With the Judgement of Wimbledon Blind Grenache Tastings held in London over the past years, I have had the opportunity to taste a lot of very interesting top notch Grenache wines from around the world. This, however, is my first encounter with the wines of Dylan Grigg, but it seems he is a lot more famous than you might initially expect, particularly owing to his research and writings around the study of old vines and their interaction with their surrounding terroir.

Dylan Grigg has certainly made a name for himself since completing his PhD on grapevine age and now divides his time between being an international viticultural consultant and producing wines for his label Vinya Vella. The name Vinya Vella (Vella pronounced ‘Vea’) is of course a nod to Catalonia, and to Spain in general, where Dylan Grigg worked and lived with his own young family after finishing his PhD. Deciding to return to Australia from Spain with his family after Covid struck in 2020, Dylan chanced upon the opportunity to buy an old vine Grenache vineyard in the Barossa Valley, not too far from where he grew up and where his parents still live, his ancestors having settled in the Barossa Valley as far back as the 1840s.

Interestingly, my friend and wine scientist Dr Jamie Goode from Winanorak.com, unpacked some of Dylan Grigg’s more complex theories about old vines and what makes them potentially so special. To quote Jamie writing for his Wineanorak.com… “The first of these (theories) is about epigenetics, and it has best been explored by the PhD research from viticulturist Dylan Grigg. It’s hard to put into simple terms, but basically epigenetics is the way the environment writes itself onto the genetics of an organism. It’s not through changes in the DNA – this isn’t possible. But it’s through changes in the proteins that surround DNA in the nucleus and cause some genes to be expressed or muted through alterations in packing material around the genetic code, such as histone deacetylases. Some of these outside-the-genetic (epigenetic) changes can even be heritable. They help a plant adapt to the environment, and Dylan has shown them to be present in old vines in the Barossa. Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that if you take cuttings from these venerable old Barossa vines the epigenetic changes are re-programmed. But if you propagate by layering, they can be preserved.” (Source: www.wineanorak.com – Dr Jamie Goode, the Science of Old Vines, March 2022)

If the science of old vines is all a bit too much for you, maybe settle back and just enjoy a bottle of Dylan Grigg’s exceptional Barossa Valley Grenache that, despite its incredible complexity, is equally easy to understand and enjoy as a wine lover. (The 2022 Vinya Vella Grenache was released earlier this year in Australia along with his enticing Vinya Vella Bush Vine Grenache Rosé 2023… but the 2021 vintage is still the current release in the UK.)

Dylan Grigg Vinya Vella Old Bush Vine Grenache 2021, Barossa Valley, 14.5% Abv.

The Vinya Vella Old Bush Vine Barossa Grenache 2021 is a fascinating wine, vibrant, perfumed and supremely elegant from the first pour, slowly filling out aromatically and fleshing out with time in the glass. Neither overtly sweet fruited nor over ripe, the aromatics are instead incredibly classical and perfumed, exotic even, packed full of violets, rose petals, spicy raspberry, Turkish delight, sweet clove, cherry tobacco, saline cassis, incense, and delicate Christmas spices. On the palate, the wine is weightless and ethereal, seductively elegant with the texture of silk, with delicate svelte polished tannins supported by layers of red and black berry fruits, bramble berries, cola, and salty red liquorice nuances. Knowing how difficult it is to achieve weightless concentration in perfect balance, this is surely where the old vines really start to play their role in elevating the wine to a higher quality plain. I generally love Barossa wines, but this elegantly finessed Grenache expression opens a whole new window for me on old vine quality from Australia. Drink this beauty now and over the next 6 to 8+ years to enjoy its purity and vibrancy.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Grenache retails for approximately Aus$65 per bottle in Australia.