Description
The oldest Grenache vines in Clare Valley. Planted in 1932. Still producing fruit of extraordinary depth and concentration — if you know how to listen.
Some vineyards have age. Some have history. The Glen Kelly Vineyard on Springfarm Road has both. Planted in 1932, these bush vines are the oldest Grenache in the Clare Valley — a fact that carries real weight when you hold a glass of this wine.
Ninety-four years of root systems reaching deep into rich red soil over ironstone have produced vines of remarkable concentration and complexity. The yields are tiny. The fruit is intense. The depth is something that only time and patience in the vineyard can deliver.
Winemaker Andrew Kenny made this wine with the same restraint and respect the site deserves — east-west oriented bush vines, whole bunch pressed, minimal intervention. The result is a Grenache that is simultaneously dark and elegant, earthy and precise. This is the wine of the Regolith Series that will reward the cellar most generously.
"When I first walked these rows I was struck by the age and grace of these vines. They have a dignity that you can't manufacture. You just have to be lucky enough to work with them."
Planted: 1932 · Style: Bush vine, east-west orientation · Soil: Rich red soil over ironstone regolith · Location: Springfarm Road, Clare Valley
Perfect with
"The Ironstone vines have been growing on Springfarm Road since 1932. The earth changes everything these vines produce. You can taste the ironstone — a savoury, mineral quality that no young vineyard can replicate. I made this wine to honour what's already there."
Andrew Kenny · Vigneron of the Year, Young Gun of Wine 2024 · Clare Valley Hall of Fame Rising Star 2024The Regolith Series explores how Grenache expresses three completely different ancient soils across Clare Valley. The variety, the winemaker and the vintage are the same across all three wines — only the earth changes. This is the Ironstone expression. Also available: Limestone (Bryksy Hill, Watervale) and Quartzite (Crabtree Estate).
Part of the Crabtree Regolith Series — three Grenaches, three ancient soils, one extraordinary Clare Valley story.
Read the full Regolith Series story →