbotham vineyard in Clarendon, the vines look south.
That seemingly simple detail makes an extraordinary difference.
While much of McLaren Vale enjoys the full warmth of the afternoon sun, these vines receive a little respite. Their fruit ripens slowly, holding onto freshness while developing the remarkable flavour complexity that comes with a long season on the vine.
In fact, Hickinbotham is the last Grenache we harvest.
For Rob, this is one of the most compelling expressions of Grenache in McLaren Vale. A wine that shows how altitude, aspect and patience can create depth without weight, structure without heaviness and freshness without sacrificing flavour.
The 2025 vintage captures that balance beautifully.
There's bright red fruit, a wild herbal edge, fine spice and an almost crystalline quality to the acidity. But the real fascination lies in the tannins, which weave through the wine, providing shape, persistence and the promise of further complexity with time.
It's Grenache with both vitality and quiet authority.
Complimentary Limited Time 2025 Single Site Companion
Exclusively Available Direct From Aphelion Only
Every purchase of the new Single Site Grenache 2025 Collection made direct from Aphelion will receive, completely free of charge, three special launch edition time-limited bonuses:
- A full Enjoyment Guide;
- A perfectly paired Recipe card;
- A Taste Over Time card.
Limited Time Only
Available for qualifying purchases until Monday 2 November at 11:59pm Adelaide time. The wines themselves remain available after the bonuses expire, subject to stock.
About the Companion:
- Single Site Grenache Enjoyment Guide
Includes paired music Spotify playlist, how to serve your Single Site's so they show at their best, each wine's characteristics at a glance, ideas to open all four at home.
- Inspiring, Perfectly Paired Recipe Card
A simply delicious meal suggestion that is easy to make and sure to please. Included in your box with our compliments.
- A Taste Over Time Card.
Record how your Single Site's evolve over time by recording what you notice each time you try them. A Taste Over Time card will be included in your box.
What Does Hickinbotham Grenache 2025 Taste Like?
Bright, vibrant purple in the glass, with lifted aromas of cranberry, bramble and cherry.
The medium-bodied palate brings just-ripe strawberry, rosehip and blood orange, with savoury herbs and fine spice adding complexity.
Look a little closer and you'll find redcurrant, ginger, cinnamon, pink peppercorn and dried florals. There's an earthy, almost suede-like savouriness beneath the fresh fruit.
Its defining feature is the structure. Fine but firm, web-like tannins run through the palate, supported by ripe natural acidity that gives the wine remarkable precision and energy.
The finish is long, savoury and beautifully controlled.
Freshness and depth. Fragrance and structure. Power expressed through finesse.
Made for the Table
Goes With Food
Vegetable lasagne with a rich béchamel.
The sweetness of slow-cooked tomatoes and roasted vegetables brings out Hickinbotham's cherry and strawberry fruit, while the creamy béchamel softens the wine's firm tannins.
Its bright acidity cuts through the richness, and the savoury herbal characters complement the earthy flavours of the vegetables.
A lovely example of why Grenache doesn't need red meat to shine at the table.
Goes With Cheese
Crémeux d'Affinois with seed and fruit crackers.
The luxurious creaminess of this soft French cheese provides a gentle counterpoint to Hickinbotham's firm tannin structure.
The fruit crackers pick up its cranberry and cherry notes, while the seeds complement the wine's savoury, herbal character.
Richness meets freshness, with neither overwhelming the other.
Goes With Music
Talking Heads - This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody).
There's a wonderful sense of balance in this song. Its deceptively simple, repeating bassline and bright, interlocking instrumental parts create something much more emotionally resonant than their individual elements suggest.
Hickinbotham works in a similar way.
The vibrant red fruit catches your attention first, but it's the interplay of savoury herbs, precise acidity and beautifully woven tannins that gives the wine its lasting fascination.
Both the song and the wine have energy without urgency, complexity without excess and an unmistakable sense of place.
Sometimes the most memorable things are the ones that feel perfectly balanced.
Goes With Life
A very good friend's party. Or a midweek dinner that deserves a better bottle.
There's something special about bringing a wine that has a story to tell without needing to dominate the conversation.
At a friend's dinner, Hickinbotham is the bottle that starts a discussion about vineyards, vintage and why two Grenaches from the same region can taste so different.
At home on a Wednesday, it's a reminder that you don't need a grand occasion to open something remarkable.
Put the lasagne in the oven. Pour a glass. Give the wine time to open while dinner finishes cooking.
Make Moments Count.
Discover the 2025 Single Site Grenache Collection
One extraordinary vintage. Four remarkable sites. Four distinctly different expressions of Grenache.
