The 2024 Oliver's Taranga Small Batch Grenache is a highly regarded, cool-climate styled red wine from McLaren Vale, South Australia, often noted for its approachable, juicy style reminiscent of the modern Australian Grenache revolution. It is an estate-grown expression featuring notes of plump raspberries, wild strawberries, anise, and dusty earth.
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Aromas: Fragrant dried florals, ripe forest berries, and a distinct hint of Aperol dominate the nose, accompanied by juniper and earthy spice over a crushed rock mineral base.
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Palate: Plump raspberries, wild strawberries, and sour cherry elements bring a ridiculously spirited, mouth-watering intensity. Savoury, supple tannins and a red apple tang join hints of cured meats and nettle leaf, leading to a long, cleansing finish.
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Style: Medium-bodied, vibrant, and light on its feet, showcasing a joyful, crunchy drinkability that favors aromatic fruit purity and gentle texture over heavy, high-alcohol oak extraction.
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Winemaking: Crafted by winemaker Corrina Wright from old bush vine blocks (some approaching 60 years old) using 10% whole-bunch fermentation. Half the batch is kept in stainless steel to lock in fresh fruit, while the rest matures in a large 4,500L cask, older puncheons, and a concrete egg to build texture.
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Cellaring: Highly rewarding now for its immediate freshness and pulpy, unpretentious charm, this vintage has the balance to drink beautifully through 2030.
- Food Pairing: Pairs excellently with fatty pork, truffle salami, or an earthy wild mushroom risotto. The wine’s savory spice profile also beautifully complements wood-fired margherita pizza with prosciutto or an umami-rich miso sesame chicken dish.
This wine completely ditches the jammy, over-extracted, high-alcohol weight of old-school McLaren Vale reds, trading it for a super-refreshing, vibrant, and crunchy fruit-driven profile
Olivers Taranga
Oliver's Taranga is one of McLaren Vale's most storied family properties, settled in 1841 with vines following shortly after. Now in the hands of sixth-generation family members, the Olivers are regarded as one of the region's leading sustainably certified growers — a reputation so well-founded that they are among the select few chosen to supply fruit for Penfolds Grange Shiraz.
At the helm of the winery is the effervescent Corrina Wright, whose talent and ambition have taken Oliver's Taranga to new heights. Corrina is rapidly building a reputation for producing ultra-premium, age-worthy wines that do full justice to the exceptional fruit the family grows. She is also earning well-deserved recognition for her prominent role in the Women in Wine movement.
Oliver's Taranga has long been defined by its premium red varieties, and the rich, structured wines they produce. But Corrina and the family are now embracing an exciting new chapter — the development of Mediterranean varieties that are proving beautifully suited to McLaren Vale's climate and soils. Far from a departure, these varieties are becoming a defining expression of the region itself, and Corrina's commitment remains the same: that every wine, old variety or new, reflects the unique and irreplaceable character of the Taranga Vineyard."
