Paxton Grenache 2025: Tasting Notes

WINE STYLE → Perfumed & Pretty

A fragrant, savoury Grenache that leans elegant rather than plush, with a quietly exotic aromatic profile and lovely textural finesse. Expect wild strawberry, raspberry leaf tea and red cherry notes woven through lemongrass, native river mint and Thai basil. It’s medium-bodied, dry and finely shaped, with just enough grip from whole bunches to give the palate a savoury edge. If you like reds that feel lifted, spicy and food-ready rather than thick or jammy, this is a very smart bottle.

Highlights

• Certified organic, certified biodynamic and vegan suitable
• Crafted by Paxton Wines — a leading McLaren Vale biodynamic producer
• Wild strawberry, raspberry leaf tea, herbs and savoury spice
• From Thomas Block bush vines on a ridge above the Willunga basin
• 93 points for a previous vintage from Wine Orbit
• 14.5% ABV

Tasting Notes

This Grenache is all about perfume and savoury detail. Aromatically it moves from lemongrass and Thai basil into native river mint, then red fruit appears in a more delicate register: wild strawberry, red cherry and raspberry leaf tea rather than anything dark or heavy. The palate is medium-bodied and dry, with a little grip from whole bunch fermentation, gentle French oak framing and a fine, lifted finish that keeps it especially good with food.

Winemaking

The fruit was hand picked from bush vines and fermented in open fermenters using a layering of whole bunches and whole berries. Extraction was kept slow and measured to protect Grenache’s delicate fruit profile and avoid hard tannin. After pressing, the wine was matured in older French oak puncheons for eight months before bottling, which adds shape and spice without overt oak flavour.

Vineyard & Vintage

This wine comes from Paxton’s Thomas Block vineyard, planted as bush vines high on a ridge overlooking the Willunga basin in McLaren Vale. The site experiences cooler-than-average mornings followed by warm summer days, which helps Grenache ripen with flavour intensity while still keeping its elegant line. The winery also points to the remarkable ancient soils here, with roots pushing into rock and soil layers formed more than 650 million years ago.

Why We Love It

This is such a lovely reminder that Grenache can be fragrant, savoury and quietly complex without losing drinkability. The aromatics are genuinely distinctive, the palate has enough grip to stay interesting, and the whole wine feels beautifully suited to long lunches, shared plates and spicy food. It’s a more lifted, refined take on McLaren Vale red.

Food Pairing

The herbal lift and gentle tannin make this a very flexible food wine, especially with spice-led dishes, grilled vegetables and lighter meat plates. It works best where there’s fragrance, herbs or a little char rather than dense, heavy sauces.

Try matching this wine with →

• Vietnamese lemongrass chicken — Find a Recipe
• Roast pumpkin and lentil salad — Find a Recipe
• Lamb skewers with herbs — Find a Recipe

Mood or occasion to match this wine…

Ideal for a stylish long lunch, a mezze spread with friends, or the kind of dinner where there are lots of plates in the middle and everyone wants “just a little more” in their glass. It has that lovely balance of interest and ease.

Cellaring

Best enjoyed in the near to medium term while its perfume and freshness are front and centre. Drink now to 2029 for the most vibrant expression, though a well-stored bottle may travel a little further.

Producer

Paxton is one of McLaren Vale’s most respected biodynamic producers, founded by viticulturist David Paxton in 1979. The family farms its estate vineyards under certified organic and biodynamic principles, with a strong focus on soil life, biodiversity and long-term vineyard health. That farming-first mindset is central to the house style: wines that show regional generosity, but with real site character and balance. In this Grenache, the Thomas Block site is especially important — its bush vines, elevated ridge position and ancient geology all help shape a wine with fragrance, finesse and a savoury sense of place.

Related Wines To Try →

If you enjoy this lifted, spice-edged style, these are excellent next bottles to explore:

• Same producer, bright and spicy Iberian-style red — Paxton Tempranillo
• Same producer, savoury dry rosé with Grenache in the blend — Paxton Rose
• Another McLaren Vale Grenache with no added preservative — Yangarra Preservative Free Grenache

FAQ

What does Paxton Grenache taste like?

It tastes of wild strawberry, red cherry and raspberry leaf tea, with lemongrass, native mint and Thai basil bringing a more savoury, aromatic edge. The palate is medium-bodied, dry and lightly grippy, with a lifted, food-friendly finish.

Is this wine dry or sweet?

It is dry. The specs list it at around 1.3 g/L residual sugar, so while the fruit is expressive, the wine sits firmly in the dry category.

What is the body and tannin level like?

This is medium-bodied, with a more elegant shape than many fuller McLaren Vale reds. Tannins are low to moderate, showing as a slight grip rather than anything heavy or drying.

Does it contain preservatives or sulphites?

Yes — this is not a No Added Preservative wine. It contains naturally occurring sulphites and likely some added sulphur at lower organic and biodynamic limits than conventional wines.

Is Paxton Grenache organic, biodynamic and vegan?

Yes. Organic Wine lists it as certified organic, certified biodynamic and vegan suitable, which is exactly in line with Paxton’s estate-grown, low-intervention farming approach.

How should I serve this Grenache?

Serve it slightly cooler than a big Shiraz, around 14–16°C, in a medium red wine glass. You can decant it for 15–20 minutes if you want a little more aromatic openness, but it doesn’t need a long decant.

Can I cellar this wine?

Yes, though it’s especially charming for its youthful perfume and freshness. Over the next few years it should gain a little more savoury complexity while keeping that lifted Grenache character.

What foods pair well with it?

It’s excellent with herb-led lamb dishes, Middle Eastern plates, grilled vegetables and fragrant Asian recipes. It also works beautifully with vegetarian dishes that bring spice, roast sweetness or earthy notes.

Who will enjoy this wine most?

This is a strong fit for drinkers who like lighter, more aromatic reds with spice and savoury detail rather than thick, dark fruit bombs. If you enjoy expressive Grenache or reds you can happily serve with a slight chill, this is very much in that zone.

How long will it last once opened?

Recork it and keep it in the fridge, and it should stay fresh for about 3 days. The herbal and spice notes often open a little more on day two.

(SKU: PX_GRE_CV)