2006 Vintage
Region: Barossa Valley
Grapes: Grenache
Situated in the old “Seigersdorf” or “Light Pass” area of the Barossa Valley is one of the oldest Grenache vineyards left in the world. The gnarly basket pruned bush vines were planted in 1850 and stand up to 6 feet high and nearly 6 feet wide. The Cirillo family have been the custodians of this great legacy for the past 35 years. Even with 8 generations of grape growing and winemaking, it was not until 2003 when the first Cirillo 1850 Grenache was produced solely from these great vines for sale to the public. The vineyard sits on what would have been an old inland lake over 100 Million years ago. The soil is deep silt sand over limestone and clay and as you stroll through the vineyard (located 70km inland) the beach-like sand gives way under foot. For these vines to survive at this age they need constant attention through-out the year. Marco Cirillo (Owner/Winemaker) spends every spare moment training/pruning and nurturing each vine thru its fragile life. The result is fruit with incredible intensity and the old vine richness not often seen in Grenache wines. The terroir of this uniquely individual vineyard produces incredibly low yields, characters of menthol, cinnamon, white pepper, apricot and high glycerol.
Winemaking:
The fruit is usually some of the latest to be handpicked in the valley. It is 100% destemmed and crushed (60% whole berry) into open fermenters for up to 20 days depending on the vintage/fruit condition. During primary fermentation the wine is hand tended 2 to 4 times per day. Once the ferment is complete it is carefully transferred into an 800kg basket press which will then allow intimate control of the tannin, fruit and overall structure of the wine. It is then stored in seasoned French and American oak hogsheads of 60% and 40% for up to 24 months. A final minimum of 12 months storage in bottle is given to each wine. Many of the traditionalist techniques used by Marco today have been handed down over the Cirillo generations. The high acid and alcohol style of the Cirillo 1850 Grenache for which Marco makes no apology, allows the wine to live for many decades as evidenced by his fathers' style of the late 1970s and 80s.
Tasting Notes:
Seductive red berries, flowers and minerals on the nose, plus a subtle kick of white pepper. Juicy, tightly focused strawberry and raspberry flavors pack punch but no excess weight, with bright minerality adding lift. Very elegant in style, with excellent finishing precision and tangy persistence.
Statistics:
Region: Light Pass – Barossa Valley, South Australia.
Soil Type: Deep silt sand over limestone and clay
Vine Age: 158 years.
Barrels: 24 months in seasoned French and American Hogsheads.
Yield: 0.5-2.0 tonnes/acre
Yeast: Wild
pH: 3.3
Acidity (TA): 8.0g/L
Production: Vintage dependant (<400 cases)
Released: 3 years from vintage
Aging Potential: 20+ Years
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