2025 Alicante Bouschet

A$44.00

Deep purple in colour, offering a bouquet of blackberry and coffee bean with a hint of cassis and dried tobacco. Following through with blackberry on the palate dried thyme and dark chocolate tannins.

Enjoy with Beef Bourguignon or Eggplant Lasagna.

Alicante Bouschet is a carefully bred grape variety. In 1824 Louis Bouschet at his Montpellier vineyard in southern France created Petit Bouschet by crossing Teinturier du Cher and Aramon Noir.

30 years later his son Henri would cross Petit Bouschet with Grenache, or Alicante as it was known locally in southern France. Petit Bouschet’s tenturier quality would be inherited by Alicante Bouschet giving the variety it’s red flesh character and deep dark colour. Alicante Bouschet is also known as Garnacha Tintorera and widely planted in Spain France Chile and Portugal. And our exploration of Iberian varietals continues. Variety is so well suited to our warm/dry climate.

Much like Saperavi, this wine is as black as the ace of spades and built to go the distance

Type: Red
Variety: 100% Alicante Bouschet. Native to France
Appellation: McLaren Vale
Vintage: 2025
Alc: 14.3%

Deep purple in colour, offering a bouquet of blackberry and coffee bean with a hint of cassis and dried tobacco. Following through with blackberry on the palate dried thyme and dark chocolate tannins.

Enjoy with Beef Bourguignon or Eggplant Lasagna.

Alicante Bouschet is a carefully bred grape variety. In 1824 Louis Bouschet at his Montpellier vineyard in southern France created Petit Bouschet by crossing Teinturier du Cher and Aramon Noir.

30 years later his son Henri would cross Petit Bouschet with Grenache, or Alicante as it was known locally in southern France. Petit Bouschet’s tenturier quality would be inherited by Alicante Bouschet giving the variety it’s red flesh character and deep dark colour. Alicante Bouschet is also known as Garnacha Tintorera and widely planted in Spain France Chile and Portugal. And our exploration of Iberian varietals continues. Variety is so well suited to our warm/dry climate.

Much like Saperavi, this wine is as black as the ace of spades and built to go the distance

Type: Red
Variety: 100% Alicante Bouschet. Native to France
Appellation: McLaren Vale
Vintage: 2025
Alc: 14.3%

Every Vintage is different, which is stating the obvious and Vintage 2025 was certainly no exception
As we sit down now, put pen to paper and write this mail out, much of South Australia in general, McLaren Vale specifically has experienced the driest 15 months on record since the Bureau Of Meteorology was established
For we Ramblers it is the reason why we grow and make the so-called Climate Appropriate varieties that we do
Vintage 2025 was a great Litmus Test to thoroughly assess how they can handle the conditions and ultimately long term “Are they going to work?”
We are delighted to say that the usual suspects in Arinto, Grillo, Montepulciano & Nero d’Avola have performed beautifully
Located at the northern end of Foggo Road in McLaren Vale, the 0.5 hectare block was established by grafting onto established vines in 2023 and grow on deep Blewitt Springs sands.
The site is north facing and offers excellent air drainage thanks to the adjacent gully that meanders west towards The Gulf of Saint Vincent 10 km away
Bunches look identical in size and appearance to Grenache. However, the difference in colour is remarkable. They remind us of a giant blackberry!
Hand harvested, destemmed to retain whole berries. Open-fermented hand plunged twice daily, 5 day skin contact. Pressed directly to a single seasoned French oak demi muid. 4 months maturation prior to bottling.
Bottled in June 2025 to retain vibrancy and varietal flavour. Only 914 bottles made.
Download tasting notes