Old vines. Properly old. Old Mate is 100% Grenache from the Slate Creek Vineyard in Willunga. Planted in 1897, these gnarled old vines were 128 years old when the 2025 fruit was harvested. Raspberries, redcurrants and dark cherries sit alongside deeper red fruits, aromatic herbs and a dusting of baking spices, including cinnamon and ground ginger. The palate has depth, generosity and poise, framed by fine, sandy tannins that build gently and carry the wine to a long, savoury finish. Willunga’s warm microclimate is tempered by cooling evening breezes flowing down from the Sellicks Hill Range. The ancient vines are rooted in the deep alluvial clay soils of the Willunga valley floor, producing Grenache with perfume, richness and a distinctly brooding edge. Old Mate is delicious now and will continue to develop for many years. Give it some air and drink it tonight, or put a few bottles away for later. Open fermented, hand plunged and matured in seasoned French oak puncheons. Bottled without fining. Old Mate is drawn from just six rows containing approximately 720 Grenache vines. Only 600 bottles were produced. 100% Grenache. Planted in 1897. Slate Creek Vineyard, Willunga.
