From $51.66 /Per Bottle
Grenache is our specialty. This pack curated by Rob "Mr Grenache" Mack is the best way for you to discover the breadth of flavour possible from Grenache grown in McLaren Vale.
Each six pack includes:
1 x bottle Welkin Grenache 2024 RRP $28
1 x bottle Callow Grenache Blanc 2024 RRP $42
1 x bottle Confluence Grenache 2024 RRP $42 each
2 x bottle Affinity Grenache Mourvedre 2024 RRP $42
1 x bottle Rapture 2022 RRP $150
RRP $346. Special pack price: $310. Save $36 and 10%!
(N.B: 12 bottle cases contain double these amounts).
Each of our Grenache wines has its’ own distinct personality.
Why not gather some friends and open all five different bottles at once?
About The Wines
Welkin Grenache 2024 is a juicy and vibrant wine with outrageous aromatics. Designed to be enjoyed immediately, with goat chevre, tapas or as an aperitif on its' own.
Callow Grenache Blanc 2024 Our love affair with Grenache now extends to it's white wine form. Intense citrus and spice aromatics. A textural edge provides a food friendly aspect. Cinnamon and nutmeg spice complement the nashi pear and stone fruit flavours.
Confluence 2024 Grenache is the coming together of premium Grenache from a number of vineyards in the sandy soil dress-circle of Blewitt Springs. It showcases the best of McLaren Vale's elegant, savoury Grenache style.
Affinity 2024 Grenache Mourvèdre Here premium barrels of Brini Grenache and Lacey Mourvèdre are brought together to make a truly rounded and balanced wine with juicy acid, powdery tannin and the best of juicy red berries from Grenache and earthy mid and back palate from Mourvedre.
Rapture 2022 Grenache is our pinnacle of Grenache. The finest barrels from our portfolio of Grenache parcels. Elegant. Poised. Balanced. Built to age or to savour now.
Select between a 6 bottle pack or 12 bottle case to Buy the Aphelion Grenache Pack.
From $220.00
Something old is new again. And also old.
Back for a good time, not a long time is the NB Grenache 2024.
The wine that kept us guessing… and which told its own story.
Named for its evolving aromas, flavours that changed every time Rob tasted it, and yes… it overflowed its fermenter!
A wine with a mind of its own.
A one of a kind, a one off, well now the name comes alive again. A worthy recipient of the "Naughty Boy" moniker.
100 cases.
100 year old vines.
$220 a dozen.
Meet NB Grenache 2024
Tasting Note:
Black cherry. Star anise. 1/4 teaspoon of crushed blueberries.
Then sniff again.
The back of nanna's dried herb cupboard.
Another sniff.
Bright raspberry and cranberry!
Told you it's a chameleon.
It tastes like early summer in the early afternoon. The BBQ is on, the friends are on the deck chairs while the kids shout from the trampoline and the dog drools every time someone pops cheese and cracker in their mouth.
It's juicy with raspberry, supported by dark undertones and a welcome lick of tannin.
Honestly, at $220 a dozen for a Rob Mack made Grenache, from 100 year old vines in Blewitt Springs, why on earth wouldn't you add to cart?!
Goes With Food: Grilled lamb cutlets with rosemary, wood-fired pizza, charred capsicum & haloumi skewers, or anything shared straight from the BBQ plate before it reaches the table.
Goes With Cheese: Vintage cheddar, aged Manchego, or a creamy D’Affinois — bonus points if there are crackers and you’re eating standing up, chatting, distracted.
Goes With Music: Culture Club – Karma Chameleon.
Goes With Life: When you are smiling and the sun is shining.
Serve At: 16-18 degrees Celsius.
When to Drink: Enjoy now. Or make an experiment and see how it evolves. It has the acid and tannin to evolve over time.
ABV%: 13.5%
Unfiltered | Unfined | Vegan
Buy the NB Grenache by Aphelion 2024 by 12 bottle case.
From $199.00
Three intriguing wines that explore the power of terroir within tiny, discrete micro-parcels of a single vineyard. Paired with the ability of Grenache to clearly express those differences.
Not only can McLaren Vale Grenache evoke sense of place of a whole vineyard, it can also highlight with great clarity the difference that mere metres can make within a vineyard - at a sub-vineyard, micro-plot level.
The extremely limited production Hickinbotham Series is from a triangle of three very small Grenache blocks at one of the highest elevation points of the whole Hickinbotham of Clarendon vineyard.
All picked the same day.
All made the same way.
Strikingly different, yet with the same exquisite core of balance.
The climate, sunshine, rain, geology, soil, topography and the soil–water relations even as close as just meters apart are clearly discernible in these wines.
A special pack with all three Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Grenache Wines:
- 1 x Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Block 111 Grenache 2024 ;
- 1 x Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Block 112 Grenache 2024 ;
- 1 x Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Block 113 Grenache 2024.
Available as a 3 Pack, a 6 Pack, or a 12 Bottle Case.
Extremely limited production. Just 360 bottles of each wine.
Fill your glass with this thought and conversation provoking trio.
They'll impress taking pride of place on your table.
Why not gather some friends and open one of each?
#shopsmall
About Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Block 111 Grenache 2024
111 is the smallest block located at the top of the triangle. The highest altitude wine in the series at 245m to 250m ASL, it showcases finesse and great elegance.
Tasting Note: Crunchy red berry fruit flavours are carried by juicy and crisp acidity. A light to medium body with a lovely purity. The fruit dances along the palate followed by the fine tannins which spread out to provide significant length of flavour.
Click For Tasting Note of Block 111.
About Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Block 112 Grenache 2024.
112 a larger contour of the triangle, around twice the size of Block 111. The second highest altitude wine in the series at 240m to 245m ASL, it showcases spice, texture and structure.
Tasting Note: Cinnamon and nutmeg spices float from the glass with red berry fruit in support. Tannins are moderate with a cat’s tongue texture and provide a good framework for the flavours through the palate. Acidity is slightly lower than the Block 111 wine which results in a rounder mouthfeel. Flavours linger long on the palate thanks to the good concentration and density of fruit.
Click For Tasting Note of Block 112.
About Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Block 113 Grenache 2024.
113 hugs the base contour of the triangle and is slightly larger in area than 111 + 112 combined. The lowest highest altitude wine in the series, at 235m to 240m ASL, this wine showcases dark fruit, structure and vibrancy.
Tasting Note: The fruit moves into the blue and black spectrum and the body of the wine is medium – the fullest of the trio. Tannins are dense and well-rounded and carry the blackberry and plum fruit long through the palate. Fresh acidity keeps the wine vibrant and light on its feet, but this is undoubtedly the most hedonistic of the three block wines.
Click For Tasting Note of Block 113.
More Information About the Hickinbotham Series
Detailed information about the vineyard, the Blocks, winemaking and resulting wines can be found on the Aphelion blog by clicking here.
From $28.00 /Per Bottle
The Welkin Grenache By Aphelion 2024 is part of our special range of vibrant, early release, ready to enjoy, but delightfully complex wines.
We like to call the Welkin Grenache "furiously aromatic".
