Driftsand
GSM

Whiffs of spice, dark berries and red licorice on the nose. The palate is awash with red fruits, ripe raspberry, cherry, there’s plum here too! From a cracking vintage, all aspects integrate nicely with spice on the finish and a soft tannin profile. Yum!

From low yields in a warm, dry vintage, this year’s release of Driftsand is a charm. Full spectrum of aromatics with red fruits, some florals and underlying spice, most notably anise. Soft, juicy palate shows the concentration of a warm vintage with red currants, hints of cherry and a spice laden finish. Silk like texture, soft, subtle, and so damn drinkable. A great release!

Very aromatic with loads of rich ‘fruit n spice’. Perfume, hints of florals from the Grenache. The palate is medium-bodied with raspberry, apricot & some dark berry fruit, the sweetness is well balanced by the spice. Lovely finish with gentle tannin and good length. A classic GSM style fit for any table.

A spice laden nose follows through with whiffs of berry fruits and red licorice.  The palate shows raspberry, dark berry fruits & five spice all woven together with integrated tannins.  Has a good length of flavour, a classic GSM style fit for any table.

The great ‘All-rounder’… spicy, savoury, generous fruit. On the nose there’s loads of rich fruit characters and the gentle spice gives the wine a savoury edge. The palate is medium-bodied with sour cherry, apricot & some dark berry fruit. Ultra slurpable, a classic GSM style fit for any table. Lovely finish with gentle tannin and good length.

Raspberry, cherry cola, nutmeg and some wood spice dominate the nose. Deep crimson in colour, with ripe raspberry and maraschino cherries, balanced by gentle spice characters and a hint of cedary oak. Delicious wine, outstanding value.

Ripe raspberries, cherry-cola, nutmeg and cinnamon dominate the nose with a faint scent of rose petals. The palate shows beautiful bright fruit character. Raspberries, plum, peach and garden herbs on show with a lovely sweet / savoury balance on the finish.

2014 was a really good vintage for us here in Vine Vale. Crops were well below average which resulted in concentrated fruit with great balance thanks to an extended ripening period. Because of the low yielding nature of the 2014, the Grenache and Shiraz was more concentrated than previous vintages. The result is a bold harmonious blend that is unashamedly fruit driven. An explosion of kirsch liquor and spice on the nose leads into a plush, long and supple palate that delivers loads of fruit with a nice hint of seasoned oak in the background. A real crowd pleaser that will also be a surprise package after 8-10 years in the cellar.

2012 was a cracker of a year across the board, perfect ripening conditions led to excellent concentration of colour and flavour. This wine display rich berry, plum characters with underlying nutmeg, white pepper and five spice. Good acidity and gentle tannins lead to a long clean finish. As per 2010 Driftsand, I’ve re-introduced a small proportion of Mataro into the blend for some complexity and at 46% Grenache, 44% Shiraz and 10% Mataro, this year’s Driftsand certainly over-delivers for its price.

2010 was one of the lowest yielding Grenache vintages in our history. This makes for a very fruit driven style, balanced with some real lifted spice that our Grenache is famous for. The Shiraz adds white pepper on the nose and sweetness on the palate, while the Mataro component adds some rich, gamey complexity.