Rob believes 2025 is Aphelion's finest vintage yet. The most rewarding way to explore that belief is to taste the vineyards alongside one another.
Our 2025 Single Site Grenache Collection brings together one bottle each of:
- Hickinbotham - Clarendon: The highest-altitude wine of the four, with savoury precision, vibrant red fruit, crystalline acidity and intricate tannins. 96 Halliday · 96 Wine Front.
- Wait - Blewitt Springs: Old-vine Grenache with extraordinary perfume, power and structure. A Wine of the Year contender according to Campbell Mattinson. 97 Halliday · 96+ Wine Front.
- Plaisted's - Blewitt Springs: From vines planted in 1947. Perfumed, tightly wound and built to reveal itself over time. 96 Wine Front · 94+ Halliday.
- Brini - Blewitt Springs: The most elegant and aromatic of the four, with dark fruit, floral lift and mineral tension. 96 Halliday · 95+ Wine Front.
Four vineyards. One extraordinary vintage. Four very different personalities.
All four are tightly wound, structured wines that reward curiosity, generous air and time.
Taste them side by side. Share them with friends. Discover which vineyard speaks to you.
EXPLORE THE 2025 SINGLE SITE GRENACHE COLLECTION →
Buy Direct from the Aphelion Family Winery
When you buy Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache direct from Aphelion, you're supporting the small family winery that selected these remarkable vineyard blocks and made this wine.
You're buying from the people who know the vineyard, picked the fruit, made the wine and chose the moment it was ready to share.
You'll also find our complete Grenache range, including limited releases and access to wines that may never reach retail shelves.
Thank you for supporting our family winery directly.
Our Bottled Sunshine Wine Club members enjoy exclusive and pre-release wines, early access to new releases and events, 10% off additional purchases and free shipping.
DISCOVER THE APHELION WINE CLUB →
More About Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache 2025
The Vineyard +
Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache Noir 2025 comes from Blocks 111-113 at the highest elevation of the Hickinbotham vineyard in Clarendon, McLaren Vale, South Australia.
The vineyard is owned by Yangarra and sits close to the Adelaide Hills, where elevation and aspect create distinctive growing conditions.
The blocks face south, providing protection from the hottest afternoon sun and allowing the Grenache to ripen gradually.
As a result, this is the last Grenache harvested for our Single Site range, with a particularly long hang time on the vine.
That extended ripening period produces well-developed flavours while preserving the vibrant natural acidity and savoury, herbal character that make Hickinbotham so distinctive.
It's a beautiful demonstration of how the location and orientation of a vineyard can influence the character of a wine.
How We Made It +
Variety: 100% Grenache Noir
Region: Clarendon, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Vineyard: Hickinbotham, Blocks 111-113
Harvest: Hand-picked on 3 March 2025
Fermentation: 100% whole bunch, with a slow, cool ferment
Maturation: Large-format neutral French oak, on full lees until racking for bottling in February 2026
Alcohol: 14.1% ABV
Production: 1,200 standard bottles and 50 Magnums
Closure: Screwcap
Winemaking: Unfiltered, unfined and vegan
The winemaking approach is deliberately gentle. Whole-bunch fermentation contributes savoury complexity and natural tannin structure, while neutral oak allows the character of the vineyard and vintage to remain at the forefront.
Serving and Cellaring +
Serving temperature: 16-18°C
Drinking window: Now-2035, according to our technical tasting sheet.
Give Hickinbotham some air.
Like all four 2025 Single Site Grenaches, Hickinbotham is tightly structured and layered. These are wines that reward curiosity, air and time.
Both Marcus Ellis and Campbell Mattinson highlight its exceptional tannin structure and potential for further development.
If drinking young, decant generously and allow the wine to open in the glass. Its savoury complexity and vibrant fruit become increasingly expressive with air.
For longer-term enjoyment, the wine's fine, firm tannins and energetic natural acidity provide an excellent foundation for cellaring.
Critic Recognition - 2025 Vintage +
96 points - Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
Ellis highlights Hickinbotham's immediately savoury character, vibrant red fruit and distinctive natural tannins. He describes notes of cherry, redcurrant, cranberry, ginger, cinnamon, sumac, rose and pink peppercorn, supported by ripe acidity and crystalline precision.
He recommends giving the wine ample air if drinking it young and recognises its excellent ageing potential.
96 points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Mattinson praises Hickinbotham's remarkable structure and fragrant complexity, with boysenberry, strawberry, cherry, red liquorice, herbs, dried flowers and spice.
He is particularly impressed by the intricate, firm tannin framework and the wine's combination of freshness and depth.
"This wine gives you the kind of handshake that you build a life around."
Published: 1 September 2026 (Halliday Wine Companion) and 31 August 2026 (The Wine Front).
