2025 McLaren Vale Single Site Grenache Collection | Four Vineyards | Four Award-Winning Wines

BLEWITT SPRINGS · CLARENDON · McLAREN VALE · SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Four remarkable vineyards. One extraordinary vintage. One very special collection.

What if you could taste the difference between four remarkable Grenache vineyards, all from the same vintage, made the same way by the same winemaker?

That's exactly what we've brought together in the Aphelion 2025 Single Site Grenache Collection.

Four exceptional old-vine and single-site Grenaches. Four very different personalities. And one vintage that Rob believes is the finest we've ever made at Aphelion.

From the deeply savoury old vines of Wait to the magnificent, concentrated debut of Plaisted's, the precision of high-elevation Hickinbotham and the beautiful perfume of Brini, this is a fascinating journey through the vineyards that make McLaren Vale Grenache so special.

And the critics agree.

97 points - Wait, Halliday Wine Companion
96 points - Plaisted's, The Wine Front
96 points - Hickinbotham, Halliday Wine Companion and The Wine Front
96 points - Brini, Halliday Wine Companion

Four bottles. Four vineyard stories. Endless possibilities for a very good evening.

What's in the Collection?

One bottle each of our four 2025 Single Site Grenache Noir wines, selected from some of McLaren Vale's most remarkable vineyards.

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;
• Four perfectly paired Recipe cards;
• Four Taste Over Time cards. 

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 Cards

A simply delicious meal suggestion that is easy to make and sure to please - for each of the Single Site wines. Included in your box with our compliments. 

• Four Taste Over Time Cards.

Record how your Single Site's evolve over time by recording what you notice each time you try them. A set of the four Taste Over Time cards will be included in your box. 

Meet the Four Grenaches

1. Brini - The Elegant, Aromatic One

Blewitt Springs | Upper Tank Block | RRP $90

Brini is a vineyard close to our hearts.

We've worked with the Brini family since Aphelion's very first vintage, and fruit from this remarkable vineyard has helped shape our Grenache story from the beginning.

The 2025 Brini is darker and more brooding than previous, cooler vintages, yet remains the most elegant and aromatic of our four Single Site wines.

Dark plum, cherry, cinnamon and forest berries meet lifted florals, mineral tension and beautifully fine tannins.

It's the wine that reminds us how powerfully Grenache can express its origins while retaining grace and perfume.

96 points - Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
95+ points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

"Fabulous quality."
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

 

2. Hickinbotham - The High-Elevation Original

Clarendon | South-facing Blocks 111-113 | RRP $90

What happens when Grenache grows high above the valley, on slopes protected from the hottest afternoon sun?

You get Hickinbotham.

The highest-elevation wine in our 2025 Single Site range, this is a Grenache of extraordinary precision and energy.

Bright cranberry, cherry and redcurrant meet fragrant florals, savoury herbs and fine spice. Beneath it all is a beautifully intricate framework of tannin and vibrant natural acidity.

Freshness without sacrificing flavour. Structure without heaviness. A wine that makes a compelling case for the extraordinary diversity of McLaren Vale Grenache.

96 points - Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
96 points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

"Exquisite."
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

3. Wait - The Old-Vine Powerhouse

Blewitt Springs | Bush vines planted in the mid-1940s | RRP $90

Some wines reveal everything in the first sip. Wait makes you work a little harder, and rewards you wonderfully for it.

From the Wait family's dry-grown Top Bush block, this is Grenache with extraordinary savoury depth. Dark cherry, turned earth, wild herbs and a slightly saline edge are carried by waves of persistent tannin.

It's structured, brooding and built to evolve. A wine to decant generously, serve with something delicious and revisit as the evening unfolds.

97 points - Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
96+ points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

"Wine of the Year contender."

Campbell Mattinson for The Wine Front

4. Plaisted's - The Magnificent Newcomer

Blewitt Sands | Vines planted in 1947 | RRP $90

Our newest Single Site Grenache has arrived with quite an introduction.

From the Hatwell family's Plaisted's vineyard, planted in 1947, this is the most concentrated and full-bodied wine of the four.

Imagine an irresistible perfume of blueberries, raspberries and violets, followed by dark cherry, cedar, sweet spice and a hint of orange zest. Powerful, beautifully controlled tannins carry the wine through an exceptionally long finish.

It's a wine for the good plates, slow-roasted lamb and a celebration worth remembering. Or a bottle tucked safely away for a milestone still to come.

96 points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

"It's an epic release from Aphelion."
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

Four Vineyards. Four Very Different Personalities.

This is what makes the Collection so much fun.

All four wines come from McLaren Vale. All four are Grenache. All four were made by Rob in the same exceptional vintage, using a consistent winemaking approach.

And yet, they're remarkably different.

You'll discover the savoury intensity of dry-grown old bush vines at Wait.

The extraordinary concentration of Plaisted's, grown on deep Blewitt Sands.

The precision and freshness of Hickinbotham's high, south-facing Clarendon blocks.

And the elegant, aromatic expression of the Brini vineyard.

Different soils. Different elevations. Different vine histories. Different personalities.

One winemaker. One vintage. Four fascinating expressions of place.

It's a wonderful way to discover why we're so captivated by Grenache, and why McLaren Vale is one of the world's most exciting places to grow it.

Make an Evening of It - Your Own Grenache Tasting

Four bottles. Four glasses. A few people whose company you love.

Here's our idea of a rather excellent evening.

Invite a handful of wine-loving friends around. Put something delicious in the oven. Bring out the good glasses, a few cheeses and a notebook if you're feeling particularly serious.

Open all four wines and give them a generous decant. These are structured, tightly wound Grenaches that reward time and air.