It fairly leaps out of the glass at you!
Delicately hand picked with 50% from a 20 year old Grenache vineyard towards the sea in Whites Valley and 50% from the hilly, sandy Blewitt Springs.
Revel in this wine's light body, heady spiciness and juicy acidity.
Meet Welkin Grenache
Tasting Note: Beautifully intense purple colour. Pure fruited aromas of redcurrant and cinnamon follow through on to the palate with fresh acidity keeping the wine lively and
vibrant. A small percentage of whole bunch fermentation in the wine adds a savoury element and herbal notes. The Welkin Grenache is a light bodied wine that works very well in an aperitivo setting.
Goes With Food: Perfect with light tapas or light to medium bodied cuisine.
Goes With Cheese: Fresh chevre matches this wine’s youthful vibrancy.
Goes With Music: Jake Bugg – Lightning Bolt.
Goes With Life: A great wine to kick off with, it’s light body keeps the drinkability factor high.
Serve At: 16-18 degrees Celsius.
When to Drink: Ready to drink now whilst it retains it’s youthful vibrancy but will drink well over the next 5 – 8 years.
ABV%: 13%
Unfiltered | Unfined | Vegan
Select between a 6 bottle pack or 12 bottle case to Buy the Welkin Grenache by Aphelion 2024.
Sale
-12%
From $99.00
$112.00
Discover why Aphelion are known as Grenache specialists with this Glorious Grenache 3 Pack.
Sample Grenache three ways with Rob Mack's signature attention to aromatics. Includes a white wine Grenache, the Grenache Blanc.
Introduce a friend to our range or discover us yourself.
A special pack with three Aphelion Cellar Door Best Selling Wines:
- 1 x Aphelion Callow Grenache Blanc 2025 RRP $42;
- 1 x Welkin Grenache 2024 RRP $28;
- 1 x Aphelion Confluence Grenache 2025 RRP $42.
Fill your glass with this classy collection.
They'll impress taking pride of place on your table.
Why not gather some friends and open one of each?
#shopsmall
P.S That's an 11% discount on RRP, just because we would like you to try our Grenache or gift it to someone special!
Get to Know Callow
Grenache Blanc is one of the permissible Chateauneuf du Pape varieties, so is beautifully suited to our McLaren Vale climate. A crisp white full of interest and very worthy of the name 'Grenache'. More information.
Get to Know Welkin Grenache.
We like to call the Welkin Grenache "furiously aromatic". It fairly leaps out of the glass at you! Delicately hand picked from a 20 year old Grenache vineyard towards the sea in Whites Valley. Revel in this wine's light body, heady spiciness and juicy acidity. More Information.
Get to Know Confluence
Our first wine. The one that sparked our passion, and set our reputation for brilliant Grenache. Premium, ancient, twisted bush vine vineyards come together. Winemaking techniques of whole berry ferments, whole bunch ferments, careful pressing converge. Beautiful art and science. Elegant, savoury, delicious. More Information.
From $42.00
Aphelion Callow Grenache Blanc 2025
McLaren Vale Grenache Blanc | Organic Single Vineyard | Limited Release
Aphelion Callow Grenache Blanc 2025 is a vibrant, textural and spice-laced expression of Grenache Blanc from a certified Organic and Biodynamic vineyard near Kangarilla in McLaren Vale.
Hand-picked and whole bunch pressed, this wine balances purity and freshness with subtle oak complexity. Bright acidity and layered texture make it both immediately compelling and capable of medium-term cellaring.
Only 250 six-packs produced.
Tasting Notes
Intense and vibrant fruit aromatics mingle with citrus and spice. A fine textural edge gives the wine a distinctly food-friendly feel. Cinnamon and nutmeg spice complement nashi pear and stone fruit flavours, finishing long and precise with refreshing acidity.
- Variety: Grenache Blanc
- Region: McLaren Vale (Kangarilla)
- Vineyard: Certified Organic & Biodynamic Yangarra Vineyard
- ABV: 13.2%
- Closure: Screwcap
- Vegan Friendly
- Serve: 8–10°C
- Cellaring: Drink now or cellar 5–8 years
Winemaking
Hand-picked fruit was whole bunch pressed. 60% was fermented in stainless steel to retain freshness and varietal purity, with the balance fermented in one new Austrian oak hogshead and seasoned French oak barriques.
A slow, cool ferment preserved aromatics. The wine remained on full lees with regular battonage until bottling in December 2025, building texture and complexity while maintaining precision.
Goes With
Goes With Food: Bouillabaisse — the body and spice of the wine mirror the dish beautifully.
Goes With Cheese: Comté — structured yet not overpowering, allowing the spice characters to shine.
Goes With Music: Muse – Stockholm Syndrome.
Goes With Life: Textural and aromatic, perfect as the first glass of the evening or paired with the feature dish of the night.
Why Buy Callow Grenache Blanc 2025?
- Rare McLaren Vale Grenache Blanc
- Certified Organic & Biodynamic vineyard source
- Textural, spice-driven white wine
- Cellar-worthy for 5–8 years
- Limited production — only 250 six-packs
This is a wine for lovers of Rhône-style whites, Chenin Blanc drinkers looking for something textural, and collectors of small-batch McLaren Vale releases.
Buy Callow Grenache Blanc 2025 Online
Select between a 6 bottle pack or 12 bottle case to Buy the Callow Grenache Blanc by Aphelion 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Grenache Blanc taste like?
Grenache Blanc typically shows citrus, pear and stone fruit with spice and texture. The Callow Grenache Blanc 2025 highlights nashi pear, cinnamon and nutmeg with vibrant acidity.
Is this a dry white wine?
Yes. Callow Grenache Blanc 2025 is dry, textural and balanced with fresh acidity.
Can I cellar Grenache Blanc?
Yes. Thanks to vibrant acidity and lees maturation, this wine will cellar well for 5–8 years.
Is this wine organic?
The fruit is sourced from a certified Organic and Biodynamic vineyard in McLaren Vale.
What food pairs best with Grenache Blanc?
Bouillabaisse, seafood stews, roast chicken, and alpine cheeses like Comté pair beautifully with this style.
From $42.00
McLaren Vale Grenache from Multiple Remarkable Sites | 95 Points | Limited Release
Aphelion Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 is a $42 McLaren Vale Grenache made predominantly from Blewitt Springs fruit, with a touch of Clarendon, and awarded 95 points by Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion.
What happens when you bring some of McLaren Vale's most distinctive Grenache sites together?
You get Confluence.
Our original Grenache.
A wine that has been with us from the very beginning.
And if you want to understand why we're so obsessed with Grenache, this is a pretty good place to start.
Meet Confluence Grenache Noir 2025
Confluence is our expression of what happens when different sites, different soils and different expressions of Grenache come together.
The 2025 vintage brings together fruit predominantly from Blewitt Springs, with a touch of Clarendon, creating a McLaren Vale Grenache that is aromatic, complex, structured and remarkably easy to drink.
It's serious enough for dinner.
Relaxed enough for the back deck.
And interesting enough that you'll probably find yourself going back to the glass to see what changed.
