Planta Circa Ancestor Vine Barossa Valley Grenache

Circa 1880, PF Zimmerman planted Grenache vines on his family property ‘Woodlands’ situated on the outskirts of Lyndoch. The site is around 250m above sea level with a Southerly aspect. Soil consists of deep sand over clay. The ungrafted goblet vines are hand pruned to twenty buds. Irrigation is minimal and only used in very dry years.

'This hallowed site fuels the top-drawer Planta Circa wines.'
Ned Goodwin MW

The Grenache fruit is hand-picked and around one-third of whole clusters go into open fermenters with the balance crushed on top. After around a week and a half on skins, the fruit is basket pressed and transferred into seasoned puncheons to undergo MLF (malolactic fermentation) after which the wine is then left for around three weeks. The wine is racked and only very coarse filtration was used prior to bottling.

Langton’s Writer Ian Desmond sits down with Master of Wine Ned Goodwin MW to look at the Planta Circa wines from Purple Hands. The Ancestor Vine Grenache, Shiraz and Cabernet are sourced from some of the oldest plantings in Australia yet winemaker Craig Stansborough has used the fruit to make completing, contemporary wines.