Aphelion

McLaren Vale, South Australia

Aphelion is a husband-and-wife project from Rob and Louise Mack. Rob studied Wine Science at university before gaining experience at Kilikanoon in the Clare Valley. The idea of Aphelion was born over a bottle of Barolo between himself and future wife Louise, and they haven’t looked back. Today, Rob is genuinely considered to be in the top handful of Australian winemakers, especially when it comes to Grenache. His single site Grenache wines are amongst the country’s best and are today turning heads internationally.

Aphelion means ‘from the sun’ and this concept is central to the Aphelion winemaking philosophy. Rob uses minimal intervention wine making techniques, allowing the sun’s life sustaining force to shine out of the wines. Wines that are bright and fresh and alive.

Aphelion ‘Callow’ Grenache Blanc 2022

  • Region: McLaren Vale

    Grape/Cepage: Grenache Blanc

    Abv: 12.9%

    Vegan

  • The fruit was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed to ferment in stainless steel to retain freshness and varietal character. A slow and cool ferment occurred and once complete 20% of the wine was transferred to second use French oak to mature with the balance remaining in tank.

Aphelion’s obsession with Grenache now excitingly extends to Grenache Blanc. Rob’s take on Grenache Blanc here has intense and vibrant aromatics mingling with citrus and spice. Like that of Riley Harrison (which we also import to the UK), this wine keeps impressive shape. Where some can be fat and blousy, this is linear and saline – quite an achievement and an impressive wine. Dare I say the surprise packet of the line-up. – Ches Cook, LC Selections.

Aphelion ‘Welkin’ Chenin Blanc 2023

  • Region: McLaren Vale

    Grape/Cepage: Chenin Blanc

    ABV: 12.8%

    Vegan

There’s so much wine in the glass here for the price you pay. It’s genuinely exciting Chenin priced to be accessible for all. There’s lemon pith, orchard fruit, a slight waxy character there, both flavour-wise and texturally. Good driving acid keeps it fresh and tight. – Ches Cook, LC Selections.

Aphelion ‘Welkin’ Rose 2022

  • Region: McLaren Vale

    Grape/Cepage: Mataro (Mourvedre)

    ABV: 12.9%

    Vegan

  • The Mourvèdre was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed with no crushing to stainless steel tank to ferment. The ferment was kept cool to retain freshness and varietal character. Once ferment was complete the wine was kept on lees to add some texture. The Grenache was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed with no crushing to old French oak puncheons for ferment. The oak ferments were allowed to get warm to impart texture and complexity and once ferment was complete the wine was left on lees. The batches were combined just prior to bottling in August 2022.

Pale salmon in colour and overall, quite savoury. It has a gentle delivery of dehydrated strawberry and dried herb flavours, with a lightly spiced edge to the finish. Delicious and surprisingly complex rose. – Ches Cook, LC Selections.

Aphelion ‘Welkin’ Grenache 2022

  • Region: McLaren Vale

    Grape/Cepage: Grenache

    ABV: 13%

    Vegan

  • Hand-picked from a 20-year-old Grenache vineyard towards the sea in McLaren Vale.

Produced to exist at the accessible end of the Aphelion range, this is light and bright and ready for immediate consumption. It’s not short of energy, absolutely leaping from the glass with flavour and aromatics. Chill this down in summer is my tip. – Ches Cook, LC Selections.

Aphelion ‘Confluence’ Grenache 2022

  • Region: Blewitt Springs

    Grape/Cepage: Grenache

    ABV: 14.2%

    Vegan

  • Fermented wild, replete with 30% whole bunches. Maturation in larger neutral French oak of various formats.

Octogenarian Blewitt Springs bush vines. Fermented wild, replete with 30% whole bunches. Maturation in larger neutral French oak of various formats. Pinosité in spades, with a shimmer of cranberry, persimmon, fecund strawberry, and kirsch. From the first whiff to the long jittery linger, such is the wine's intensity of flavour, crunch, and tannic sinew. Picked on the earlier side, verging on marginal. Pulled off with aplomb. 93 points, Ned Goodwin MW for James Halliday.

Aphelion ‘Brini Vineyard’ Grenache 2022

  • Region: Blewitt Springs

    Soil: Sandy Loam

    Grape/Cepage: Grenache

    ABV: 13.9%

    Vegan

  • At the very core of Aphelion is their single vineyard Grenache project, where three wines are made using identical techniques, using fruit from three different (although not that far apart) old vine sites. Each wine highlights the diversity and beauty of Grenache, as well as some of the 19 different geological soil types in McLaren Vale. ‘Brini’ is one of those sites, located in Blewitt Springs (widely regarded as the dress circle of McLaren Vale). 100% wholebunch.

‘Brini’ is the prettiest, lightest and most pinot-esque of the single site wines. 100% whole bunch gobbled up by a concentrated yet effortless core of red and blue fruit. The sandiness of the soils translates to a wine with such finesse and elegance, yet no shortage of intense fruit. It’s wonderfully perfumed and perfectly open for immediate enjoyment, however watching this develop over the next decade will be fascinating. – Ches Cook, LC Selections.

Aphelion ‘Wait Vineyard’ Grenache 2022

  • Region: Blewitt Springs

    Soil: Sandy Loam

    Grape/Cepage: Grenache

    ABV: 14.1%

    Vegan

  • At the very core of Aphelion is their single vineyard Grenache project, where three wines are made using identical techniques, using fruit from three different (although not that far apart) old vine sites. Each wine highlights the diversity and beauty of Grenache, as well as some of the 19 different geological soil types in McLaren Vale. ‘Wait’ is one of those sites (widely regarded as the dress circle of McLaren Vale). 100% wholebunch.

‘Wait’ in 2022 is the complete package and my pick of the range. In fact, with as little bias as possible, I would claim that it is perhaps Australia’s best Grenache, or at very least, in the top handful. Compared to ‘Brini’ it is a touch firmer and a touch darker-fruited, whilst not sacrificing a degree of elegance. Black cherry, graphite, a mineral undertow – it’s all there. Bravo Rob. – Ches Cook, LC Selections.

Aphelion ‘Emergent’ Mataro 2019

  • Region: McLaren Vale, Blewitt Springs, Sellicks

    Grape/Cepage: Mataro (Mourvedre)

    ABV: 14.4%

    Vegan

  • All three Mataro batches received different treatment in the winery. The Blewitt Springs Mataro was destemmed and then cold soaked for 2 days pre-ferment to extract vibrant colour. The Willunga ferment was fermented with 50% as whole bunches of grapes. The Sellicks portion was destemmed and fermented as whole berries. All batches were matured in neutral French oak before blending and bottling in December 2020.

I love straight Mataro (Mourvedre) and believe it to be a variety that Australia (and particularly Aphelion) does very well. Where Aphelion’s Grenaches hold plenty of elegance, here this wine is a touch more burly and rustic, as is the nature of the variety. It’s dark-fruited and savoury, with garigue and Provencal herb throughout, before an ashy close. – Ches Cook, LC Selections.

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