{"product_id":"alkina-2020-old-quarter-gsm-barossa-valley-750ml","title":"Alkina 2020 \"Old Quarter\" GSM Barossa Valley 750ml","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThere is one wine at Alkina that tells the whole story of the property more completely than any other. The Polygon wines are about precision — fine-pointed, exact expressions of one specific piece of dirt, made in lots as small as forty cases. Old Quarter is the opposite instinct pursued with the same rigor: not a single varietal, not a single block, but a wine that draws from five separate polygon patches across three hectares of Alkina's oldest vineyard — and somehow arrives at something that defies being separated back into its components. As winemaker Amelia Nolan's team describes it, Old Quarter speaks of an accomplished completeness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThe vines themselves were planted in the 1950s by a member of the Kalleske family, on a property that Alejandro Bulgheroni — the Argentinian billionaire wine entrepreneur who owns twenty-one wine properties across six countries — purchased in 2015 on the northern edge of Greenock in the Barossa Valley. Soil scientist Pedro Parra and oenological consultant Alberto Antonini mapped the ground by geology, and Old Quarter draws its Grenache component specifically from Polygon 4, on clay and degraded schist — the wine assembled from certified organic and biodynamic fruit, with 70 to 100% whole-bunch fermentation, across the property's oldest and most storied corner of vines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThe blend in this style is Grenache-led — roughly 50% Grenache, 29% Shiraz, and 21% Mataro, the classic Southern Rhône-inspired GSM architecture rendered through Alkina's singular obsession with terroir. James Suckling awarded the 2021 vintage of Old Quarter 98 points — among the highest scores Alkina has ever received for any wine in the portfolio. The 2023 vintage drew similarly enthusiastic notes: \"so perfumed and pretty, with dark aromas of blackberry compote, boysenberries, mulberry bush, fresh figs, graphite and spices. The palate is plush, with a rounded mouthfeel and fine-tuned tannins that have a minerally and metallic edge from aging in concrete. Wonderfully balanced.\" This is the wine that, more than any other single bottle in the Alkina range, captures what the whole project has been built to achieve.\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 occupies 60 hectares on the northern edge of Greenock, in the Barossa Valley's western ranges, purchased in 2015 by Alejandro Bulgheroni. The property included six hectares of vines planted in the 1950s by a member of the Kalleske family, alongside 170-year-old stone buildings that have since been carefully restored. Bulgheroni retained Chilean terroir scientist Pedro Parra and Italian oenological consultant Alberto Antonini, and installed South Australian winemaker Amelia Nolan to manage the property — a team whose collective approach to soil mapping at the individual-block level is, by most informed accounts, unmatched anywhere else in Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eOld Quarter takes its name from \"The Old Quarter\" — the specific area of the property containing those original 1950s plantings of Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro, and Semillon. Unlike the single-block Polygon wines, Old Quarter is a blend drawn from five separate polygon patches spanning three hectares of this older vineyard — certified organic and biodynamic Grenache, Shiraz, and Mataro fermented with 70 to 100% whole-bunch inclusion. The Grenache component is sourced specifically from Polygon 4, a parcel characterized by clay over degraded schist. The wine is fermented and aged using Alkina's consistent house philosophy: concrete vessels, minimal intervention, no synthetic additions, and — depending on vintage and component — extended maturation that imparts the minerally, slightly metallic edge that James Suckling specifically noted as a signature of concrete-aged fruit in this cuvée.\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\u003eJames Suckling — 98 Points (2021 vintage, confirmed via Alkina's own press archive):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmong the highest scores ever received by any Alkina wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames Suckling (2023 vintage):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"So perfumed and pretty, with dark aromas of blackberry compote, boysenberries, mulberry bush, fresh figs, graphite and spices. The palate is plush, with a rounded mouthfeel and fine-tuned tannins that have a minerally and metallic edge from aging in concrete. A vibrant and focused release of this cuvee, made from 55% grenache, 28% shiraz and 17% mataro. Wonderfully balanced. Drink or hold.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames Suckling (2022 vintage, for context):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This 2022 GSM blend has appealing generosity of meaty, spicy aromas...\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTony Love \/ Winepilot (program characterization):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"There also is one wine here that tells the whole story of Alkina more than any other. The Old Quarter is not a single varietal style, but a single block wine... It's a wine that defies separating it into its components as you taste it, and rather speaks of an accomplished completeness.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHuon Hooke \/ The Real Review (program context):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Alkina is potentially the most exciting new project to hit the Barossa Valley in recent times.\"\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\u003ePerfumed and pretty, with dark aromas of blackberry compote, boysenberries, and mulberry bush leading — the Grenache-Shiraz-Mataro blend's combined dark-fruit register at its most generous. Fresh figs add warm, slightly dried fruit complexity. Graphite and spices add mineral and savory depth, the terroir-driven signature that runs through every Alkina release regardless of blend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePalate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlush, with a rounded mouthfeel and fine-tuned tannins carrying a minerally and metallic edge specifically attributable to concrete aging — the house technique that distinguishes Alkina's texture from oak-driven GSM blends elsewhere in the Barossa. Meaty, spicy aromas in cooler vintages add savory complexity. Vibrant and focused, wonderfully balanced across the three varieties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinish\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLong and well-integrated, the concrete-derived minerality lingering alongside dark fruit and spice — a finish built to drink now or hold for further development.\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\"\u003eGSM — Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro\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\"\u003e2020\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\"\u003eFive polygon patches across 3 hectares of the original 1950s plantings\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\"\u003e~70 years — planted 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\u003eGrenache Source\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\"\u003ePolygon 4 — clay over degraded schist\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\"\u003e70–100%\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\"\u003eConcrete — minimal intervention\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\u003eABV\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\"\u003e14%\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\"\u003eJames Suckling 98 Points (2021 vintage)\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\"\u003eSingle-block GSM blend — dark fruit, mineral concrete edge, \"accomplished completeness\"\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\"\u003eBlackberry compote, boysenberry, mulberry, fig, graphite, spice\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\"\u003eRoasted lamb shoulder — the classic GSM pairing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eGrilled sausages and charcuterie\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eBraised game meats\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eMediterranean-spiced dishes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Southern","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43874476851266,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0363\/8621\/files\/Alkina_2020_Old_Quarter_GSM_Barossa_Valley_750ml.jpg?v=1782011004","url":"https:\/\/www.blackwellswines.com\/products\/alkina-2020-old-quarter-gsm-barossa-valley-750ml","provider":"Blackwell's Wines \u0026 Spirits","version":"1.0","type":"link"}