Shipping and Delivery +
We ship Aphelion wines direct from our family winery in McLaren Vale to eligible Australian delivery addresses.
Shipping costs and available delivery options are calculated at checkout. Bottled Sunshine Wine Club members receive free shipping on additional purchases.
Wine deliveries are subject to Australian liquor laws and delivery restrictions.
Questions About Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache 2025
Should I decant Hickinbotham Grenache 2025?
Yes, particularly if opening it young. Hickinbotham 2025 has firm, finely woven tannins and vibrant acidity. Generous aeration will help its red fruit, floral notes and savoury complexity emerge. Both Marcus Ellis and Campbell Mattinson highlight its impressive structure.
What makes Hickinbotham Grenache different from other McLaren Vale Grenache?
Hickinbotham comes from high-elevation, south-facing vineyard blocks in Clarendon. These cooler growing conditions allow the Grenache to ripen slowly while retaining natural acidity. The resulting wine is particularly savoury, fresh and precise, with vibrant red fruit and a distinctive framework of firm, fine tannins.
Is Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache 2025 vegan?
Yes. Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache Noir 2025 is unfiltered, unfined and vegan.
Can I buy Hickinbotham Grenache directly from the winery?
Yes. You can buy Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache 2025 directly from Aphelion Wine Co., the small family winery in McLaren Vale that makes the wine. Buying direct supports the producer and provides access to Aphelion's Grenache range, limited releases and Wine Club benefits.
About Aphelion Wine Co.
Aphelion is a small, family-owned winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia, founded by Rob and Louise Mack.
Grenache has been our focus since our first vintage in 2014. We work closely with growers and make small batches from remarkable vineyards, allowing differences in place and season to remain visible in the finished wine.
We believe great wine belongs at the table, shared with good food, good people and conversations worth having.
Aphelion began with Grenache. Our focus is Grenache. And our future is Grenache.
From $90.00
Blewitt Springs Single Site Grenache 2025 | 96 Points | 1,200 Bottles
BRINI VINEYARD · UPPER TANK BLOCK · BLEWITT SPRINGS · McLAREN VALE
One remarkable vineyard. One extraordinary vintage.
Aphelion Brini Single Site Grenache Noir 2025 is a premium $90 McLaren Vale Grenache from the upper tank block of the Brini family's Blewitt Springs vineyard.
Darker and more brooding than previous, cooler Brini vintages, yet still the most elegant and aromatic of our four 2025 Single Site Grenache's in the Collectioin. A classically Blewitt Springs expression, with lifted perfume, dark cherry, plum, savoury spice and finely structured tannins.
Rob believes 2025 is the finest vintage we've ever made at Aphelion. Brini is one compelling reason why.
96 points - Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
95+ points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Why Choose Brini Single Site Grenache 2025?
96 Points · Halliday Wine Companion
Marcus Ellis highlights its layered dark fruit, ripe, fine yet pithy tannins and energising acidity.
95+ Points · The Wine Front
Campbell Mattinson describes a steely, mineral and floral Grenache of fabulous quality.
One Remarkable Site · Blewitt Springs
From the upper tank block of the Brini family vineyard, in the northeastern corner of Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale.
100% Whole Bunch
Hand-picked Grenache, fermented entirely as whole bunches and matured in large-format neutral French oak.
Only 1,200 Bottles
A tiny Single Site release, with a further 50 Magnums bottled separately.
Drink Now–2038
A tightly structured Grenache with the potential to evolve beautifully over time. Give it generous air if opening young.
Meet Brini Single Site Grenache 2025
Some vineyards become part of your story. Others help write it.
The Brini family's vineyard has been part of Aphelion since our first vintage in 2014. Its Grenache remains a cornerstone of Confluence, the wine that first introduced so many people to our little winery.
But high on the vineyard, the upper tank block has a personality all its own.
The sandy-based loam soils give us Grenache with intensity and depth. In 2025, that familiar character is darker and more brooding than in previous, cooler vintages, with black cherry, plum and dark spice.
Yet among our four 2025 Single Site Grenaches, Brini remains the most elegant and aromatic — a beautiful expression of the perfume, finesse and vitality we love about Blewitt Springs.
It's a wine of contrasts: dark fruit and lifted florals, fine tannins and vibrant acidity, immediate intrigue and layers that take time to reveal themselves.
The kind of wine that rewards curiosity.
Complimentary Limited Time 2025 Single Site Companion
Exclusively Available Direct From Aphelion Only
Every purchase of the new Single Site Grenache 2025 Collection made direct from Aphelion will receive, completely free of charge, three special launch edition time-limited bonuses:
- A full Enjoyment Guide;
- A perfectly paired Recipe card;
- A Taste Over Time card.
