{"product_id":"alkina-2019-grenache-polygon-no-5-barossa-valley-750ml","title":"Alkina 2019 Grenache Polygon No. 5 Barossa Valley 750ml","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003ePedro Parra had never seen a combination of limestone and schist like Alkina's anywhere in the world. The Chilean terroir scientist — one of the most sought-after soil consultants in fine wine — was brought to the northern edge of Greenock, in the Barossa Valley, by Alejandro Bulgheroni, the Argentinian billionaire wine entrepreneur who owns twenty-one wine properties across six countries, including two in Bordeaux and one in Napa Valley. What Bulgheroni had purchased in 2015 was a 60-hectare farm that included six hectares of vines planted by a member of the Kalleske family seventy years earlier — old-vine Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro, and Semillon rooted in soil derived from 700-million-year-old Pre-Cambrian rock, among the oldest terroir on earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eParra's instruction to winemaker Amelia Nolan was direct: don't blend these lots together to make the best possible wine. Vinify each parcel separately, by soil and rock type, and let each one speak for itself. The result is the Polygon Project — a series of single-block wines, each one named for the specific geological parcel it comes from. Polygon No. 5 is sourced from a single 0.37-hectare plot defined by schist with veins of iron-rich clay — deeper, more mineral-driven ground than its sibling Polygon No. 3. Certified organic and biodynamic, 80 to 100% whole bunch, fermented and aged for nine months in a single 500-liter concrete cylinder. No new oak. No synthetic additions. Nothing to get between the wine and the rock it came from.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eHuon Hooke, the veteran Australian wine writer, ranked the 2019 Polygon No. 5 the #1 wine of 53 Grenache from the Barossa Valley that vintage — \"medium-full red-purple colour with a savoury, ironstone-like bouquet, an earthy, rocky minerality, the palate immensely powerful and focused, concentrated and long, with masses of mouth-coating tannins.\" Wine-Searcher's aggregate puts the vintage at 95 points. Langtons calls it \"akin to a Châteauneuf on galets, rather than one on sand — a powerful wine juxtaposed against an uncanny lightness of being.\" This is Grenache built like nothing else in the Barossa — proof that a single half-hectare of 700-million-year-old rock can produce a wine of genuine, singular identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr class=\"border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigins \u0026amp; Craftsmanship\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eAlkina Wine Estate sits on the northern edge of Greenock, in the Barossa Valley, on a 60-hectare property purchased in 2015 by Alejandro Bulgheroni — the Argentinian wine entrepreneur whose international portfolio spans 21 properties in six countries. Bulgheroni retained Pedro Parra, the Chilean terroir scientist and soil consultant, and Alberto Antonini, the globe-trotting Italian oenological consultant, and employed South Australian winemaker Amelia Nolan to manage the property. The estate includes six hectares of vines planted roughly seventy years ago by a member of the Kalleske family — Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro, and Semillon — alongside eighteen additional hectares planted since under the same varieties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThe defining feature of Alkina's approach is geological precision applied at a scale almost no other producer in the world attempts. Parra mapped the property by soil and rock type and instructed Nolan to vinify each distinct parcel separately rather than blend them — the genesis of the Polygon Project, a series of single-block wines each named for the specific geological unit it represents. The soils derive from 700-million-year-old Pre-Cambrian rock — an extraordinarily old terroir featuring a combination of limestone and schist that Parra had never previously encountered anywhere in the world, along with degraded schist clay and patches of calcrete limestone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003ePolygon No. 5 comes from a single 0.37-hectare plot on deeper, more schistous soils with rivets of iron-rich clay — distinct from Polygon No. 3's limestone-and-schist plot. The fruit is certified organic and biodynamic, picked from old vines, with 80 to 100% whole-bunch inclusion in fermentation. The wine is fermented and matured in a single 500-liter concrete cylinder for nine months — concrete rather than oak, preserving the fruit and terroir character without imparting wood influence. No new oak is used anywhere in the Polygon Project, and no synthetic additions manipulate the wines at any stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr class=\"border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCritics Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHuon Hooke — #1 of 53 2019 Grenache from Barossa Valley:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Medium-full red-purple colour with a savoury, ironstone-like bouquet, an earthy, rocky minerality, the palate immensely powerful and focused, concentrated and long, with masses of mouth-coating tannins.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWine-Searcher aggregate — 95\/100 (2019 vintage)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLangtons (2019 vintage):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Raspberry bon bon, pepper grind, lavender and thyme, as if an expression of a unique version of Australian garrigue. The tannins, burlier here, are swabbed with tapenade as they expand with air. For comparison's sake, this is akin to a Châteauneuf on galets, rather than one on sand. A powerful wine juxtaposed against an uncanny lightness of being.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinous (2020 vintage, Ned Goodwin MW, for context on house style — confirmed at the Alkina Grenache Assembly tasting):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"96 points. Very good domestic expression. Sweet red fruit and orange pastille a la pinot, mitigated by dried thyme, lavender and a clench of Nebbiolo-like tannins drawing the finish long and taut. Excellent grenache.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Real Review (Decanter contributor David Sly, program context):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Rising high above the ordinary are a suite of meticulous wine producers, led by Alkina.