Yalumba Rare & Fine The Tri-Centenary

Yalumba The Tri-Centenary Grenache bottle image

Wine Description

A true individual showcasing the essence of Grenache. Sourced from vines that were planted in 1889, from our Nursery Vineyard.

Yalumba Clocktower
Yalumba Cooperage
Yalumba Vineyard
Yalumba Barrel Room
Yalumba Museum
Robert and Jess Hill-Smith
Winemaker, Louisa Rose
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Acclaim
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. — James Halliday, Apr 2025
After a decade in the bottle, the evidence is strong that the pale hues and filigree palate shape of The Tri-Centenary Grenache is sturdy enough to last the distance. A lively perfume persists – a hint of raspberry and plum, with violets peeking through at the edge – but the fruit weight has diminished, leaving a skinny body that is still well-sculpted. This vintage is the first Tri-Centenary Grenache to feature in Yalumba’s Museum Releases; it also marked the start of Yalumba’s extended maceration experiment with old-vine Grenache (spending 41 days on skins), showing the merit of an intention to create noble, slender Grenache of finesse and beauty. — Decanter, Apr 2025
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Tricentenary Vineyard
Soil composition
Sandy-Loam layers underlain with red-brown clay
Elevation:
500 feet
Year vineyard planted:
1889
Average Vine Age:
123 years
Certifying Organizations:
ISO14001; Entwine Australia
Sustainability Certification:
EPA Acredited Sustainability Licence
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
1-3 days on skins pre fermentation before wild yeast start to ferment
Varietal composition:
100% Grenache
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Fining agent:
Vegan
Type of aging container:
Hogsheads
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
10 months
Age of Aging Container:
8 months
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.5
Acidity:
5.8 g/L
Alcohol:
13.5 %
Residual sugar:
0.5 g/L
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Wine Production

The grapes were hand picked and crushed to our 8 tonne open top stainless steel fermenters.  The natural or 'wild' yeasts present on the grape skins were allowed to initiate the sugar fermentation. Cultured winery yeasts were then added to complete the fermentation. 

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About the Vineyard

The Tri-Centenary (Nursery) vineyard, located in the heart of the Barossa Valley, is the source of the Tricentenary Grenache. This single vineyard Grenache has been crafted from grapes sourced from the block we call VG05. This block, of approximately 2 acres, comprises some 820 gnarly old bush vines that were planted in 1889. The Tri-Centenary (Nursery) vineyard features deep sandy loam layers underlain with red-brown clay. These soils are generally very deep and hold large volumes of water within their pores, which then easily provides water early in the season, essential for good growth. As temperatures increase and evaporation levels rise, moisture levels in the sand decrease 
rapidly, but the vine is able to then draw moisture from the underlying clay. With careful management, these low organic matter soils, dry grown, can consistently produce outstanding quality fruit.