The Extraordinary Alkina Collection: From Australia's Best $35 Grenache to Some of the World's Finest Grenache
"We're looking at grenache of the highest order, graded specifically to site and more importantly to soil. Alkina is at the pointy end of the new Australian wine order."
Campbell Mattinson
11 wines including a vertical of Polygon No. 5 Grenache
From the remarkable KIN Grenache, described by Robert Parker's Erin Larkin as
"Australia's best $35 Grenache"
through to the tiny-production Polygon Grenache releases, praised by Ned Goodwin MW as
"Among the world's finest grenache"
Featuring the newly released Fractures Grenache 2025
"I've been blown away by the Grenache from Alkina – we're edging towards the Australian version of Rayas here."
Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
"Tastes akin to top-drawer Burgundy, much like Rayas..."
Ned Goodwin MW, JamesSuckling.com
"Alkina is potentially the most exciting new project to hit the Barossa Valley in recent times."
Huon Hooke, The Real Review
A benchmark tasting of modern Australian Grenache, featuring the wines that have established Alkina at the forefront of the new Australian wine order and earned comparisons with some of the world's most revered Grenache producers.
Monday, June 22nd
Hosted by Dan Coward Alkina’s Head of Sales and Marketing
Masterclass: 5.30–7.00pm, 11 Wines & Kate Lamont’s Nibbles, $160
Dinner: 7.30–9.30pm, 11 Wines & 4 Courses, $255
About Alkina
"Alkina is potentially the most exciting new project to hit the Barossa Valley in recent times." Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Alkina has rapidly emerged as one of Australia's most celebrated wine estates, producing wines that have redefined expectations for Barossa Grenache and established a global reputation for terroir-driven winemaking. Located at Greenock in the north-western Barossa Valley, Alkina is a certified organic and biodynamic estate where some of the region's oldest vines are matched by one of the most ambitious vineyard projects ever undertaken in Australia.
The modern Alkina story began in 2015 when Argentine vintner Alejandro Bulgheroni acquired the historic Greenock property. Dating back to the 1840s and home to old Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro and Semillon vines planted in the 1950s, the estate possessed all the ingredients for greatness. Together with managing director and winemaker Amelia Nolan, Bulgheroni embarked on a mission to understand the vineyard at a level rarely attempted in Australian wine.
Working alongside legendary Italian consultant Alberto Antonini, voted among the world's leading winemakers by his peers, and renowned terroir specialist Pedro Parra, Alkina undertook extensive geological mapping that revealed extraordinary variations in soil and bedrock across remarkably small distances. This work led to the creation of the now-famous Polygon Project, where individual micro-parcels of vines are identified and vinified separately according to their unique geological character.
The results have attracted international acclaim. Julia Harding MW of JancisRobinson.com described the wines as "superb wines from minutely defined plots", while Robert Parker critic Erin Larkin called Alkina "an unendingly impressive project". Halliday Wine Companion's Dave Brookes has written, "I've been blown away by the Grenache from Alkina – we're edging towards the Australian version of Rayas here", referencing one of the most revered Grenache producers in the world.
Today, Alkina's range spans from the exceptional value KIN wines through to the Estate, Old Quarter and tiny-production Polygon bottlings, some of which are produced in quantities of fewer than 1,000 bottles. Across every tier, the philosophy remains the same: to allow vineyard site, soil and geology to speak clearly through the wine.
Adapted from Alkina Wines, JancisRobinson.com, Halliday Wine Companion, Robert Parker Wine Advocate and The Real Review.
Meet the Host… Dan Coward
Dan Coward leads Sales, Marketing and Education for Alkina and has become one of the estate's most passionate ambassadors. Working closely with the Alkina team, Dan has played a key role in communicating the vision behind one of Australia's most innovative wine projects and introducing the wines to trade and consumers throughout Australia and internationally.
With extensive experience across fine wine sales, education and brand development, Dan combines deep knowledge of the Alkina vineyard and winemaking philosophy with an engaging and approachable presentation style. His understanding of the estate's unique geological mapping, biodynamic farming practices and the evolution of the Polygon Project provides guests with a rare insider's perspective on what makes Alkina so distinctive.
Having worked closely alongside managing director and winemaker Amelia Nolan and consultant Alberto Antonini, Dan has witnessed first-hand the extraordinary journey of the estate from a historic Greenock farm to one of Australia's most internationally acclaimed wineries. He is uniquely placed to explain how tiny changes in geology can produce dramatically different expressions of Grenache, Shiraz and Semillon across the property.
The Wine List
First Bracket
2023 Alkina KIN Semillon
This is a Semillon of its own design. It’s designed flat, as if the flavours come sheeted. It tastes slatey and dry, its fruit notes in the spectrum of tonic, honey, citrus and grapefruit, the texture applied with a squeaky kind of ripple to it. It’s a disciplined wine and yet it keeps you guessing, in a good way.
