Technical Tasting Notes

2022 PRAYER GARDEN GRENACHE

GROWING SEASON
The 2022 Barossa Valley vintage will be remembered as the second almost faultless season in a row after an equally impressive although different 2021 vintage. Both Vintages were cool, the coolest since 2002. Good spring rains meant that we entered the growing season with good soil moisture levels. A warm dry growing season followed, with balanced and healthy canopies producing an average crop of extremely high quality fruit.

A pigeon pair, perhaps the best two since 1990/1991 if not longer. The good news is that flavours and colours (in reds) and the vibrancy and lift in the whites are incredible. Overall quality is exceptional. Another extremely good Barossa vintage in the making.

TASTING NOTE
The Prayer Garden is a special place, dry grown very old bush vines in Ebenezer in the Northern Barossa Valley. Like its neighbouring Glengrae, the Prayer Garden is a lost block of a mere 2 acres planted generations ago. Traditionally farmed with no access to supplementary water, highly exposed and subject to frost more years than not. Known as the Prayer Garden as a result of the short statue of the vines, kneeling the preferred method of approaching the vines whether picking or pruning. Hard work, but worth every effort. Hand picked late in the season the fruit was de-stemmed before being fermented for almost 20 days on skins before being transferred to seasoned puncheons for maturation.

The resulting wine is highly perfumed, medium bodied. Beautifully balanced, red fruits, fine tannin and acid, all in balance. Wonderful grenache.

SPECIFICATIONS
Region: Barossa Valley
Sub Region: Ebenezer
Variety: Grenache
Alcohol: 14.5%
Production: 1200 bottles
Cellaring: 5 years+
Winemaker: Andrew Seppelt

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Reviews

2022 Prayer Garden Grenache

HUon Hooke (The Real Review)

92 Points - Deep, dark, dense colour, with a tint of purple, the bouquet very intense and earthy, dusty/terracotta and smoky mataro-like pepperiness. The wine is full-bodied, dense, concentrated and firm, the tannins almost tough in their impact. Very focused and penetrating, but needs a little more time to loosen up. 14 JAN 2024

2021 Prayer Garden Grenache

Andrew Caillard MW (The Vintage Journal)

92 Points - Medium-deep crimson. Plenty of red fruits to start here with red cherry, redcurrant aromas with a nice dash of cola. Well concentrated and inky textured, there are more gentle red cherry and redcurrant flavours supported by fine lacy dry tannins and juicy acidity, which make for a very attractive, early-drinking grenache style.

Now-2025

Steve Leszczynski (Qwinereviews)

93 Points - A new addition to the Hayes portfolio, the diversity of their Grenache wines from across the Barossa (plus one from McLaren Vale) is quite something. Wonderfully aromatic, this is captivating from the outset.  The Prayer Garden is a small site, just less than a hectare, that survived the wretched vine pull of the mid 1980s.

Purple and blue fruits plus glorious aromas of raspberries and blueberries, you can't help but be immediately hooked. It slides through the mouth with ease. It's that yacht on calm water just sliding through as you marvel it's glory. The fruit gets a little deeper and more complex with the more air it sees. Delicate spices are carefully sprinkled throughout leaving a long wake that laps at your feet. Silty tannins have the last word. Slowly drying and drawing a moreish factor along for the ride. Just beautiful.

Drink to five years+

Gabrielle Poy (therealreview.com)

92 Points - Charred meat, black plums and raspberries on the nose make way for a savoury palate. Judicious oak spice mixes with a flush of fruit, adding complexity and a serious side to the wine. This should age well, letting the structure relax a little

2022-2029

2023 James Halliday Wine Companion (Dave Brookes)

93 Points - Bright red purple in the glass with aromas of blood plum, Asian spice, dark chocolate-dipped raspberries, licorice, earth and lighter hints of jasmine and cola. The spicy plume of plum fruit is propelled across the palate by bright, minerally acidity, tannins are compact and sandy and a vibrant, medium-length finish.

2020 Vineyard Series Prayer Garden Grenache

Not Publicly Released