Limited Time Only
Available for qualifying purchases until Monday 2 November at 11:59pm Adelaide time. The wines themselves remain available after the bonuses expire, subject to stock.
About the Companion:
- Single Site Grenache Enjoyment Guide
Includes paired music Spotify playlist, how to serve your Single Site's so they show at their best, each wine's characteristics at a glance, ideas to open all four at home.
- Inspiring, Perfectly Paired Recipe Card
A simply delicious meal suggestion that is easy to make and sure to please. Included in your box with our compliments.
- A Taste Over Time Card.
Record how your Single Site's evolve over time by recording what you notice each time you try them. A Taste Over Time card will be included in your box.
What Does Brini Grenache 2025 Taste Like?
Brini opens with lifted aromas of cinnamon, damson plum, black cherry and dark spice, with floral notes and a wild, brambly edge.
Give it time in the glass and the details emerge: redcurrant, forest berries, mint, earthy undergrowth, cocoa and a savoury suggestion of Australian bush spice.
The medium-plus-bodied palate brings sweet cherry fruit balanced by a herbal, mineral edge. Ripe, fine yet pithy tannins give the wine its architecture, while energising acidity carries the flavours through a long, persistent finish.
There's darkness here, but not heaviness. Elegance, but certainly not fragility.
Brini is a wine of contrasts — and that's what makes it so compelling.
Made for the Table
Goes With Food
Grilled venison with juniper and spices.
The juniper echoes Brini's herbal, briary character, while the spices meet its lifted cinnamon and clove notes. The wine's tannins provide structure against the richness of the meat, and its cherry fruit offers a beautiful contrast to the savoury flavours.
Goes With Cheese
Crémeux d'Argental with fruit crackers.
The cheese's creamy texture softens the impression of Brini's prominent tannins. The fruit crackers pick up its cherry and plum notes, while the wine's savoury edge keeps the pairing balanced.
Goes With Music
The Rolling Stones - Beast of Burden.
There's something wonderfully unforced about this song. The opening guitar groove draws you in without demanding attention, while the interlocking guitars keep revealing little details as the song rolls along.
Brini has a similar quality. Its lifted aromatics make the introduction, but it's the interplay of dark cherry, savoury herbs, spice and persistent tannin that holds your attention.
The music is relaxed; the wine has structure. Together, they're a reminder that complexity doesn't have to be complicated.
Goes With Life
The dinner that turns into a listening session.
Four friends around the table. The main course is finished, but the glasses aren't empty. Someone puts on a record. Someone else turns it over.
Brini is the bottle you keep returning to between conversations, discovering a little more each time.
And if the evening is yours alone? A favourite book, a comfortable chair and a glass worth paying attention to will do nicely.
Make Moments Count.
Discover the 2025 Single Site Grenache Collection
One extraordinary vintage. Four remarkable sites. Four distinctly different expressions of Grenache.
Rob believes 2025 is Aphelion's finest vintage yet. The most rewarding way to explore that belief is to taste the vineyards alongside one another.
Our 2025 Single Site Grenache Collection brings together one bottle each of:
- Brini - Blewitt Springs: The most elegant and aromatic of the four, with dark fruit, floral lift and mineral tension. 96 Halliday · 95+ Wine Front.
- Wait - Blewitt Springs: Old-vine Grenache with extraordinary perfume, power and structure. A Wine of the Year contender according to Campbell Mattinson. 97 Halliday · 96+ Wine Front.
- Plaisted - Blewitt Sands: From vines planted in 1947. Perfumed, tightly wound and built to reveal itself over time. 96 Wine Front · 94+ Halliday.
- Hickinbotham - Clarendon: High, south-facing vineyard blocks producing savoury, precise Grenache with crystalline acidity and firm, web-like tannins. 96 Halliday · 96 Wine Front.
Four vineyards. One extraordinary vintage. Four very different personalities.
All four are tightly wound, structured wines with the potential to evolve through 2038. They reward curiosity, generous air and time - whether that's an evening watching the wine unfold in your glass or years resting quietly in your cellar.
Taste them side by side. Share them with friends. Discover which vineyard speaks to you.
EXPLORE THE 2025 SINGLE SITE GRENACHE COLLECTION →
Buy Direct from the Aphelion Family Winery
When you buy Brini Single Site Grenache direct from Aphelion, you're supporting the small family winery that has worked with this remarkable vineyard since our first vintage.
You're buying from the people who know the grower, picked the fruit, made the wine and chose the moment it was ready to share.
You'll also find our complete Grenache range, including limited releases and access to wines that may never reach retail shelves.
Thank you for supporting our family winery directly.
Our Bottled Sunshine Wine Club members enjoy exclusive and pre-release wines, early access to new releases and events, 10% off additional purchases and free shipping.
DISCOVER THE APHELION WINE CLUB →
More About Brini Single Site Grenache 2025
The Vineyard +
Brini Single Site Grenache Noir 2025 comes from the upper tank block of the Brini family vineyard, in the northeastern corner of Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, South Australia.
The vineyard has supplied Aphelion since our inaugural vintage in 2014 and remains an important component of our Confluence Grenache.
Its sandy-based loam soils contribute intensity and a brooding character. In 2025, that depth is expressed alongside remarkable aromatic lift, fine tannins and energising acidity.
By bottling the upper tank block separately, we can explore the particular personality of this place rather than blending it into a broader McLaren Vale expression.
How We Made It +
Variety: 100% Grenache Noir
Harvest: Hand-picked on 12 March 2025.
Fermentation: 100% whole bunch, with a slow, cool ferment.
Maturation: Large-format neutral French oak, on full lees until racking for bottling in February 2026.
Alcohol: 14.3% ABV
Production: 1,200 standard bottles and 50 Magnums.
Closure: Screwcap
Winemaking: Unfiltered, unfined and vegan.
The approach is deliberately gentle, allowing the vineyard and the vintage to remain the defining features of the wine.
Serving and Cellaring +
Serving temperature: 16–18°C.
Drinking window: Now–2038.
Give Brini some air.
Like all four 2025 Single Site Grenaches, Brini is tightly structured and layered. These are wines that reward curiosity, air and time.
Marcus Ellis found Brini continuing to improve over three days, revealing greater complexity as it opened.
If drinking young, decant generously and take your time with it. For longer-term enjoyment, its fine, pithy tannins and vibrant acidity provide a promising foundation for cellaring through 2038.
Critic Recognition - 2025 Vintage +
96 points - Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
Ellis highlights the wine's dark cherry and plum fruit, spice, savoury complexity and tightly layered structure. He particularly praises its ripe, fine yet pithy tannins and energising acidity, noting that the wine improved with air and was even better on day three.
95+ points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Mattinson describes Brini as steely, mineral and floral, with redcurrant, mint, forest berries, cocoa, earth and undergrowth. He notes its impressive tannin structure and slightly more yielding character compared with the other 2025 Single Site releases.
Published: 1 September 2026 (Halliday Wine Companion) and 31 August 2026 (The Wine Front).
Shipping and Delivery +
We ship Aphelion wines direct from our family winery in McLaren Vale to eligible Australian delivery addresses.
Shipping costs and available delivery options are calculated at checkout. Bottled Sunshine Wine Club members receive free shipping on additional purchases.
Wine deliveries are subject to Australian liquor laws and delivery restrictions.
Questions About Brini Single Site Grenache 2025
Should I decant Brini Grenache 2025?
Yes, particularly if opening it young. Brini 2025 is structured and tightly layered. Marcus Ellis found the wine continued to improve over three days, revealing greater complexity as it opened. Generous aeration will help the wine express its aromatics and texture.
How does Brini 2025 compare with previous vintages?
Brini 2025 is darker and more brooding than previous, cooler vintages, while retaining the aromatic elegance characteristic of Blewitt Springs Grenache. It combines dark cherry, plum and spice with fine tannins and vibrant acidity. Among Aphelion's four 2025 Single Site Grenaches, it is the most elegant and aromatic.
Is Brini Single Site Grenache 2025 vegan?
Yes. Brini Single Site Grenache Noir 2025 is unfiltered, unfined and vegan.
Can I buy Brini Grenache directly from the winery?
Yes. You can buy Brini Single Site Grenache 2025 directly from Aphelion Wine Co., the small family winery in McLaren Vale that makes the wine. Buying direct supports the producer and gives you access to the complete Aphelion Grenache range, including limited releases and Wine Club benefits.
About Aphelion Wine Co.
Aphelion is a small, family-owned winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia, founded by Rob and Louise Mack in 2014.
Grenache has been our focus since our first vintage in 2014. We work closely with growers and make small batches from remarkable vineyards, allowing differences in place and season to remain visible in the finished wine.
We believe great wine belongs at the table, shared with good food, good people and conversations worth having.
Aphelion began with Grenache. Our focus is Grenache. And our future is Grenache.
```
From $90.00
Hickinbotham Single Site 2024 is a benchmark Grenache wine from one of the best McLaren Vale Grenache vineyards - vibrant, savoury, elegant and cellar-worthy.
Aphelion began with Grenache. Our focus is Grenache. Our future is Grenache.
