It sat in its lonesome on a rather picked through shelf at the Center Valley Wine and Spirits shop. However, that wasn’t what caught my eye. I usually think Shiraz when seeing a label boasting “McLaren Vale” (a premier Shiraz growing region in South Australia), but instead I noticed “The Custodian Grenache”.  Sixteen and change later, we opened it and began pouring.

The vibrant red cherry color is exciting and equally exciting is the nose. Fruit forward and inviting, The Custodian Grenache gave off all things jam with heavy blueberry and concentrated huckleberry. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe, sweet red fruits and berries that carry through to the lively and long finish that also provides fragrant tannins. It is a perfectly balanced wine. The kind that you wish you had more of when you pour the last drop. A five-night a week Grenache. My pairing? I’m thinking venison.

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