Penny's Hill Yeenunga Grenache 2023

Best in Show – Decanter World Wine Awards, 97 points
It’s not often mentioned, but the aesthetic spectrum that Grenache is capable of expressing is as wide as that of any rival variety. More so, indeed, than most – from powerfully dark, meaty and structured (notably on rolled pebbles over clay) through to Pinot-like finesse and grace (on quartz or granite sands). When you pour this wine, its dark hue may suggest that it’s an example of the former style. Take a sniff of its beguiling, liqueur-like cherry and strawberry, and let it loose on your tongue to coax and enchant with more of those sweet, seductive fruits … and you realise that it’s closer to the latter style than you expected. Yes, there are tannins – purring, deep-bass tannins which give the wine a latent authority and food-friendliness. The tannins help you understand the wine’s grandeur. Fundamentally, though, it’s an exercise in grace and charm — drawing on what must surely be fine old-vine fruit.