Our original 2014 "Grenache project" has evolved.
Each vintage we coax from the earth three exceptional McLaren Vale Single Vineyard Grenache wines.
Made the same way each year using 100% whole bunches, each highlights the diversity and beauty of Grenache and the many terroirs of McLaren Vale.
Guided by the deft and gentle hands of Rob Mack they sing of their purity and place.
_______________________________________________________
Sourced from Blocks 111-113 at the highest elevation of the Hickinbotham vineyard owned by Yangarra in Clarendon, close to the Adelaide Hills.
A southerly aspect provides respite from the hot afternoon sun during ripening ensuring that this fruit is the last Grenache harvested. This produces a very well developed flavour profile.
The highest altitude wine in the range with vibrancy and crisp acid drive, red fruits mingle with herbal briar characters to create a wine of freshness and depth.
Lifted aromatics of cranberry, bramble, and cherry. Herbal characters abound on the palate, with rosehip, just-ripe strawberry, and blood orange flavours. A rasp of light tannin provides good length and a savoury finish.
_____________________________________________________
Halliday Wine Companion placed our Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache 2024 as one of their Best Australian Grenache's on their Ultimate Aussie Festive Wine List. Marcus Ellis also gave our wine 97 points and a Special Value rosette. Noice.
Campbell Mattinson of The Wine Front said of the Hickinbotham 2024:
"I lost an hour or so today because I was sitting and marvelling at this wine and wondering how the hell I could do it justice in words. Some wines are better than the person writing about them. This wine pulls out the spice box and throws it at you, the fortunate thing being that the box wasn’t full and so what hits you seems reasonable. There are red licorice notes, red and black cherry, sandalwood, potpourri, an assortment of dry, roasted spices, a musky-vanillin-strawberry-shake note, and a peppercorn aspect. The way the flavours here volley through the palate, and the way it feels dry in the face of its own ripeness, and the way it then pulls a film of firm tannin right back through the wine – is all both magnificent and elite."
_______________________________________________________
Unfiltered | Unfined | Vegan
_______________________________________________________
Production: 1,300 bottles produced under Diam Origine.
ABV: 14.1%
Accolades:
97 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion & Special Value rosette
96 points Campbell Mattinson for The Wine Front
95 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review
95 points David Sly for Decanter
"(G)loriously fragrant and complex, invested with depth and absent of heft. A swirl of red florals, souk spices, sandalwood, cranberry, sour cherry and umeboshi. The whole bunch adds savouriness, detail, lift and finely etched tannin, but knits in so quietly, with effortless integration. It’s a wine that makes me want to linger over the nose, so captivating is the fragrance. But it’s equally good on the palate, trailing long, the flavour fanning out expansively. Superb." - Marcus Ellis
"Medium-deep red-purple; lovely sweet raspberry/cherry fruit laced with mixed spices and iodine, with some complexing earthy/tarry and ironstone touches. Intense sweet fruit backed by emery-like tannins that dry the finish. Very smart Grenache" - Huon Hooke
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Note: Please email if you wish to buy a 3 pack.
Select between a 3, 6 or 12 bottle case to Buy the Aphelion Hickinbotham Single Vineyard Grenache 2024. Psst...Like the sound of our exclusive pre-sale access, Members pricing ($81) plus perks like free shipping? Step right this way...
From $90.00
Blewitt Springs Single Site Grenache | 95 Points | Only 800 Bottles
BRINI VINEYARD · UPPER TANK BLOCK · BLEWITT SPRINGS · McLAREN VALE
Aphelion Brini Single Site Grenache 2024 is a $90 premium McLaren Vale Grenache made from one specific block within the Brini family's vineyard in Blewitt Springs.
Dark-fruited, savoury and brooding, with 100% whole-bunch fermentation and just 800 bottles produced.
95 points - Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
95 points - Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Meet Brini Single Site Grenache 2024
We've known this block from the beginning.
Fruit from the Brini family's vineyard has been part of Aphelion since our first vintage and remains one of the building blocks of Confluence Grenache.
But the upper tank block has a personality worth seeing on its own.
Of our Single Site Grenaches, Brini is the roundest and most intense: darker fruit, earth, spice and forest-floor complexity wrapped around a savoury, structured core.
And the 2024 vintage gave us a particularly fascinating expression of the site.
The vineyard didn't change. The block didn't change. Rob's approach didn't change.
The season did.
Why Buy Brini Single Site Grenache 2024?
📍 One Site · Blewitt Springs
From the upper tank block of the Brini family's vineyard, on sandy-based loam soils in one of McLaren Vale's most prized Grenache subregions.
🥇 95 + 95 Points
95 points from Erin Larkin for Robert Parker Wine Advocate and 95 points from Huon Hooke for The Real Review.