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr class=\"border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasting Profile\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNose\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMedium-full red-purple — the schist and iron-rich clay terroir producing a color of genuine depth from old, low-yielding vines. The nose opens with a savoury, ironstone-like quality unique to this specific plot — earthy, rocky minerality leading before the fruit fully emerges. Raspberry bon bon and salted redcurrants follow with vivid, slightly savoury red fruit. Pomegranate adds tart brightness. Pepper grind, lavender, and thyme combine into what Langtons calls \"a unique version of Australian garrigue\" — a Mediterranean herbal complexity rarely found in Australian Grenache.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePalate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eImmensely powerful and focused — concentrated and long, with masses of mouth-coating tannins that mark this as a structurally serious wine despite Grenache's reputation for lighter, more delicate expression. The fruit is wild and darker in complexion than typical Barossa Grenache — layered, earthy, supple, buoyant, and spicy all at once. The tannins, burlier than its Polygon No. 3 sibling, are swabbed with a tapenade-like savoury quality that expands with air. Tension runs throughout — assertive, focused tannins that never intrude on or impede the flow of fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinish\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLong and taut, with masses of mouth-coating tannin carrying the close. The combination of power and an \"uncanny lightness of being\" — Langtons' precise paradox — defines the finish: structurally serious yet never heavy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr class=\"border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQuick Overview\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"overflow-x-auto w-full px-2 mb-6\"\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"min-w-full border-collapse text-sm leading-[1.7] whitespace-normal\"\u003e\n\u003cthead class=\"text-left\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"col\" class=\"text-text-100 border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.6)] py-2 pr-4 align-top font-bold\"\u003eCategory\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"col\" class=\"text-text-100 border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.6)] py-2 pr-4 align-top font-bold\"\u003eDetails\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAppellation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eBarossa Valley — South Australia\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVariety\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eGrenache\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e2019\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eAlkina Wine Estate — Greenock\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOwner\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eAlejandro Bulgheroni\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinemaker\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eAmelia Nolan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil Consultant\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003ePedro Parra\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOenological Consultant\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eAlberto Antonini\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVineyard\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eSingle 0.37-hectare plot — Polygon No. 5\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eSchist with veins of iron-rich clay\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVine Age\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eOld vines — planted ~70 years ago by a Kalleske family member\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFarming\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eCertified organic and biodynamic\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhole Bunch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e80–100%\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVessel\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eSingle 500L concrete cylinder\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAging\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e9 months\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew Oak\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eNone\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCritics\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eHuon Hooke — #1 of 53 2019 Barossa Grenache · Wine-Searcher 95\/100\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStyle \/ Identity\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003ePowerful, mineral, garrigue-spiced single-block Grenache — Châteauneuf-on-galets character\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAromas \u0026amp; Flavors\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eRaspberry bon bon, salted redcurrant, pomegranate, ironstone, pepper, lavender, thyme, tapenade\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBottle Size\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e750ml\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003chr class=\"border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eBeef and venison — the classic Grenache pairing, especially suited to this wine's structure\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eLamb with herbs — the garrigue character finding a natural mirror\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eCharcuterie and tapenade-driven dishes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eAged hard cheeses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Southern","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43874469019714,"sku":null,"price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0363\/8621\/files\/800BE826-8E46-4223-8A7A-996CDDC25284_1_201_a_0fe5debe-938d-43c9-b47d-5878bac80f89.jpg?v=1782009497","url":"https:\/\/www.blackwellswines.com\/products\/alkina-2019-grenache-polygon-no-5-barossa-valley-750ml","provider":"Blackwell's Wines \u0026 Spirits","version":"1.0","type":"link"}