That's Confluence.
Why Buy Confluence Grenache 2025?
🍷 McLaren Vale Grenache - $42 a bottle
An approachable way to discover Aphelion's Grenache obsession, available by the bottle or in 6- and 12-bottle quantities.
📍 Blewitt Springs + Clarendon
80% of the fruit is from Brini, and Plaisted's vineyards in Blewitt Springs, and 20% is from Hickinbotham in Clarendon. Two distinctive and prized sub-regions within McLaren Vale. Three of the best growers, vineyards and sites.
🌿 30% Whole Bunch
Whole-bunch fermentation contributes savoury complexity, structure and aromatic lift.
🥇 95 Points
Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion.
✨ Limited Production
Just 1,100 six-packs and 100 Magnums produced.
🌱 Unfiltered | Unfined | Vegan
Made with minimal intervention and bottled without fining or filtration.
What Does Confluence Grenache Taste Like?
Pour it and you'll see the vibrant red colour with purple hues in the glass.
At first, there's a savoury core of olive and briar.
Give it some air.
That's when the fruit starts to emerge.
Crunchy raspberry. Cranberry.
Then the palate opens up into Satsuma plum, wild strawberry and fine sandalwood, carried by fine tannins that give the wine impressive length.
There's real intensity and concentration here, but without heaviness or cloying sweetness.
It's the kind of Grenache that rewards attention without demanding it.
Pour a glass. Give it some air. Come back to it.
You'll probably find something new.
A Confluence of McLaren Vale Sites
Confluence isn't a single-site wine.
That's the point.
It brings together fruit from several remarkable vineyards to create something greater than any one parcel could achieve.
| Origin | Contribution to Confluence |
|---|---|
| Blewitt Springs | 80% of the blend, from Brini family and Plaisted's vineyards |
| Clarendon | 20% of the blend, from the acclaimed Hickinbotham vineyard |
This is one of the reasons we love Grenache.
It can express the personality of a place with remarkable clarity — but it can also show what happens when different places are brought together deliberately.
Confluence is the latter.
How We Made Confluence Grenache 2025
Grenache fruit was hand-picked and a portion of the fruit was fermented as whole bunches.
30% whole bunch fermentation took place in stainless steel and small concrete open-top fermenters.
The wine was then matured in a combination of:
- 1,500L Drunk Turtle cocciopesto
- Seasoned French 2,800L foudre
- Demi-muid oak
The result is a wine with structure and complexity without letting oak dominate the fruit or site character.
Bottled February 2026.
Made for the Table
Confluence is deliberately food friendly.
It's got enough structure to stand up to dinner, enough freshness to keep you reaching for another glass and enough savoury character to make food taste better.
Goes With Food
Pan-seared duck.
The spice and body of the duck are a beautiful match for the wine.
Goes With Cheese
Camembert or a washed-rind cheese.
The mushroom characters in the cheese complement the wine without overwhelming its more delicate structure.
Goes With Music
Nick Cave – Jubilee Street.
It begins with restraint and keeps building - layer upon layer, tension upon tension - much like Confluence as it opens in the glass. What starts savoury and brooding becomes increasingly expressive, before that long, insistent finish refuses to disappear quietly.
Goes With Life
The dinner that wasn’t meant to go this long.
You booked for 7. It’s now pushing 10. The plates have been cleared, nobody’s checking the time, and someone asks the question every good dinner eventually gets to:
“Should we get another bottle?”
Confluence is that bottle.
Interesting enough to keep you coming back to the glass. Easy enough that the conversation never has to stop for it.
Because sometimes the moments worth counting are the ones you didn’t plan.
When Should You Drink Confluence 2025?
Now.
Confluence 2025 is ready to drink, but it has the structure, concentration and tannin to continue evolving through to 2035.
Serve at 18°C.
If you're drinking it tonight, give it some time in the glass.
If you're putting some away, expect the savoury and structural elements to become increasingly integrated with time.
Critic Recognition
95 points - Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
Confluence has been one of the wines at the heart of Aphelion since the beginning, and the 2025 vintage continues that story with the combination we love: perfume, savouriness, structure, freshness and drinkability.
It's Grenache with enough going on to reward the serious wine drinker, without becoming a wine you have to think about.
Is Confluence the Right McLaren Vale Grenache for You?
Buy Confluence if you want a Grenache that's...
- Aromatic rather than heavy — expressive fruit and savoury complexity without excessive weight.
- Food friendly — structured enough for dinner but fresh enough to keep drinking.
- Complex without being complicated — there are layers here, but you don't need a wine degree to enjoy them.
- Distinctively McLaren Vale — drawing on fruit from some of the vineyards we know and work with closely.
- Built to evolve — ready now, with the structure to develop through 2035.
- A genuine Aphelion original — Confluence has been part of our Grenache story from the very beginning.
Choose Confluence if you want:
a premium McLaren Vale Grenache that's drinking beautifully now; a savoury rather than sweet expression of Grenache; a highly rated Australian red under $50; or an introduction to Aphelion before exploring our Single Site Grenaches.
Looking for something different?
If you'd like to explore how individual vineyards change Grenache, discover our Single Site Grenache Collection. If you're looking for our most cellar-worthy expression, discover Rapture Old Vine Grenache.
Confluence vs Single Site Grenache
Wondering whether you should choose Confluence or one of our Single Site Grenaches?
| Confluence Grenache 2025 | Single Site Grenache | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Multiple vineyards and sites | One specific block within one vineyard |
| Style | Aromatic, complex, savoury and beautifully drinkable | More site-specific and structurally distinctive |
| Fruit | Blewitt Springs + Clarendon | One defined site |
| Best for | Dinner, entertaining, aperitivo and everyday serious drinking | Exploring terroir and building a cellar |
If you want to explore what McLaren Vale Grenache can do across different sites, Confluence is the place to start.
If you want to go deeper into the difference a particular block can make, explore our Single Site Grenaches next.
Why Confluence Is Worth Buying Direct from Aphelion
You can find Aphelion wines through selected retailers.
But when you buy Confluence directly from us, you're buying from the people who made it.
You're closer to the vineyards.
Closer to the winemaking.
Closer to the stories behind the bottle.
And you're first in line for the wines that never make it as far as retail.
Our Wine Club members also receive early access to new and limited releases, exclusive wines, complimentary tastings and member benefits.
DISCOVER THE APHELION WINE CLUB →
Buy Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 Direct From The Aphelion Family Winery Online
Ready to pour?
Choose a single bottle, 6-bottle pack or 12-bottle case of Aphelion Confluence Grenache Noir 2025.
With only 1,100 six-packs and 100 Magnums produced, this is a limited vintage.
Ready now. Delicious with dinner. Built to evolve.
Psst... Like the sound of exclusive wines, early access and free shipping? Our Wine Club members receive exclusive access to new and limited releases, complimentary tastings and member benefits.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Confluence Grenache 2025
What is Confluence Grenache 2025?
Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 is Aphelion's original Grenache, made from fruit grown across distinctive McLaren Vale sites in Blewitt Springs and Clarendon. It is complex, aromatic, savoury and food friendly, with fine tannins, good structure and a long finish.