🍇 100% Whole Bunch
Fermented entirely as whole bunches before élevage in neutral old French oak puncheons.
✨ Only 800 Bottles
A genuinely tiny release from one specific block within one vineyard.
🌿 Unfiltered · Unfined · Vegan
Made with a gentle hand and bottled under Diam Origine.
🍷 $90 per bottle
A Single Site Grenache for drinkers who want to explore what happens when one place, one season and one winemaking approach are allowed to speak for themselves.
What Does Brini Grenache 2024 Taste Like?
Brini has always been the darker, rounder and more brooding member of our Single Site family.
The 2024 vintage brings pressed flowers, pomegranate and redcurrant alongside darker fruit, with clove, ash and savoury spice adding complexity.
The tannins are particularly interesting this year — sinewy, structured and textural, giving the wine an almost mineral firmness.
There's tart raspberry, savoury spice and an earthy edge underneath it all.
This isn't Grenache built around sweetness or sheer weight.
It's a wine that makes you lean back towards the glass.
One Block. One Season. A Different Brini.
One of the most compelling things about Single Site wine is discovering what changes when almost everything else stays the same.
Rob made the 2024 Brini in the same way as previous vintages.
Same vineyard.
Same upper block.
Same 100% whole bunch.
Same old puncheons.
Yet the tannins and whole-bunch character of the 2024 feel markedly different.
When Erin Larkin tasted the wine, the texture made her wonder whether Rob had changed the maturation vessel. He hadn't.
Her conclusion was much more interesting:
what we're tasting is the impact of the season.
That's why we make Single Site Grenache.
Not to make the same wine every year, but to give a remarkable place enough space for the differences to show.
Made for the Table
Goes With Food
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary, garlic and charred edges.
Brini has the depth for slow-cooked meat, while its savoury whole-bunch spice and fine tannin cut through richness and keep the next mouthful — and the next glass — interesting.
Goes With Cheese
Aged Comté or earthy washed-rind cheese.
The nuttiness and savoury depth of the cheese meet Brini's earth, spice and forest-floor characters rather than competing with its perfume.
Goes With Music
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — Red Right Hand.
Dark, restrained and immediately a little mysterious. The opening creates tension before the song slowly reveals more of itself — much like Brini's brooding first impression.
Then there's that rasp and menace running through the middle: a neat musical counterpart to the wine's savoury whole-bunch spice and sinewy tannin.
Neither needs to shout to hold your attention.
Fits In With Life
Dinner for four, when you've actually got time to talk.
Something slow-cooked in the middle of the table. Phones have disappeared. Nobody is waiting for the next booking.
You pour Brini because tonight there is time to notice the wine change in the glass — and enough conversation that nobody needs to turn it into a tasting exercise.
A good bottle. A small table. A long conversation.
Make Moments Count.
Brini or Confluence?
| Brini Single Site 2024 | Confluence Grenache 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | One upper block in the Brini vineyard | Multiple McLaren Vale sites |
| Place | Blewitt Springs | Blewitt Springs + Clarendon |
| Style | Brooding, savoury, dark-fruited and structured | Perfumed, savoury, fresh and immediately approachable |
| Whole bunch | 100% | 30% |
| Choose it for | Exploring site, season and the more serious side of Grenache | Versatility, dinner, wine bars and discovering Aphelion Grenache |
Confluence shows what happens when remarkable sites come together. Brini shows what happens when we zoom right in.
Buy Brini Direct from the Aphelion Family Winery
Only 800 bottles of Brini Single Site Grenache 2024 were produced.
When you buy direct from Aphelion, you're buying from the small family winery that made the wine — closer to the vineyard, the grower, the winemaking and the story behind the bottle.
It's also where you'll find our complete Grenache range and receive first access to tiny releases that may never make it as far as retail.
Thank you for supporting our family winery directly.
Wine Club members receive member pricing, early access to new and limited releases, exclusive wines, complimentary tastings and free shipping.
DISCOVER THE APHELION WINE CLUB →
More About Brini Single Site Grenache 2024
The Vineyard +
Brini Single Site Grenache comes from the upper tank block of the Brini family's vineyard in Blewitt Springs, within McLaren Vale, South Australia.
This vineyard has been part of Aphelion's story since our first vintage and its fruit forms part of the backbone of Confluence Grenache.
The upper block's sandy-based loam soils give Brini intensity and a characteristically darker, brooding expression.
By bottling this block separately, we can explore the character of one particular site rather than blending it into a broader expression of McLaren Vale.
How We Made It +
Brini 2024 was fermented using 100% whole bunches.