93 Points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
2025 Alkina Estate Semillon
The second release of our Estate Semillon and one in which you can really see the flavour development typical of a warm, lowyielding vintage. Waxy citrus, white flower and biscuity richness form a complex picture on the nose and the palate follows this through with a great balance of richness and freshness. Light stone fruit and lemon meringue pie flavours characterise the fruit power here, with soft, round natural acidity prolonging the finish.
Alkinawine.com
Salmon tartare, black olive, cauliflower cream
Second Bracket
2022 Alkina KIN Grenache
This is the perfect entree into the wonderful world of Alkina. 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. It’s fresh. It’s pure. It’s energetic. And yet it’s structural. I like this a good deal.
92 Points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
2024 Alkina Estate Grenache
These new Alkina ‘Estate’ releases are ultra exciting. You would have heard all the raves about this place over the past few years but, like me, maybe, baulked at the pricing. Here we get an insight to the Alkina magic at a more palatable level. These wines had me rushing to the keyboard. Personally, I’m in. This is grown organically, using biodynamic principles. 200-ish dozen were made. Wine Front subscribers should take up the whole production and clear them out. It was fermented and matured in concrete only.
94 Points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
2025 Alkina Fractures Grenache
A blend of plots, but portions that have been selected for their incremental improvement year on year for fruit and resulting wines… Bouncy, juicy, and yet shaped well with a fine web of silty, granitic tannin. Excellent energy and drive here, red fruited, a crunch, woody spices meshed in, dried rose petal, a bergamot tea-like quality and general lift and poise. It feels lighter weight and yet concentrated at once. Tannins are impressive, to stutter. Italianate in a way. Like this.
94 Points, Mike Bennie, The Winefront (May 2026)
Abrolhos scallops, nori, Jamon bits
Third Bracket
2023 Alkina Old Quarter Grenache Shiraz Mataro
#1 of 22 2023 Grenache blends from Barossa Valley
Vibrant ruby red with a purple tint into the rim. Raspberry, rose and bresaola aromas. Medium weighted with a slipperiness to the blue and red fruited palate that really appeals. Rose and musk notes, with a deep ageing meat undertone that fills towards the back of the palate and fine tannins bring everything together with style and grace. There’s purpose to the power here, with a subtlety that beguiles
95 Points, Stuart Knox, The Real Review
2022 Alkina Old Quarter Grenache Shiraz Mataro
A 60/35/5% grenache/shiraz/mataro blend. Deep, saturated crimson-purple. An entirely different play to that of its 2021 sibling, emanating polished leather, black licorice and satsuma plum. It isn't just a collection of bits and pieces, the synergy beating a big bass drum of a wine of memorable quality.
95 Points - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
2023 Alkina Striato Shiraz
A fusion of two Polygon components within Alkina’s Greenock vineyard pulls together a sublime chorus of subtle notes. Showing a shade less body weight than previous vintages allows the flavours to slide more easily, piqued by a pleasing savory lick at the finish. There are more lean, crunchy red berries in the mix, ahead of black olive flanking sharp blackberry and a sprinkling of allspice atop rich blueberry. It’s the seamless flow of the combined Polygon parcels that impresses the most, its gently ebbing tide of different flavour and texture notes washing gently, teasingly across the palate. So seductive.
97 Points, David Sly, Decanter
Tomato tart tatin, frache, basil
Fourth Bracket
2023 Alkina Polygon No. 5 Grenache
A wine of extreme finesse and restrained beauty. Wild strawberry, wild flowers and dark red fruit combine with super-fine tannins and remarkable length.
18.5/20 Points, Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
2020 Alkina Polygon No. 5 Grenache
More depth to the purple-crimson colour than Polygon No. 3, and a darker expression on the bouquet and palate alike. Black cherries add a note as do the rolled gold tannins. Overall rich, and velvety in the mouth, its depth, balance and length will give it exceptional longevity.
97 points, Halliday Wine Companion
2019 Alkina Polygon No. 5 Grenache
The two Polygon Grenache expressions from 2019 are such different wines despite being sourced from two nearby blocks. While the No. 3 is more elegant and subtle, the No. 5 is a thoroughbred, with muscular power at its core, and the better of the two in 2019. Bright mid cherry in colour, it is immediately savoury and brooding rippling with dark cherry, spice, baked earth, black liquorice and cola aromas that are dense and powerful. A muscular, full-bodied and weighty palate follows that is beautifully expressive with dark fruits well matched to savoury earth and spice. It’s intense but also incredibly fine as it builds greater complexity through to a long and rich finish. Benchmark Barossa Grenache.
96 Points - Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot