Johann Gramp planted the Barossa's first commercial vineyard along the banks of Jacob's Creek in 1847. He had no intention of establishing a brand, he just needed wine. Today's Gramp is vinified from a collation of the finest parcels grown to superb sites in McLaren Vale. Regular inspections of vineyards with a proven record for quality, consistency and character are conducted to pinpoint the most opportune dates for harvest. Following a traditional vinification and extended ageing, only those barrels of exceptional quality are included into the finished wine.
Fruit is destemmed and crushed into static fermenters, inoculated with neutral wine yeast and vinified for up to a fortnight. Temperatures are managed at 18°C to 22°C and allowed to peak at 28°C. Following a gentle but thorough extraction during maceration on skins, the fermenting batches are treated to a combination of pumpovers and rack and returns, to submerge the skin cap and liberate attractive varietal flavours, vibrant colour and ripe tannins. The nod to tradition continues after ferments are complete, as each parcel is gently pressed off skins and transferred to a selection of new and second fill French and American oak hogsheads for up to two years maturation.
Deep garnet colour. Bouquet of black and blue berries, currants and dusty herb spice. Palate of persistent fruit characters, plums, pepper and spice before a lasting finish supported by amicable tannins and mellow cedar oak. The essential Aussie Shiraz style, showing excellent colour, intense flavours with exemplary varietal expression and firm yet supple tannin structure, bursting with fruit and quality oak.
