Langmeil The Fifth Wave Grenache
The Fifth Wave is Langmeil’s most treasured Old Vine Garden Grenache and is dedicated to the fifth generation of the Lindner family. Planted in the middle of the last century, The Fifth Wave is our ‘call to arms’ to protect, preserve and celebrate the best of the Barossa. Once a neglected Old Vine Garden in Lyndoch, The Fifth Wave vineyard was rejuvenated by Langmeil and in 1999 winemaker Paul Lindner saw the potential of the Grenache from this unique vineyard and with tenacity convinced the owners to produce a straight varietal, in all likelihood the first time Grenache from this time-honoured Old Vine Garden had been truly prized. All Langmeil’s Old Vine Gardens are treated as national treasures and are all hand-tended, from pruning to harvesting. We then employ traditional hands-on winemaking; gentle de-stemming, open fermentation and basket pressing into 100% seasoned French oak barrels, without fining or filtration, to capture the true essence of the variety and region.
Great winter rains in 2011 saw vines flourish leading into the season ahead. A reasonably mild summer with only a couple of heat spikes meant vintage kicked off to a normal start in the third week of February. Early ripening Shiraz parcels, early picked Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon for Bella Rouge showed the true potential of the vintage. A timely rain at the end of February brought with it very mild and dry autumn, with lovely cool nights and a more gentle pace for ripening which allowed vintage to run smoothly, ending mid-April with beautifully ripened Eden Valley Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mataro. Overall, quality excelled with all varieties, making classification difficult yet exemplary. Just the way I like it. I’m excited!
Dark cherry and raspberry fruits mingle with sweet spice, vanilla and hints of chocolate with a little menthol lift. Ripe, red berry and dark cherry flow onto the palate, melding into lovely sweet and briary spice. The finish lingers on a fruitful, chocolate and spicy note with typical chalky yet fine tannin.
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