Aphelion Hickinbotham Grenache Noir 2024

94 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2024 Hickinbotham Block 113 Grenache Noir is distinct from the other cuvées, which were all picked on the same day from neighboring, contiguous blocks in the Hickinbotham vineyard. This block is the lowest. This wine is a fascinating deep dive into the idea of place, site and terroir. Grenache is a particularly eloquent conduit; it mainlines the dirt in a way that geolocates it more clearly than any other variety I can think of aside from Riesling and maybe Pinot Noir. This is a darker wine than the others in character, and the personality is a little more mineral and a little more earthy than the other two. It’s also floral and herbal. They are linked by their distinctive tannin profile, which feels silty and fine, but it has a pleasing level of grit and chew. 14.4% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

94 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2024 Hickinbotham Block 112 Grenache Noir smells decidedly more fleshy and opulent than the Block 111 tasted alongside, which is a tremendously good thing, as it illustrates the power of terroir when viewed through the lens of Grenache. The Block 112 is from the middle block within the Hickinbotham vineyard (about 240 meters in elevation), and despite being immediately adjacent to the two other blocks, it has its own personality and flavor. The tannins remain clearly tethered to the site, and in this regard, the other blocks and this wine share clear DNA. It's a superb wine. It still has the lean, herbal feathery edge through the finish. 13.7% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. As an aside, there is an interesting situation here, whereby the alcohol in this wine is 13.7%, Block 111 is 14% and Block 113 is 14.3%. So far, this hasn't noticeably impacted the flavors, as this 13.7% example shows brilliant resolution and intensity of fruit, whereas the 14% wine tasted leaner and more herbal/angular. The three blocks are contiguous in the vineyard, and the elevation change between the lowest part of the lowest block (at 235 meters) and the highest part of the highest block (at 250 meters) is just 15 meters. All fruit was picked on the same day and handled in the same way. 360 bottles of each filled.

93 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2024 Hickinbotham Block 111 Grenache Noir is lifted and perfumed aromatically, with a lean palate that speaks of graphite and wet steel rather than fleshy fruits. And flavors include star anise, dried bay leaf, clove and sage, alongside pomegranate and raspberry. The Hickinbotham Block III Grenache Noir is one of three wines made by Rob Mack this year at Aphelion, with the intention of isolating and identifying the specific parcels of fruit within this vineyard. All three adjacent (steep) sections show different attributes in the glass, highlighted by the fact that they were picked at the same time and handled in the same way. This Block 111 is the top-most section. It is marine-fresh, with loads of minty herbs. Of the three wines, this is the firmest, the leanest and the most tightly coiled. The silty, gritty and fine tannins are so classically McLaren Vale. 14.1% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.