What does Confluence Grenache 2025 taste like?
Confluence 2025 shows a savoury core of olive and briar, followed by crunchy raspberry and cranberry. The palate brings Satsuma plum, wild strawberry and fine sandalwood, with fine tannins providing excellent length.
Is Confluence Grenache a McLaren Vale wine?
Yes. Confluence Grenache 2025 is made from Grenache grown in McLaren Vale, with 80% of the blend from Blewitt Springs and 20% from Clarendon.
Where does Confluence Grenache 2025 come from?
The 2025 Confluence is made from 80% Blewitt Springs fruit from the Brini and Plaisted's family vineyards, plus 20% Clarendon fruit from the Hickinbotham vineyard.
Is Confluence Grenache 2025 a good Australian Grenache under $50?
Yes. At $42 a bottle, Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 is a premium McLaren Vale Grenache made from fruit grown in Blewitt Springs and Clarendon. It received 95 points from Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion and is designed to be delicious now while having the structure to cellar through to 2035.
What does “Confluence” mean in wine?
Confluence refers to the bringing together of different sources or influences. For Aphelion Confluence, it describes the deliberate combination of Grenache from different McLaren Vale vineyards and sites to create one complete wine.
Is Confluence a Single Site Grenache?
No. Confluence is deliberately made from multiple sites. Our Single Site Grenaches come from one specific block within a vineyard, while Confluence brings together different sites to create a broader expression of McLaren Vale Grenache.
Is Confluence Grenache 2025 a full-bodied red wine?
Confluence has real intensity, concentration and structure, but it is not heavy or cloying. Its freshness, fine tannins and savoury character make it a versatile and food-friendly McLaren Vale red wine.
Is Confluence Grenache suitable for food pairing?
Yes. Confluence is particularly food friendly and pairs beautifully with dishes such as pan-seared duck, roast meats, mushrooms and savoury Mediterranean-style dishes. It also works with Camembert and washed-rind cheeses.
Should I decant Confluence Grenache 2025?
It is not essential, but giving Confluence some air will allow its savoury, fruit and spice characters to unfold. Pouring it into a glass and returning to it over 20–30 minutes is an easy way to experience how the wine evolves.
How long can I cellar Confluence Grenache 2025?
Confluence 2025 is ready to drink now but has the structure, concentration and tannin to continue evolving through to 2035.
What percentage of Confluence 2025 is whole bunch?
30% of the fruit was fermented as whole bunches in stainless steel and small concrete open-top fermenters.
How was Confluence Grenache 2025 matured?
The wine was matured in a combination of 1,500L Drunk Turtle cocciopesto, seasoned French 2,800L foudre and demi-muid oak. It was bottled in February 2026.
Is Confluence Grenache 2025 vegan?
Yes. Confluence 2025 is unfiltered, unfined and vegan.
How much Confluence Grenache 2025 was produced?
Aphelion produced 1,100 six-packs and 100 Magnums of Confluence Grenache Noir 2025.
What is the alcohol percentage of Confluence Grenache 2025?
Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 has an alcohol content of 14.0% ABV.
What temperature should I serve Confluence Grenache 2025?
Serve Confluence Grenache 2025 at approximately 18°C.
Has Confluence Grenache 2025 received any critic reviews?
Yes. Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 received 95 points from Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion.
About Aphelion Wine Co.
Aphelion is a small, family-owned winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia, specialising in Grenache.
We work closely with growers and make wines from remarkable vineyards and specific sites across McLaren Vale.
Our wines are made to express place, season and the character of Grenache — and, most importantly, to be opened and enjoyed with good food and good people.
Aphelion began with Grenache.
Our focus is Grenache.
And our future is Grenache.
Sale
-2%
From $500.00
$510.00
Discover the Aphelion Reserve Mixed Pack. Five of the best McLaren Vale Grenache & Chenin Blanc single vineyard wines. Elegant, savoury and made for unforgettable moments.
Aphelion began with Grenache. Our focus is Grenache. And the white variety we champion is Chenin Blanc.
Presenting our five most exceptional McLaren Vale Reserve Range wines. Each highlights the diversity, beauty, and the terroirs of McLaren Vale. Guided by the deft and gentle hands of Rob Mack, they sing of their purity and place.
Extremely limited production.
"Memserisingly good, world class wines of imitable character." - Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
A single pack to sample, taste and compare all five Reserve Range wines in one Reserve Range Mixed Pack.
This is the best way for you to discover the breadth of flavour possible from McLaren Vale.
Enjoy together with close friends or family, music playing, and with something delicious to eat. That's what memories are made of.
Each 5 bottle case includes:
1 x bottle Rapture Grenache 2024 RRP @ $150
1 x bottle Brini Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2024 RRP @ $90
1 x bottle Brini Single Vineyard Grenache 2024 RRP @ $90
1 x bottle Wait Single Vineyard Grenache 2023 RRP @ $90
1 x bottle Hickinbotham Single Vineyard Grenache 2024 RRP @ $90
Pack price: $500 (save $10).
About The Wines
Rapture Grenache 2024 Rapture is the best of vintage. The pinnacle of what we can produce with Grenache.
97 points Erin Larkin for Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
97 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
96 points David Sly for Decanter
96 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review
96 points Gary Walsh for The Wine Front
Brini Single Vineyard Grenache 2024 The lightest and most aromatic wine in the range, dark plum fruits dominate with earth and forest floor characters to create a wine of depth and richness. Sandy based loam soils provide fruit that gives intensity and a brooding edge.
95+ Erin Larkin for Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
95 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
Wait Single Vineyard Grenache 2023 The most structural and savoury wine in the range, brooding in character with earth and briary characters dominating the palate.
96 points Erin Larkin for Robert Parker Wine Advocate
96 points Ryan Montgomery for James Suckling
95 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
94 points Huon Hooke The Real Review
NB: Wait Single Site Grenache 2024 is now sold out as at 28/08/2026
Hickinbotham Single Vineyard Grenache 2024 The lightest and most aromatic wine in the range, red fruits mingle with herbal briar characters to create a wine of freshness and depth.
97 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion Special Value
96 points Campbell Mattison for The Wine Front
95 points David Sly for Decanter
95 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review
From $90.00 /Per Bottle
Aphelion began with Grenache.
Our focus is Grenache.
Our future is Grenache.
Our original 2014 "Grenache project" has evolved.
Presenting three exceptional McLaren Vale Single Vineyard wines.
Each made the same way with 100% whole bunches. Each highlights the diversity and beauty of Grenache, and the many terroirs in McLaren Vale.
Guided by the deft and gentle hands of Rob Mack they sing of their purity.
_______________________________________________________
The Brini Single Vineyard Grenache 2024 is sourced from the upper tank block owned by the Brini family in the Blewitt Springs sub-region of McLaren Vale.
This block has been a staple of Aphelion from our first vintage and forms the backbone of the Confluence Grenache.
The roundest and most intense wine in the range, dark plum fruits dominate with earth and forest floor characters to create a wine of depth and richness. Sandy based loam soils provide fruit that gives intensity and a brooding edge.
