I had the pleasure to revisit the McLaren Vale region of South Australia and visit a number of smaller producers – after all that’s where gems can be found.
The first settlers to the region included a Charles Hewitt who established Oxenberry Farm in 1839. It remains a working vineyard with a restaurant which had a varied and interesting menu. Worth a stop over.
Changers are a foot in McLaren Vale with Fiano on everyone’s lips. Almost all makers in the Vale are dabbling in the variety attempting to perfect it and come up with a local style. Grenache, the work horse of McLaren Vale which never disappoints is now a shining light.
So, lets start the visitations:
Inkwell Wines
One of Australia’s first regenerative organic certified vineyards with an objective to become net negative carbon producers. Dudley and Irina Brown (pictured) are passionate about their wine which is all hand picked. Interesting there were two Primitivo’s. 2021 Infidels Primitivo very perfumed nose. with very ripe fruit 89/100 $32.00. 2021 Road to Joy Shiraz Primitivo. 85% primitivo and 15% shiraz was big through the palate of plum, blackberry and was quite savoury. 89/100 $30.00. 2021 Pressure Drop Cabernet exhibited a fruit explosion of cherry, coconut with a smooth finish. Great structure. Bargain 94/100. $40.00
Pirramimma
Generations of the Johnson family have nurtured this vineyard since 1892 and now Geoff Johnson with more than 50 vintages at Pirramimma has bought out the family and now has sole ownership.
Geoff (pictured right) pioneered the Petit Verdot grape variety in Australia and also introduced Tannat to the Vale. Better known for its Stocks hill range it was the Petit Verdot I put to the test. The 2018 Ironside Petit Verdot had dark fruit of red currents and blackberry. Powerful body with delightful tannins. 95/100. $70.00. 2020 ACI Icon Blend Cabernet Petit Verdot. Wow! Palate rich and powerful, hint of French oak, cassis, plum and cedar. 96/100. $95.00. The 2020 White Label Petit Verdot was dark but I found it dirty 89/100. $40.00. The 2020 Ironside Low Trellis Shiraz. A monster, intense nose, toffee, spice. 95/100. $70.00.
Serafino
A big commercial show spotting 30 wines over 14 different varieties from six owned vineyards. But all well priced. 2024 Bellissimo Fiano. Lemon and citrus throughout, but crisp, clean and rounded. One of the better Vale examples. 90/100. Bargain. $25.00. 2022 Black label Reserve Grenache. Crammed with cherry, plum and blackberry but soft treatment. Nice. 92/100. $38.00. 2022 Black Label GSM. (Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro). Sweet and peppery with ripe berries with good length. 90/100. $30.00. 2019 Sharktooth Shiraz. Big powerful nose of dark fruit, chocolate and vanilla up front. Yum. 95/100. $65.00.
Bekkers
This was the find of my trip. Winemakers Emmanuelle and partner Toby Bekker were in France where Emmanuelle does a vintage each year and were not available. However I did get to try: 2022 McLaren Vale Grenache. Medium bodied and succulent. great texture, length, flavours and tannins. 97/100. $85.00. 2022 McLaren Vale Syrah Grenache. Bigger than the straight Grenache with hints of pepper and liquorice, long finish, beautiful blend. 96/100. $85.00. 2021 McLaren Vale Syrah. Jumps out of the glass, dark, spicy, with great intensity. Based on a French Rhone style I was told and finishes smooth. A winner. 98/100. Well worth $120.00. 2021 Clarendon Syrah showed dense black fruit, lots of power, fine tannins and elegant. Wonderful cool climate shiraz. 99/100. $295.00. OK these are expensive but well worth the pleasure they bring. All strongly recommended.
Hugh Hamilton
They have got a big reputation for producing the Georgian grape Saperavi. It is a dark skinned grape variety, with intense colour and marked acidity. It is mostly found in the cooler climates of continental Europe but Hans Herzog Estate in Marlborough, NZ produce an outstanding example. It is also grown in Victoria with mixed results.
2022 The oddball Saperavi. A unique flavour of liquorice, aniseed, chocolate and other black fruits. 93/100. $60.00. 2021 Black Ops Shiraz Saperavi. 14.9%. Almost pitch black in the glass, blackberry, hints of pepper, spice, a ripper with great mouth feel and delicious. Bargain. 94/100. $40.00. 2024 The Loose Cannon Fiano. Peaches, lemon and pears. Crisp and clean. Nice. 92/100. $24.00. 2023 The Disrupter Grenache. Big fruit explosion through the palate all cherries and was too fruity for me. 89/100. $32.00.
Kay Brothers
I have been a mailing list customer for more than 20 years and have stayed on the property, so it was a delight to catch up with Colin Kay again and newly appointed CEO Elspeth Kay who hosted.
Their timeless labels reflects their timeless style. 2024 Fiano. Stone fruits and citrus with peach.90/100. $22.00. 2021 Basket Press Grenache. Intense nose of rose petals, strawberry and raspberries, smooth. 93/100. $28.00. 2021 Griffons Key Grenache. Serious show here with rose petals, dark cherries, hint of spice and rich flavour. 93/100. $60.00. 2021 Cuthbert Cabernet. 14.5%. Last made in 2011 and a Halliday top 100 wine, this was the standout of the tasting for me. Bold, with loads of plum, blackberry and cassis with hint of oak and chocolate. 96/100. $45.00. 2021 Hillside Shiraz. Chocolate, blackberries and plum scream out with hints of pepper and oak. 96/100. $49.00. 2021 Block 6 Shiraz. Full bodied, liquorice and the usual suspects of chocolate, blackberry, plum fruit, vanilla, hints of pepper. At least 10 year window. 97/100. $125.00. At this price there is quality for price elsewhere. Keep for 10-15 years and decant.
