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PREMIUM

Australian Grenache: Panel tasting results

Decanter’s inaugural Australian Grenache panel tasting (2020, 2021 and 2022 vintages) highlighted a grape that’s growing in popularity as a single-variety wine, produced in increasingly diverse styles and showing impressive quality.

Beth Pearce MW, Sara Muirhead MW and Ben Chan tasted 51 wines, with 7 Outstanding and 25 Highly Recommended

Australian Grenache: Panel tasting scores

51 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 7

Highly recommended 25

Recommended 15

Commended 4


Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit their 100% Grenache wines from the 2020, 2021 and 2022 vintages


With the original plantings taking place in 1838, Grenache was one of the first varieties to take root in Australia. Indeed, the country boasts the world’s oldest productive Grenache vines, planted in 1848, and its wealth of old-vine material has helped fuel the rise of single-varietal Grenache wines of increasingly notable quality.

‘There’s now a spectrum of Grenache that’s different to what people would have expected, even five or so years ago,’ said lead judge Beth Pearce MW. ‘There are the old-school, rich, opulent styles and the new-wave Pinot-like styles,’ explained Ben Chan.

‘The best wines have that sort of concentration that comes from old vines – all that Pinot-like perfume, but with a bit more muscle,’ Pearce added.


Scroll down to see notes and scores of the top-scoring wines from our Australian Grenache tasting



Australian Grenache panel tasting scores

Wines were tasted blind


The judges

Beth Pearce MW is the recently appointed head of buying at Flint Wines. Her extensive experience in the wine industry includes roles in retail and buying at Majestic and most recently buying director at Lay & Wheeler

Sara Muirhead MW is a wine consultant and communicator with more than 30 years’ experience in the wine trade. Her current focuses include wine tastings and events. She became an MW in 2008, and is a DWWA judge for Australia

Ben Chan is a senior wine specialist for Berry Bros & Rudd and a DWWA judge. After working as a winemaker in his native Australia, he is now based in London, where he was a sommelier at Hakkasan Mayfair and a WSET examiner


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