_______________________________________________________
Unfiltered | Unfined | Vegan
_______________________________________________________
Production: 800 bottles produced under Diam Origine.
ABV: 13.5%
Accolades:
95 points Erin Larkin for Robert Parker Wine Advocate
95 points Huon Hooke The Real Review
93 points Gary Walsh for The Wine Front
92 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
"It’s a little sinewy and spicy, and also edgy in a savoury way... There are floral notes present, if a little restrained, a little compressed. Give it a year or so and it will soar." - Marcus Ellis
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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 Brini 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 $150.00
phelion's Rapture is of Aphelion's Grenache-focused winemaking, from some of the best McLaren Vale vineyards. Old vines, savoury depth, powerful structure and long aging potential.
Aphelion began with Grenache. Our focus is Grenache. Our future is Grenache.
Guided by the deft and gentle hands of Rob Mack it sings of their purity and place.
Each vintage is a thrilling release.
Extremely limited production.
______________________________________
"I was blown away. This wine is seriously good" - Campbell Mattinson for The Wine Front
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Tasting Note:
A vibrant purple hue in the glass. Brooding but fleshy aromatics are laced with an herbal spice note. Tannins are prominent but don’t dominate – cherry pip flavours wash over the mid palate. A savoury finish with an immense length and persistence. This wine will blossom with some bottle age.
Goes With Food: Perfect with duck rillettes and crunchy sourdough bread.
Goes With Cheese: An intense washed rind cheese such as Epoisses will match the intensity and savoury aspect of this Grenache well.
Goes With Music: Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun
Goes With Life: When you’re looking to impress at a wine dinner you won’t
go wrong pulling this out.
Unfiltered | Unfined | Vegan
ABV: 13.9%
Production: 1,100 bottles closed with Diam corks.
Accolades:
97 points Erin Larkin for Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
97 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
96 points David Sly for Decanter
96 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review
96 points Campbell Mattinson for The Wine Front
"It’s academically mid-weight but intense and incredibly long. It’s got detail, confident ease, depth and transparency, with a sapid mineral tension to close. Yes, yes, yes!" - Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
"Very smart indeed" - Huon Hooke
___________________________________________
Select between a 1, 3, 6 or 12 bottle case to Buy Aphelion Rapture 2024.
Psst...Like the sound of our Members pricing ($135) plus perks like free shipping? Step right this way...
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.
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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."
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Unfiltered | Unfined | Vegan
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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...
From $150.00 /Per Bottle
Aphelion's Rapture.
Our world class Grenache. Produced right here in McLaren Vale.
The pinnacle of Aphelion's Grenache-focused winemaking.
2022 was an outstanding vintage so a thrilling release.
Extremely limited production.
An ultra-rare re-release of our personal museum stock of the Rapture 2022. The 2023 sold through too fast! Snap up this outstanding wine, which is drinking beautifully in May 2026.
Tasting Note:
A vibrant purple hue in the glass. Brooding but fleshy aromatics are laced with an herbal spice note. Tannins are prominent but don’t dominate – cherry pip flavours wash over the mid palate. A savoury finish with an immense length and persistence. This wine will blossom with some bottle age.
Goes With Food: Perfect with duck rillettes and crunchy sourdough bread.
Goes With Cheese: An intense washed rind cheese such as Epoisses will match the intensity and savoury aspect of this Grenache well.
Goes With Music: Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun
Goes With Life: When you’re looking to impress at a wine dinner you won’t
go wrong pulling this out.
Unfiltered
Unfined
Vegan
<100ppm Sulphur
Accolades
97 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review
97 Points David Sly for Decanter
95+ points Erin Larkin for Robert Parker Wine Advocate
95 points Gary Walsh for The Wine Front
94 Ned Goodwin for Halliday Wine Companion
It has depth and gravitas (a la the Hickinbotham), blood and finesse (a la the Brini) and is succulent and red (a la the Wait), and it pulls it all together like a hand-bound book. The spine and the stitchwork are there for all to see, but the pages fit together in the most satisfying of ways. The pages are filled with fruit-driven prose, and it closes with a flourish of tannin. It is poetic in its way. - Erin Larkin for Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Psst...Like the sound of our Members pricing ($135) plus perks like free shipping? Step right this way...
From $90.00
1.5L McLaren Vale Grenache Magnum | 95 Points | Only 100 Made
BRINI + PLAISTED'S VINEYARDS · BLEWITT SPRINGS · HICKINBOTHAM VINEYARD · CLARENDON · McLAREN VALE
Twice the Confluence. Twice the reason to gather around the table.
Aphelion Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 Magnum is a 1.5L bottle of our 95-point McLaren Vale Grenache — equivalent to two standard 750ml bottles — made for sharing with friends and family.
Only 100 Magnums were bottled.
Meet Confluence Magnum 2025
There are bottles you open for dinner.
And there are bottles that make dinner feel like an occasion.
This is the latter.
At 1.5 litres, a Confluence Magnum holds twice the wine of a standard bottle. Put one in the middle of the table and it becomes part wine, part centrepiece, part declaration that nobody needs to rush home.
More wine to pour. A second glass for everyone. And one very good reason to gather your favourite people around the table.
Why Choose the Confluence 2025 Magnum?
🍷 1.5L Magnum · $90
Twice the volume of a standard 750ml bottle of Confluence, in a showstopping large-format bottle made for sharing.
🥇 95 Points · Halliday Wine Companion
The Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 wine received 95 points from Marcus Ellis.
📍 McLaren Vale · Blewitt Springs + Clarendon
80% Blewitt Springs fruit from the Brini and Plaisted's vineyards, with 20% from the Hickinbotham vineyard in Clarendon.
🌿 30% Whole Bunch
Adding savoury complexity, aromatic lift and fine structure.
✨ Only 100 Magnums Made
A genuinely limited large-format release from our small family winery.
🍽 Made for the Table
A bottle designed to be opened, shared and remembered.
What Does Confluence Grenache 2025 Taste Like?
Confluence opens with a savoury core of olive and briar, before crunchy raspberry and cranberry begin to emerge.
The palate brings Satsuma plum, wild strawberry and fine sandalwood, with fine tannins carrying the wine through a long, savoury finish.
There's concentration without heaviness, structure without severity and enough going on that you'll probably find something different every time you return to the glass.
Which is handy when there's twice as much of it.
A Bigger Bottle for Bigger Moments
A Magnum doesn't need a formal occasion.
Sometimes the larger bottle creates the occasion.
The dinner that wasn't meant to go this long
You booked for seven. It's now pushing ten. The plates have been cleared, nobody is checking the time and someone asks the question every good dinner eventually gets to:
“Should we open another bottle?”
With a Magnum on the table, you already did.
Sunday lunch that becomes Sunday afternoon
There are more people around the table than you planned for. Someone has brought bread. Someone else has brought cheese. Nobody seems particularly interested in leaving.
A larger bottle means a second glass for everyone.
When you're bringing the wine
Walk into dinner carrying a Magnum and nobody wonders whether you've brought enough.