Pour a little of each into separate glasses and begin exploring.

Start with Brini's beautiful perfume. Move to the freshness and precision of Hickinbotham. Discover the extraordinary concentration of Plaisted's. Finish with Wait's deep savoury character and waves of tannin.

Then do something even more interesting.

Go back to the first glass.

Notice how the wines have changed with air. Which one has become more fragrant? Which has softened? Which is revealing flavours you didn't notice before?

There are no wrong answers, and no need to agree.

In fact, half the fun is discovering that everyone around the table has a different favourite.

Put on some music. Bring out another course. Let the conversation wander.

That's the beauty of this Collection. It's not just four bottles of wine. It's an evening worth remembering.

Four Wines Made for the Table

Each wine has its own favourite companions, which makes this Collection a particularly enjoyable way to explore Grenache with food.

Wait - A generous bowl of sausage and thyme ragù, or a wedge of beautifully aged Comté. Rich, savoury flavours that meet the wine's deep earthy character and powerful tannins.

Plaisted's - Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlic, or clothbound cheddar with quince paste. A wonderfully generous match for the wine's concentrated fruit and impressive structure.

Hickinbotham - Vegetable lasagne with a rich béchamel, or creamy d'Affinois. The wine's bright acidity and fine tannins bring freshness and balance to these comforting dishes.

Brini - Grilled venison with juniper and spice, or Crémeux d'Argental with fruit crackers. A beautiful pairing for Brini's perfume, savoury complexity and finely textured palate.

Or simply put all four bottles on the table with a generous spread of good food and let everyone discover their own favourite combination.

Make Moments Count.

One Extraordinary Vintage

Rob believes 2025 is the finest vintage Aphelion has ever made.

That's not something we say lightly.

Since our first vintage in 2014, Grenache has been at the heart of everything we do. We've spent years working with growers, learning the personalities of remarkable vineyards and refining how we capture their character in the bottle.

The 2025 Single Site Grenaches represent a particularly exciting moment in that journey.

Each wine has its own distinctive personality, but they share a remarkable combination of concentration, freshness, structure and length.

They are wines with something to say today, and plenty more to reveal over the years ahead.

All four have the potential to continue evolving through 2038 when stored correctly.

Open them together now. Or cellar them and follow their stories over time.

A Remarkable Grenache Gift

For the person who already knows a thing or two about wine. Or the one who's about to discover a new obsession.

Buying a special bottle for a wine lover can be surprisingly difficult.

But four exceptional Grenaches from four remarkable vineyards, all from the same vintage?

Now that's a gift with a story to tell.

Give the Collection to someone who loves discovering new wines, exploring the differences between vineyards or putting something special away in the cellar.

It's also a wonderful gift to share.

Imagine bringing the four bottles to a birthday dinner or anniversary celebration, pouring them side by side and letting everyone choose their favourite.

And because the wines have excellent cellaring potential, there's no pressure to open them all at once.

One for tonight. One for next year. One for a milestone. One for a future celebration you haven't even imagined yet.

Four bottles. So many possibilities.

The Complete 2025 Single Site Grenache Collection 

One bottle each of Wait, Plaisted's, Hickinbotham and Brini Single Site Grenache Noir 2025.

This isn't a discounted mixed pack. It's the complete expression of our 2025 Single Site Grenache release, brought together so you can experience the vineyards alongside one another.

Each wine is made in genuinely small quantities, with only 1,200 standard bottles produced from each site.

Once an individual wine sells out, we may no longer be able to offer the complete Collection.

Four exceptional Grenaches. One extraordinary vintage. Discover your favourite.

Why This McLaren Vale Grenache Collection Is Different

This isn't simply four bottles of Grenache in a box.

It's a carefully curated exploration of four distinctive vineyards, all interpreted by the same winemaker in the same exceptional vintage.

Rather than comparing different wineries or winemaking styles, you're tasting the influence of place.

Old vines in Blewitt Springs. Deep sandy soils at Plaisted's. High, south-facing blocks in Clarendon. The remarkable perfume of Brini.

Each wine has been made with 100% whole-bunch fermentation and matured in neutral French oak, allowing the differences between vineyards to remain at the forefront.

For anyone curious about single-vineyard Grenache, old-vine McLaren Vale wines or the influence of terroir, this is a fascinating and delicious place to start.

And for those who already love Grenache, it's a rare opportunity to taste the complete 2025 Aphelion Single Site release together.

Buy Direct from the Aphelion Family Winery

When you buy the 2025 Single Site Grenache Collection direct from Aphelion, you're supporting the small family winery that works with these remarkable growers and makes each of these wines.

You're buying from the people who know the vineyards, picked the fruit, made the wines and chose the moment they were ready to share.

We're a first-generation family winery, and Grenache has been our focus since the very beginning.

Aphelion began with Grenache. Our focus is Grenache. And our future is Grenache.

Thank you for being part of our story.

More About the 2025 Single Site Grenache Collection

Frequently Asked Questions

Love Grenache? Come Closer to Aphelion.

If you've enjoyed discovering our four Single Site Grenaches, we'd love to welcome you into the Aphelion Bottled Sunshine Wine Club.

Members enjoy early access to new releases and events, exclusive and museum wines, and 10% off additional purchases with free shipping.

It's a lovely way to stay connected to our little family winery and discover what's coming next.

DISCOVER THE APHELION WINE CLUB →

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

Questions About Plaisted's Single Site Grenache 2025

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.

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

Questions About Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache 2025

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.

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

Questions About Brini Single Site Grenache 2025

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.

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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

_______________________________________________________

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...

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?

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

Questions About Brini Single Site Grenache 2024

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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