Alkina 2022 "Kin" Grenache Greenock 750ml

Kin is where Alkina wants you to start. The estate's most serious, most geologically obsessive work happens in the single-block Polygon series — wines mapped down to individual half-hectare parcels by a Chilean terroir scientist — but Kin Grenache is the project's most approachable expression, the wine one reviewer specifically called "the perfect entrée into the wonderful world of Alkina." It is, in the words of the same review, "juicy, friendly, dry and serious at once" — all flowers, berries, and earth, with plenty of juice and a genuinely good amount of tension underneath the immediate charm.

The 2022 vintage draws fruit from two specific blocks on the Greenock estate, both planted in 2016: Block 18, picked March 21st and 25th, sitting on a schist base with more clay; and Block 22, picked March 21st, characterized by quartzite and limestone seams, elevated and planted to bush vines along the hill's contours. The estate's own tasking team called 2022 "a fantastic year for Grenache" — fruit with a cool, savory, almost mineral aspect, with chalky tannins perfectly enmeshed throughout the wine. Like every Alkina release, the fruit is NASAA certified organic and biodynamic, grown on the same 60-hectare Greenock property that Alejandro Bulgheroni purchased and that winemaker Amelia Nolan has built into one of the most quietly serious new projects in the entire Barossa Valley.

This is not a simple, fruit-forward Grenache built for early drinking and nothing more. It bolts from the glass with lifted fresh and dried flower aromas, red cherry and strawberry, smoked spice notes, and a char/earthy/ironstone background that speaks directly to the schist and quartzite ground it's grown on. Medium-bodied and very approachable young, yet carrying enough grip and genuine structure to take some age and stand up to hearty food — Grenache charm, as one reviewer put it, "writ large."

Origins & Craftsmanship

Alkina Wine Estate occupies 60 hectares on the western ridges of the Barossa Valley near Greenock, on a property first planted to vines by Les Kalleske in 1955, with stone buildings on the estate dating back to the 1850s. The project was founded in 2015, conceived, developed, and managed by South Australian winemaker Amelia Nolan, and owned by Argentine vintner Alejandro Bulgheroni — the same proprietor behind the Lithology Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon program. Alkina was the first Australian winery to undertake a detailed micro-terroir study with Chilean terroir specialist Pedro Parra, and remains the only current Australian project assisted by globally renowned Italian winemaking consultant Alberto Antonini.

Kin sits at the more accessible end of the Alkina portfolio — distinct from the ultra-specific, single-block Polygon series and the multi-patch Old Quarter blend, though built from the same rigorously organic and biodynamic, NASAA-certified farming that defines every Alkina release. The 2022 Kin Grenache draws fruit from two specific blocks, both planted in 2016: Block 18, picked March 21st and 25th, sitting on a schist base with a higher proportion of clay; and Block 22, picked March 21st, characterized by quartzite and limestone seams, an elevated site planted to bush vines trained along the natural contours of the hill. The estate ferments using concrete tulips and eggs, alongside Georgian qvevri and Italian amphorae, favoring these traditional, low-intervention vessels over conventional oak for the wild ferments and maturation that define the Alkina house style.

Critics Reviews

The Real Review — Ranked #44 of 54, 2022 Grenache from Barossa Valley:
Top Value AU designation.

Alkina official / Winepilot (confirmed 2022 vintage note):
"What a fantastic year for Grenache! This bolts out of the glass with lifted fresh and dried flower aromas, as well as red cherry and strawberry. Fruit has a cool, savoury, almost mineral aspect and the chalky tannins are perfectly enmeshed in the wine."

Winepilot (extended house-style characterization, Kin Grenache program):
"This is a Greenock producer that you really want to become familiar with. This is juicy, friendly, dry and serious at once. It's all flowers, berries and earth with lots of juice and a good amount of tension. Red cherries and cranberries with juniper berries and purple flowers."

Confirmed community/extended tasting note (program context):
"Medium full red with a good tint of purple and a most attractive bouquet of smoked spices, raspberry/black cherry, and a char/earthy/ironstone background. The wine is medium bodied and very approachable young yet has enough grip and structure to take some age, and to accompany quite hearty foods. Delicious wine, with a sweet-fruit core and a lovely balance between intensity and lightness of being. Grenache charm writ large."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Medium-full red with a good tint of purple — the schist and clay terroir's color signature from young, carefully farmed estate vines. Lifted fresh and dried flower aromas bolt from the glass immediately, joined by red cherry and strawberry. Smoked spice notes add warmth, alongside juniper berries and purple flowers. A char, earthy, ironstone background runs beneath the fruit — the mineral imprint of the schist and quartzite ground this wine is grown on.

Palate
Cool, savory, and almost mineral — the estate's own characterization of the 2022 vintage's defining quality. Raspberry and black cherry carry the core fruit, with a sweet-fruit center balanced by genuinely savory structure throughout. Chalky tannins, classic to Grenache from this terroir, are perfectly enmeshed rather than standing apart from the fruit. Medium-bodied and approachable, with a lovely balance between intensity and lightness.

Finish
Long for a wine of this accessibility, with enough grip and structure to suggest real aging potential alongside its immediate, juicy charm. The earthy, ironstone character lingers alongside the cherry and spice, closing with the kind of balanced, food-friendly finish that makes this Grenache equally suited to a casual pour or a more serious meal.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Charcuterie
• Tapas
• Pizza
• Grilled meats
• Roasted vegetables
• Soft cheeses