The 2024 Wait Single Site Grenache won't be released until late 2025, and the wine is showing notes of Campari and blood orange, raspberry seed and poached rhubarb. On the palate, this wine really shines, and it shows the power and succulence of the 2024 season. This has surprisingly low alcohol, but it works really well—the fruit and tannins feel ripe, despite this. It is almost an entire degree lower in alcohol than usual. 13.2% alcohol, sealed under Diam Origine. Rob Mack, winemaker/propreitor of Aphelion in McLaren Vale is thoughtful, intelligent and quietly spoken, with an enduring respect for Grenache. This is the business that he has built with his wife Lou Mack. A graduate of the Len Evans Tutorial and a McLaren Vale local, Rob is an experienced wine show judge and a lover of Barolo and saké. Mack's wines tend to take on the delicacy and ethereal quality that both styles exhibit, and the inherent quality of McLaren Vale Grenache is well matched to his drinking proclivities. This is a small producer to watch out for. - 96 points, Erin Larkin
