Country: Australia  Region: South Australia Varietal: Pinot Noir and Gamay  Vintage: 2010 Category: Red Wine  Colour: Red Producer: Grosset "For over 36 years, the Grosset Springvale and Polish Hill Rieslings have shown a consistency of style and quality that has made this one of Australia's greatest wineries.The 'hard rock' blue slate of the Polish Hill site results in wines that are steely and magnificently age-worthy, while the red loam of the Springvale vineyard gives more open and easily accessible – if no less complex – wines. Such is Jeffrey Grosset's attention to detail that he noted a small strip (22 metres wide by 300 metres long) in his Springvale vineyard that produced more generously flavoured wines due to a different soil. As a result, he decided to produce a different wine from this site, Alea, which adds to his great canon of Rieslings.As the story of Alea illustrates, Jeffrey is fanatical about the quality of his vineyards, all of which are certified organic and are hand-tended. In the winery, each process is gentle and uncomplicated. No finings are used and sulphur is the only addition. By combining a disciplined approach and decades of experience, Grosset consistently achieves the purest expression of variety and place. Fascinated by the art of blending, Jeff has trialled shiraz-based wines for years, resulting in the newly released Nereus. With just a small amount of Nero d'Avola, it has touch of perfume and freshness, with generous bramble and savoury overtones. It joins the Apiana - a blend of Fiano and Semillon - and his precise and pure Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, with the latter variety sourced from his Adelaide Hills site, adding an aromatic dimension to the Clare Valley grown Semillon. His Gaia remains one of Australia's best Cabernet blends, while the Pinot Noir is scented, supple and alluring. Jeffrey's keen interest in distilling led him to make Grosset45, a unique spirit made from distilled Riesling wine. No botanicals, flavours or colours were used, resulting in a pure, clean spirit which reflects the character and aromas of the variety." Product Features: Sustainable;Vegan;Vegetarian Winemaker: Jeff Grosset Vineyards:  Grapes were grown in two privately owned vineyards in the central Adelaide Hills region, just below and north of Mount Lofty. Altitude is 450 to 500 metres and these vineyards yield no more than 4 tonnes per hectare. Grosset was drawn to the intriguing high-acid fruit from these sites, the second coldest place in South Australia. In terms of quality, the rewards of working with such challenging sites have proved to be substantial. Vinification: The grapes were hand picked then crushed and de-stemmed. Around 30-40% was whole bunch fermented. Temperature controlled fermentation lasted over 7-8 days and finished in French oak barriques. Aged for 12 months in oak, of which 40-45% was new, the wine was bottled without fining, followed by a further year in bottle before release. Tasting Notes:   Gentle red cherry and mulberry aromatics, brambley, black cherry and juicy redcurrant flavours, seductive silky texture, tight structure and a savoury lingering finish. Fine, focused and delicate with good weight and strong varietal character right now, it will open up and appear fleshier, more seductive and even more complex. .Closure: Stelvin  ABV: 13.5%  Acidity [g/l]: 6.5