2021 James Halliday Grenache Challenge Results

The fifth annual James Halliday Grenache Challenge (JHGC) gathered varietal grenache wines from around Australia for a competitive tasting to celebrate and elevate the variety.

The Challenge invited producers from all Australian wine regions to participate, encouraging an honest gauge of Australia’s winemaking form and to catch the styles and movements developing across the landscape.

Barossa's Krondorf Wines has been named 2021 James Halliday Grenache Challenge winner for its 2020 Founders View Barossa Grenache.

2021 McLaren Vale Wine Show Chair of Judges, Tony Love was impressed with the diversity of grenache expression.

“The 2021 James Halliday Grenache Challenge was a showcase of one of the country's most loved wine varieties at the height of its powers," said Mr Love.

"A highlight of the Challenge was to witness the diversity of Grenache expression, from juicy, lighter, easy drinking styles to bolder and more robust iterations. All variations are, of course, legitimate, while the finest of the entries created plenty of enthusiastic interest from all three panels of judges.

"After a rigorous day of assessment, the winner emerged from the highest quality selection of finalists after displaying attractive varietal aromatic characters with a sense of power, yet elegantly controlled and balanced. A superb example of South Australian Grenache."

The Challenge received a record 146 Grenache entries across a diverse range of Australian winegrowing regions.

Renowned wine critic and writer, James Halliday AM highlights McLaren Vale and the Barossa as champion grenache producing regions.

"Grenache has come in from the cold in no uncertain fashion. One statistic speaks louder than words. In 2010 the average price per tonne was $575; this year (2021) it averaged $1256 per tonne. Its geographic spread has also increased, but two regions dominate: the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale in a multitude of styles. It’s also exciting to see 2021 wines starting to appear, with more to come," said Mr Halliday.

Full results here.

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