It's generous without being showy — although, sitting in the middle of the table, it certainly knows how to make an entrance.
The table that deserves a centrepiece
Birthdays. Anniversaries. Christmas lunch. A long-table dinner with friends you don't see often enough.
Flowers are lovely.
A 1.5L bottle of Grenache you can actually drink together is better.
Or no occasion at all
Six people. Dinner on the table. Phones put away.
Sometimes that's enough.
Make Moments Count.
Made for the Table
Goes With Food
Pan-seared duck, roast meats, mushrooms or a generous Mediterranean-style spread.
Confluence has enough savoury structure for the main event, while its freshness and fine tannins keep everyone reaching for another glass.
Goes With Cheese
Camembert or a washed-rind cheese.
The earthy, mushroom character of the cheese complements Confluence's savoury side without overwhelming its perfume and delicate structure.
Goes With Music
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — Jubilee Street.
It starts with restraint, then keeps building — another layer, then another, until something that seemed almost understated has completely captured your attention.
Confluence does something similar in the glass. The first impression is savoury and intriguing; give it air and the fruit, perfume and structure begin to reveal themselves. And like the song's long, insistent build, the finish doesn't disappear quietly.
Why Buy Your Magnum Direct from the Aphelion Family Winery?
This is one of just 100 Confluence 2025 Magnums bottled.
When you buy direct from Aphelion, you're buying from the small family winery that made the wine - closer to the vineyards, the growers, the winemaking and the stories behind the bottle.
It's also where you'll find limited releases and formats that may never make it as far as a restaurant, wine bar or bottle shop.
Thank you for supporting our family winery directly.
Psst... Our Wine Club members receive early access to new and limited releases, exclusive wines, complimentary tastings, member pricing and free shipping.
DISCOVER THE APHELION WINE CLUB →
More About Confluence Magnum 2025
The Vineyards +
Confluence isn't a single-site wine.
That's the point.
The 2025 vintage brings together Grenache from several remarkable McLaren Vale vineyards:
| Origin | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Blewitt Springs | 80% of the blend, from the Brini family and Plaisted's vineyards |
| Clarendon | 20% of the blend, from the acclaimed Hickinbotham vineyard |
Grenache can express the personality of an individual place with remarkable clarity. Confluence explores the other side of that idea: what happens when different sites are deliberately brought together to create something greater than any one parcel.
How We Made It +
The Grenache fruit was hand-picked, with 30% fermented as whole bunches in stainless steel and small concrete open-top fermenters.
The wine was matured in a combination of:
- 1,500L Drunk Turtle cocciopesto
- Seasoned French 2,800L foudre
- Demi-muid oak
The aim is structure and complexity without allowing oak to dominate the fruit or vineyard character.
Bottled February 2026 · 14.0% ABV · Screwcap · Unfiltered · Unfined · Vegan
Pairings + Cellaring +
Drink: Now through 2035.
Serve: Approximately 18°C.
If you're opening your Magnum now, give it some air and a little time in the glass. Confluence becomes increasingly expressive as it opens.
For the table, think pan-seared duck, roast meats, mushrooms and savoury Mediterranean dishes. For cheese, Camembert and washed-rind styles work beautifully.
And most importantly: put the Magnum in the middle of the table and share it.
Critic Recognition +
95 points — Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
Confluence 2025 combines the things we love most about Grenache: perfume, savouriness, freshness, fine structure and genuine drinkability.
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 Confluence Grenache 2025 Magnum
How big is a Confluence Grenache Magnum?
A Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 Magnum contains 1.5 litres of wine, equivalent to two standard 750ml bottles.
How many glasses of wine are in a Magnum?
A 1.5L Magnum contains twice as much wine as a standard 750ml bottle. It is an ideal format for sharing around a table when one standard bottle simply won't stretch far enough.
What is Confluence Grenache Noir 2025?
Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 is Aphelion's original McLaren Vale Grenache, made from fruit grown across distinctive sites in Blewitt Springs and Clarendon. It is aromatic, savoury and finely structured, with raspberry, cranberry, Satsuma plum, wild strawberry, olive, briar and sandalwood characters.
Where does Confluence Grenache 2025 come from?
The 2025 Confluence blend is 80% Blewitt Springs Grenache from the Brini family and Plaisted's vineyards, with 20% from the Hickinbotham vineyard in Clarendon. All three vineyards are in McLaren Vale, South Australia.
Is the wine in the Magnum different from the standard Confluence 2025?
No. The Magnum is a 1.5L large-format bottling of Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 — twice the volume of the standard 750ml bottle.
How many Confluence Grenache 2025 Magnums were made?
Only 100 Magnums of Aphelion Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 were bottled, making the 1.5L format a very limited release.
Is a Confluence Magnum good for a dinner party?
Yes. A 1.5L Magnum contains twice the wine of a standard bottle, making it particularly useful for long lunches, dinner parties, celebrations and tables where you'd like everyone to have another glass. The large-format bottle also makes a striking table centrepiece.
Is a Confluence Magnum a good wine gift?
Yes. The limited 1.5L format makes Confluence Magnum particularly suited to milestone birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, hosts, Grenache lovers and anyone who enjoys sharing good wine around the table.
Has Confluence Grenache 2025 received a critic score?
Yes. Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 received 95 points from Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion.
Can I cellar Confluence Grenache 2025 Magnum?
Yes. Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 is drinking beautifully now and has the concentration, structure and tannin to continue developing through to 2035.
Is Confluence Grenache 2025 vegan?
Yes. Confluence Grenache Noir 2025 is unfined, unfiltered and vegan.
About Aphelion Wine Co.
Aphelion is a small, family-owned winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia, specialising in Grenache.
We work closely with growers and make small batches of wine from remarkable vineyards and specific sites across McLaren Vale.
Our wines are made to express place, season and the character of Grenache — and, most importantly, to be opened and enjoyed with good food and good people.
Aphelion began with Grenache. Our focus is Grenache. And our future is Grenache.
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From $90.00
Discover one of the best McLaren Vale Grenache wines. Savoury, structured and made for moments to remember.
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.
_______________________________________________________
"Gorgeous wine...Can’t fault this. It’s exquisite." - Campbell Mattison for The Wine Front
"(F)ruit is impeccably ripe, and the site reflection bell clear. Excellent." - Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
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The Wait Single Vineyard Grenache 2023 is sourced from the Top Bush block owned by the Wait family in the northeast corner of the Blewitt Springs area of McLaren Vale.
Planted in the mid 1940’s, this block is dry grown and provides small berries with intense flavour and prominent tannin.
The most structural and savoury wine in the range, brooding in character with earth and briary characters dominating the palate.
_______________________________________________________
Unfiltered | Unfined | Vegan
_______________________________________________________
Production: 800 bottles produced under Diam Origine.