After fermentation, the wine was pressed to neutral old French oak puncheons for élevage of approximately one year.
The gentle approach is deliberate: rather than imposing winemaking character on the wine, the aim is to allow the vineyard and vintage to remain visible.
13.5% ABV · Diam Origine closure · Unfiltered · Unfined · Vegan
Critic Recognition +
2024 Vintage
95 points — Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
95 points — Huon Hooke, The Real Review
93 points — Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
92 points — Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
Marcus Ellis described the wine as sinewy, spicy and savoury, noting its tart raspberry, balsamic-macerated strawberry, umeboshi, iron, pepper and restrained floral characters. His advice for the wine's evolution was wonderfully simple: “Give it a year or so and it will soar.”
Brini Through the Vintages +
2024 Vintage
95 points — Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
95 points — Huon Hooke, The Real Review
93 points — Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
92 points — Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
2023 Vintage
95 points — Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
95 points — Huon Hooke, The Real Review
93 points — Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
92 points — Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
2022 Vintage
95+ points — Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
95+ points — Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
92 points — Ned Goodwin, Halliday Wine Companion
2021 Vintage
97 points — Nick Stock, JamesSuckling.com
92 points — Ned Goodwin, Halliday Wine Companion
Four vintages. A changing season. One remarkable site.
Pairings + Cellaring +
Brini 2024 is structured, savoury and youthful. Marcus Ellis suggested giving the wine additional time to unfurl, making this a particularly interesting bottle for the cellar as well as the table.
If opening it young, give it plenty of air and allow it to change in the glass.
For food, think slow-cooked lamb, roast duck, mushrooms, charred vegetables and other dishes with savoury depth.
Shipping +
We deliver Aphelion wines throughout Australia by Australia Post.
- South Australia: $15 flat-rate shipping per order.
- Rest of Australia: $20 flat-rate shipping per order.
- Wine Club members: Free shipping.
- Orders are usually dispatched within 2 business days.
- Delivery generally takes between 2 and 10 business days depending on location.
Wines cannot be shipped to dry zones and will not be delivered to anyone under 18 years of age.
Questions About Brini Single Site Grenache 2024
What is Brini Single Site Grenache 2024?
Aphelion Brini Single Site Grenache 2024 is a premium McLaren Vale Grenache made exclusively from the upper tank block of the Brini family's vineyard in Blewitt Springs, South Australia. It was fermented with 100% whole bunches and only 800 bottles were produced.
Where is the Brini vineyard?
The Brini vineyard is in Blewitt Springs, a subregion of McLaren Vale in South Australia. Brini Single Site Grenache comes specifically from the vineyard's upper tank block.
What does Brini Grenache 2024 taste like?
Brini 2024 is dark-fruited, savoury and structured, with pressed flowers, pomegranate, redcurrant, clove, ash and spice. It has distinctive sinewy tannins and a darker, more brooding personality than the other Aphelion Single Site Grenaches.
What does “Single Site Grenache” mean?
For Aphelion, Single Site Grenache means isolating fruit from one specific block within a vineyard so its particular expression of place and season can be seen more clearly. Brini comes exclusively from the upper tank block of the Brini vineyard.
Is Brini Grenache made using whole bunches?
Yes. Brini Single Site Grenache 2024 was fermented using 100% whole bunches, contributing aromatic complexity, savoury spice and structure.
How was Brini Grenache 2024 matured?
After 100% whole-bunch fermentation, Brini 2024 was pressed to neutral old French oak puncheons for approximately one year of élevage.
How rare is Brini Single Site Grenache 2024?
Only 800 bottles of Brini Single Site Grenache 2024 were produced.
Has Brini Grenache 2024 received critic reviews?
Yes. Brini Single Site Grenache 2024 received 95 points from Erin Larkin for Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 95 points from Huon Hooke for The Real Review, 93 points from Gary Walsh for The Wine Front and 92 points from Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion.
Is Brini Grenache suitable for cellaring?
Yes. Brini 2024 has significant structure and youthful tannin. It can also be enjoyed young with air; Marcus Ellis specifically suggested giving the wine more time to develop and predicted that it would “soar.”
Is Brini Single Site Grenache vegan?
Yes. Brini Single Site Grenache 2024 is unfiltered, unfined and vegan.
What is the alcohol percentage of Brini Grenache 2024?
Brini Single Site Grenache 2024 is 13.5% ABV and is bottled under Diam Origine.
About Aphelion Wine Co.
Aphelion is a small, family-owned winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia, with a particular obsession with Grenache.
We work closely with growers and make small batches from remarkable vineyards and specific sites, allowing differences in place and season to remain visible in the finished wine.
Aphelion began with Grenache. Our focus is Grenache. And our future is Grenache.
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