Cirillo 1850 Ancestor Vine 2017
I had the pleasure of tasting this extraordinary wine with winemaker Marco Cirillo in April '24, just after he'd returned from the Vinous Icons 2024 event in New York. The event featured leading estates from around the world, including the likes of Bollinger, Biondi Santi, Vega Sicilia and Stag's Leap. Cirillo was the only Australian wine in attendance, participating in the Rhône Wines from Around the World Seminar. Quite an achievement, but no real surprise given the historical significance of the estate's vineyards.
This wine is made from what is believed to be the oldest grenache vineyard in the world and what a beautiful wine it is, a world away from the big, jammy wines you might expect from the Barossa. Packed with density and complexity, yet so fresh and mid weight. With several years age on it, it's drinking beautifully now, but will go for many more years - if well cellared of course - and like all the Cirillo wines an absolute bargain.
Check out these great reviews:
"This 2017 old vine Grenache 1850 Ancestor Vine is a little shy at first but then shows breathtaking purity of dark cherry and musky plum with some more exotic cinnamon stick and red licorice hints. The 2017 is beautifully textured and weighted, and despite quite serious underlying power, it remains light on its feet. The excellent vibrancy of fruit is on show and slowly builds layer upon layer of savory roasted meat complexity. Strong ironstone adds backbone to a delightfully perfumed finish. It's a world beater with killer length and the best 1850 yet from Cirillo."
98 points, Angus Hughson, Vinous.
"A cooler year that Cirillo enthuses makes for a bit of gristle, this is exceptional. Six-years in tank before release, this full-weighted wine riffs on redder fruits, rather than dark. Raspberry bon-bon, red pastille, rose petal, bergamot and a slake of tannins clad in licorice root and tea tree. Yet there is nothing drying about it as it revels with air, growing more pixelated of tannins, fresher and even more aromatic. Wonderful length. Compelling freshness. This will make fine old bones."
96 points, Ned Goodwin MW, James Suckling.
"The vineyard that is the source for this wine was planted in 1848 and endures today. The vines are bush vines, but some of the vines have single stakes here and there to support the old wood. It's a special place. 2017 was cold and wet in the Barossa and high cropping across the region. This was a challenging combination for many producers; however winemaker Marco Cirillo openly prefers these vintages, and that can only be down to the fact that these old vines are largely self regulating with their yields and growth. So, this 2017 Ancestor Vines 1850 Grenache flows in the mouth with red berries, finely crushed rocks for tannins, tobacco and pepper berry, pastrami, pink peppercorns, raspberry seed and caper brine. It has a lovely flavor arc in the mouth, supple. It is clear, pure, sensational. I love the tannins. It's sapid and palate staining but so light! The wine was matured in a combination of tank and barrel. (Twenty percent of the wine was matured in old wood for just seven months). It then spent five years in tank prior to bottling. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap."
96 points, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate.
| SKU | 1CIRANCGREN17 |
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