ABV: 13.2%
Accolades:
96 points Erin Larkin for Robert Parker Wine Advocate
96 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
95 points Gold medal - McLaren Vale Wine Show 2025
95 points Campbell Mattison for The Wine Front
"Gorgeous wine. Plenty up its sleeve but ready to be consumed now too, should you wish. I wished. Herbs, undergrowth, boysenberry, red and black cherry, a graphite note, a gentle meatiness. This is juicy, fine, smoky and impeccably well structured all at once. Tannin is like a tickle in the dark; you’re not sure where it came from but you’re sure aware of its presence. Can’t fault this. It’s exquisite." - Campbell Mattison for The Wine Front
"It’s brooding in a way, but also refined. Amaro herbs, preserved sour cherry, white pepper, a bastourma-like cured meat note, lingonberry, goji, dusky rose and a crackle of spice. This was picked on the earlier side, based on the final alcohol, giving a pleasing verve and linearity, though the fruit is impeccably ripe, and the site reflection bell clear. Excellent." - Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
"(N)otes of Campari and blood orange, raspberry seed and poached rhubarb. On the palate, this wine really shines, and it shows the power and succulence of the 2024 season. This has surprisingly low alcohol, but it works really well—the fruit and tannins feel ripe, despite this. It is almost an entire degree lower in alcohol than usual." - Erin Larkin for Robert Parker
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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 Wait 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 /Per Bottle
Discover Brini Single Site Chenin Blanc 2024 from McLaren Vale's best vineyards in Blewitt Springs. Premium Australian white wine, abundant with terroir expression.
Aphelion began with Grenache. Our focus is Grenache. Our future is Grenache. And the white variety we champion is Chenin Blanc.
Guided by the deft and gentle hands of Rob Mack it sings of its' purity and place.
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"Beautifully refined and elegant" - Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
"(A) perfumed finish of excellent length, some lemon zest in the aftertaste. Complex and composed." - Gary Walsh for The Wine Front
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Sourced from the 52 year old house block owned by the Brini family since we first produced Chenin Blanc in 2019.
Golden apple, white pear, green melon, and fennel seed, with subtle oak notes from its Stockinger puncheon. It has a chiselled, mineral texture, and is electrified by bright, natural acidity. Reserved in its youth, it promises excellent complexity and length with more time in the bottle.
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| Unfined | Vegan
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Production: 600 bottles produced under Diam Origine.
ABV: 13.5%
Accolades:
96 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
94 points David Sly for Decanter
93+points Campbell Mattinson for The Wine Front
"This may be McLaren Vale’s, indeed the country’s, top-priced chenin blanc. But why not?...Beautifully refined and elegant, oak a calm chaperone, with golden apple, white pear, fennel seed, a little oatmeal and a maritime thing, lit up with oyster shells and sea breezes. It’s chiselled, mineral, subtly textural and electrified by ripe, natural acidity. Lovely. Only 600 bottles made." - Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion
"(A) perfumed finish of excellent length, some lemon zest in the aftertaste. Complex and composed. It does show a bit of oak scaffolding, though it’s very nice oak mind you, and will almost certainly improve with more time in bottle." - Gary Walsh for The Wine Front
"Lovely finish. Will be excellent in time." - Campbell Mattinson for The Wine Front
"(S)oft, round and flavoursome in its youth, with more to show in the future. The finish is crisp and refreshing with appley acidity and crunch. Slightly coconutty. This needs more time." - Huon Hooke for The Real Review
_______________________________________________________
Note: Please email if you wish to buy a 3 pack.
Select between a 3, 6 or 12 bottle case to Buy the Aphelion Brini Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 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
Old Vine Grenache from Blewitt Springs | Single Site | 3 Years of Bottle Age
We've been waiting for Wait.
Some wines need time.
Not because they're difficult.
Because there's more to discover.
The 2023 Wait Single Site Grenache has now spent three years in bottle, and you can feel the difference.
It's settling into itself.
Uncoiling.
Revealing the layers that were always there.
Turned earth. Root vegetable. Dark cherry. Saline savouriness. Fine, persistent tannin.
This is the most structural and savoury wine in our Grenache range.
And it's a beautiful expression of what happens when an exceptional old site, extraordinary fruit and patient winemaking are allowed to speak for themselves.
Why Wait?
Aphelion began with Grenache.
Our focus is Grenache.
Our future is Grenache.
And our Single Site Grenache project is about getting closer to the place where the wine begins.
Because vineyards can be big.
Really big.
A single vineyard can contain different blocks, different varieties, different vine ages, different aspects and different expressions of the land.
We wanted to go further.
Beyond single vineyard. To single site.
A singular block inside a vineyard.
A specific place.
A particular expression of Grenache.
That's where Wait comes from.
The Wait Site
The fruit for Wait comes from the Top Bush block on the Wait family vineyard in the north-eastern corner of Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale.
This block was planted in the mid-1940s.
It is dry grown, producing small berries with intense flavour and prominent tannin.
Those old vines and the character of the site give Wait its distinctive personality:
Structural. Savoury. Brooding. Long.
It is Grenache with a darker, earthier side.
From Remarkable Sites, Not Just Famous Names
We work closely with our growers, who farm sustainably, organically and/or biodynamically to produce extraordinary fruit.
Because for us, provenance isn't just a name on a label.
It's the people who farm the vines.
The decisions made in the vineyard.
The age of the vines.
The block itself.
And the sense of place that ultimately finds its way into the glass.
That's what we're trying to capture with our Single Site Grenaches.
As only Grenache can do, they reveal the character of where they're grown.
What You'll Actually Taste
Deeply coloured with an intense purple hue.
The aromatics are savoury rather than overtly fruity.
Turned earth. Root vegetable. Dark cherry.
They're subtle at first, but there's real depth underneath.
Then the palate arrives.
Firm.
Savoury.
With a slightly saline edge that carries right through the wine.
The tannin is the most prominent feature of the three Single Site Grenaches. It comes in waves, carrying that savoury character across the palate with remarkable length.
This is the longest palate of the three.
And that structure is exactly why it works so beautifully with rich food — and why it will benefit from further time in the cellar.
Three Years in Bottle. Now Beginning to Uncoil.
We waited for Wait.
The 2023 vintage was bottled in May 2024, and it has now had three years to settle into itself.
Young Grenache can be exuberant.
With time, the wine starts to reveal another side.
Tannin becomes more integrated.
Savoury characters gain depth.
The different elements begin to knit together.
That's where Wait is now.
It's beginning to uncoil.
Ready to drink, but with plenty more to reveal.
Enjoy now, or follow its evolution through to 2034.
100% Grenache. 100% Whole Bunch.
The fruit was hand-picked on 4 April 2023 and processed as a 100% whole-bunch ferment.
After a slow, cool ferment, the fruit was pressed to large-format neutral French oak, where it remained on full lees until racking for bottling in May 2024.
Why whole bunch?
Because for a wine like Wait, structure and savoury character are part of the point.
The whole bunch ferment contributes to the wine's distinctive shape and tannin, while the large-format neutral oak allows the site and fruit to remain at the centre of the story.
At a Glance
- Variety: 100% Grenache
- Region: Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, South Australia
- Site: Top Bush Block, Wait Vineyard
- Vine Age: 81 years old bush vines
- Farming: Dry grown
- Winemaking: 100% whole bunch ferment
- Oak: Large-format neutral French oak
- ABV: 14.4%
- Closure: Cork
- Production: Just 210 six-packs
- Serve: 16–18°C
- Drink: Now through 2034
- Unfiltered | Unfined | Vegan
Made For You
This wine was made for you if…
You'd rather discover a site than a famous label.
