2015 Yalumba Tri Centenary Grenache Museum Release

96 POINTS

James Suckling

There’s a very direct feel to this grenache, from a parcel planted in the 1880’s. The fresh, red-floral perfume and the raspberry and redcurrant aromas are so beautifully fresh. The palate has directness, intensity, focus and elegance with a very vibrant, gently tart red-fruit core. Holds long, pure and fresh.

96 POINTS

Dave Brookes - Halliday Wine Companion

A poised and beautifully structured museum grenache release from 126-year-old vines. A bright, translucent ruby with fruit tones of red plum, dried cranberry and red cherry with a light shading of ginger spice and hints of citrus blossom, charcuterie, dried citrus rind and a subtle leathery facet. It's savoury and subtle with almost a creamy edge and superfine, silky tannins as it retreats. Finishes long, graceful and composed. Sadly, winemaker Kevin Glastonbury leaves Yalumba in '25 after a long tenure making these beautiful wines, but he should be proud as punch. It's a cracker.

95 POINTS

Christina Pickard - Wine Enthusiast

Although Yalumba boasts several far pricier wines than Tri-Centenary, this flagship for modern South Aussie Grenache is one of its finest, and it rewards those not keen on lengthy cellaring time. In the glass it appears translucent, a pale ruby hue. Despite some bottle age, it's still fresh. Breathe in aromas of freshly picked strawberries—stems and all—cranberry, orange zest, warm earth and wild mushrooms. True to the variety, there's oodles of fruit here, which cascades onto the palate. It never feels confected, however. Bright acidity and fine, filigree tannins add texture and complexity to this joy-inducing wine. Drink now–2025.

94 POINTS

Nick Butler - The Real Review

Dark garnet red colour from centre to rim. Spiced plums and mixed berries hover above a toasty, firm lick of oak and cured meats - aromatics are intense and complex. It's vibrantly red-fruited, has a lovely syrupy glide and finishes with bright raspberry acidity. Pristine and precise. Very polished

93 POINTS

Sarah Ahmed - Decanter

From 820 bush vines, planted in 1889 on deep, sandy loam over red-brown clay, now owned by Yalumba. Open-fermented, with 41-days of post-fermentation maceration and aged in older French oak hogsheads, this garnet Grenache is riven with sandalwood and anise spice, tertiary leather and farmyard nuances. Silky red cherry and berry fruit, with a touch of high-toned glycerol, build in intensity, along with a dried rose and violet lift. Chock-full of character.

93 POINTS

Josh Raynolds - Vinous

Dark ruby. Powerful cherry and boysenberry liqueur scents are complicated by suggestions of incense, dark chocolate and candied flowers. Sappy and broad on the palate, offering ripe red and blue fruit preserve and mocha flavors and an energizing jolt of spicy white pepper. Shows impressive depth of flavor and finishes supple and very long, with harmonious tannins and lingering dark berry liqueur character.

93 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2015 The Tri-Centenary Grenache spent 41 days on the skins, and with this vintage, the time at this part of the journey begins to extend. The wine is still matured in old French oak hogsheads at this time. Here, curiously, the wine shows some development, and a sweet edge to the fruit begins to creep in. It has vanilla bean, or aged leather, or something of its ilk. The wine is savory and the tannins both profuse and dry, but there are no hard edges—this is soft and pliable. At 10 years from harvest, the wine has softened and is fine. The berries were small this year due to conditions during spring, and this is in line with the general attitude of the red wines in the Barossa: they were firm and the wines excellent. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.

93 POINTS

Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front

I tasted from a bottle in February and it looked more advanced than it should; bottle today looked fresh. The vagaries of cork-sealed wines. Tri-Centenary Grenache is such a good wine nowadays. So fine, so fragrant, so transparent. It tastes of dry earth, raspberry, sweet woodsy spice and orange peel, but really it presents as complete and whole. It’s juicy and light-ish but that doesn’t stop the forward momentum, the push onwards. It’s all been very nicely done.