You want to know where your wine came from — right down to the block.
You prefer savoury complexity to obvious fruit.
Turned earth, briar, spice and structure make you lean in rather than reach for something sweeter.
You appreciate old vines.
You understand that vines planted in the mid-1940s have a story worth tasting.
You're building a serious cellar.
You'd rather buy fewer bottles with provenance than more bottles without it.
You order the interesting bottle at the restaurant.
Not necessarily the most famous. The one with a story.
You believe some of the best wines are worth waiting for.
Wait 2023 isn't trying to be everything to everyone.
It's for people who notice.
Critics Noticed Too
- 96 points — Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate
- 95 points — Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
- 94 points — Huon Hooke, The Real Review
- 94 points — Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
Huon Hooke called it:
“Very attractive grenache.”
And the other reviews reinforce what we love about this wine: its structure, savoury character, depth and sense of place.
Goes With Food
Sausage and thyme ragu.
The richness of the dish is exactly what this wine's structure is made for.
Goes With Cheese
Crèmeux d'Argental and fruit crackers.
The creamy texture of the cheese provides a beautiful counterpoint to Wait's savoury tannin.
Goes With Music
Beast of Burden — The Rolling Stones.
Goes With Life
Sharing a bottle with good friends.
Or settling into a good book when you don't want the evening to end quite yet.
How to Get the Best From Wait 2023
Don't rush it.
Serve at 16–18°C.
Open the bottle and give it time to breathe.
Pour a glass.
Come back to it after 15 minutes.
Then 30.
Notice how the wine changes.
With three years of bottle age already behind it, Wait is beginning to reveal itself — but its structure means there's no need to finish the bottle in one sitting.
It's a wine worth spending an evening with.
Wait vs Confluence
Not sure which Aphelion Grenache to choose?
| Wait Single Site 2023 | Confluence 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Structural, savoury, brooding | Complex, aromatic, vibrant |
| Origin | One specific site — the Top Bush Block | A confluence of McLaren Vale vineyard sites |
| Character | Earth, root vegetable, dark cherry, saline savouriness | Raspberry, cranberry, wild strawberry, olive and briar |
| Best for | Cellaring, rich food, contemplative drinking | Entertaining, dinner parties and immediate enjoyment |
| Choose it if... | You love savoury, earthy, structured Grenache | You want vibrant, layered, highly drinkable Grenache |
Or don't choose.
Taste them side by side.
That's the whole point of the Single Site project — to experience how different places can make Grenache speak differently.
Why Buy Wait Single Site Grenache 2023?
- Because you want to explore McLaren Vale Grenache at site level.
- Because these vines were planted in the mid-1940s.
- Because the Top Bush block is dry grown and produces small berries with intense flavour and prominent tannin.
- Because you prefer savoury, earthy and structural Grenache.
- Because it's had three years in bottle to settle, integrate and begin uncoiling.
- Because it has received 96, 95, 94 and 94 point reviews.
- Because only 210 six-packs were produced.
- Because provenance matters to you.
- Because you believe remarkable old vines deserve to be protected and celebrated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “Single Site” mean?
Single Site means we go beyond the idea of a single vineyard to identify a specific block within that vineyard. A vineyard can be very large, with multiple blocks planted to different varieties and managed in different ways. Our Wait Grenache comes from one singular block — the Top Bush block on the Wait family vineyard in Blewitt Springs.
Why do you call it Single Site rather than Single Vineyard?
Because we think “Single Site” tells the story more accurately. A vineyard can contain many different blocks, varieties and expressions of the land. We want to take you closer to the actual place the fruit comes from: one specific site within a vineyard. For Wait, that's the Top Bush block.
Why does site matter so much for Grenache?
We believe Grenache is particularly expressive of where it is grown. Working closely with growers who farm sustainably, organically and/or biodynamically allows us to source extraordinary fruit that carries a distinct sense of place from each site.
How old are the Wait vines?
The Top Bush block was planted in the mid-1940s. The vines are dry grown and produce small berries with intense flavour and prominent tannin.
What does Wait Grenache 2023 taste like?
Wait is the most structural and savoury wine in the Aphelion Grenache range. It has deeply coloured fruit, savoury aromatics of turned earth, root vegetable and dark cherry, with a firm, slightly saline palate and tannin that carries the wine across the palate with great length.
What does three years of bottle age do to the wine?
Time in bottle allows the tannin, fruit and savoury characters to integrate and develop greater complexity. The 2023 Wait is now beginning to settle into itself and uncoil, revealing more of the depth and detail within the wine.
Is Wait Grenache ready to drink now?
Yes. The 2023 vintage is ready to enjoy now and will continue to evolve through to 2034.
What is whole bunch fermentation?
For Wait 2023, 100% of the fruit was fermented as whole bunches. After a slow, cool ferment, it was pressed to large-format neutral French oak and matured on full lees. The approach contributes to the wine's structure and savoury character while allowing the site to remain at the forefront.
Is Wait Grenache vegan?
Yes. Wait 2023 is unfiltered, unfined and vegan.
How much Wait 2023 was produced?
Just 210 six-packs were produced, making this a genuinely limited release.
What should I eat with Wait Grenache?
The wine's structure and savoury character make it particularly well suited to rich dishes such as sausage and thyme ragu, as well as other hearty, slow-cooked dishes.
Has Wait Grenache 2023 received critic reviews?
Yes. The 2023 Wait received 96 points from Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, 95 points from Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion, 94 points from Huon Hooke for The Real Review and 94 points from Gary Walsh for The Wine Front.
Buy Wait Single Site Grenache 2023
Three years in bottle. One extraordinary block. 210 six-packs.
Wait 2023 has been waiting.
Now it's ready to reveal itself.
Select a 6-bottle pack or 12-bottle case and experience the Wait Single Site Grenache 2023.
Psst... Like the sound of exclusive wines, Members pricing and early access? Wine Club members receive Members pricing plus perks like free shipping. Step right this way...
The Aphelion Grenache Project
Aphelion began with Grenache.
Our focus is Grenache.
Our future is Grenache.
And our Single Site project takes that obsession one step further.
We don't just want to tell you that a wine comes from McLaren Vale.
We want to show you what happens when you get closer.
Closer to Blewitt Springs.
Closer to the Wait vineyard.
Closer still to the Top Bush block.
To old, dry-grown vines.
To the growers who care for them.
To the fruit.
To the place.
Because remarkable sites deserve to be known.
And sometimes, the best way to understand a place is to pour it into a glass.
Wait 2023 is ready.
Take your time.
Let it uncoil.
See where it takes you.
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Select between a 1 or more bottles in your own mix, a 6 bottle pack or 12 bottle case to Buy the Aphelion Wait Single Vineyard Grenache 2023. Psst...Like the sound of our exclusive pre-sale access, Members pricing ($81) plus perks like free shipping? Step right this way...