Olivers Taranga
The testing room was very busy and with limited time my hostess did not allow me to make a full assessment of the many wines available. I can report the Estate Fiano, Chico Rose, Mencia, Grenache, Vermentino all scored less that 89/100. Bottles open too long?
However the 2024 Falanghina a new white Italian grape variety to Australia was quite approachable. Nutty, with hints of nectarine, lemon and sweet tang to finish. 90/100. $35.00. The 2022 RW Bush Vines Grenache was light, and quite floral but juicy raspberries dominated. Succulent and easy drinking. 93/100. $75.00.
Dandelion Vineyards
A relatively young Vale vineyard founded in 2007 which selects fruit from five regions for its large range of 27 wines. All wines were at 20% off. Sifting through them 2024 Honeypot Barossa Roussanne had pronounced citrus nose, lots of lemon overpowering which faded quickly. 88/100. $22.00.
2023 Twilight of Adelaide Chardonnay. Perfumed nose and showing orange and apricot with restrained oak. 89/100. $22.00. I switched to the superior Firehawk Farm range, 2023 Firehawk Tree of McLaren Grenache which was far more exciting. Quite fruity, with plum, red fruit with vanilla finish but smooth through the palate. 94/100. $95.00. 2022 Firehawk of McLaren Shiraz. Nice oak treatment, with vanilla, tobacco, blackberry and plum. Typical regional shiraz. 95/100. $48.00.
Bondar Wines
In 2014 Andre and Selina Bondar purchased the old Rayner Vineyard and with it, old 1950 Shiraz and Grenache vines. Since then they have added more bush vine Grenache, Mataro, Carignan, Touriga and Sagrantino.
The wines are reasonably priced and attractive as they concentrate on the lesser known McLaren Vale plantings. However I opted for the older planted vines. 2022 Higher Springs Grenache. Ripe black fruit was quite fruity with raspberry and cherries dominating. Nevertheless was smooth and nice soft tannins to round off. 93/100. $75.00. 2022 Clarendon Shiraz sourced from the rich Hickinbotham vineyard in Clarendon which is revered in the region. Blueberries, spice, great length, hint of pepper. perfumed and smooth. Nice. 95/100. $75.00.
Noon
There are few places where there is a waiting list to buy and a waiting list to go on the waiting list such is the quality and these extraordinary low priced and quality wines. The partnership of Drew and Rae Noon continued the family business from 1996 and only make full bodied reds from small vineyard blocks. They do everything on the vineyard themselves down to personally hand picking the bush Grenache. They are passionate and are not price driven rather to make wine for enjoyment.
They only open on two weekends of the year and queues form before the cellar door opens. Being a long term customer I was very privileged they allowed me to join them for a tasting. 2023 Eclipse. A blend of 90% Grenache, 6% Shiraz and 4% Graciano. Wow what a wine. Loaded with plum, chocolate, liquorice, gentle oak and spice. Bargain. 98/100. $30.00. 2023 Reserve Cabernet. Aromas of blackcurrants and cedar, has great depth, length and elegance, rich through the palate. 97/100. $30.00. 2023 M2M (Minute to Midnight). Their own own Langhorne Creek grapes were struggling to reach full ripeness so they joined forces with two friends to make this luscious blend of Langhorne Creek Shiraz. It is big, bold, dark and handsome. 92/100. $25.00. I urge you to seek all these out! Get on the waiting list! Their commitment to quality is such that due to the unusually cool and extended growing season the 2023 Reserve Shiraz was not made as it did not meet their exacting quality standards.
Aphelion Wines
Wine making team of Rob Mack and wife Louise launched Aphelion in 2015. Prior to launching the winery Rob took research trips to California, Oregon, Italy, South Africa, NZ and Italy working at many vineyards and now has realised his dream.
In a first for me the tasting was conducted off the back of his ute with his Welkin vineyard looking on. Young vines need time to develop so most of the cheaper ($28.00) Welkin Range can be found in pubs and some restaurants. 2022 Brini Single Site Grenache. Bright and fresh hint of red fruit, quite fruity but savoury and good length. 92/100. $90.00. 2020 Affinity GSM. Dark in colour, earthy plum and charcoal. Not my style. 89/100. $40.00. 2021 Emergent Mataro. Bright red colour with big cherry flavours, perfume and plum leap out. 90/100. $42.00. 2022 Hickinbotham Single Site Grenache. Another gem from the Clarendon Hickinbotham site. Plenty of drive and length, raspberry, plum, cherry and mint tang linger. 95/100. $90.00.Keep an eye on this producer and the price which is on the higher side of value.
Hugo Wines
The original estate was purchased in 1860 and since then has remained in the family with Will Hugo and Renae Hirsch as current winemakers. The 50 acre vineyard is one of the most eastern in McLaren Vale and being 175 metres above sea level produce cooler sub climate wines.
Winemaker Will Hugo
2024 Fiano. Absolutely delightful with grapefruit, ripe bananas on nose which carries through with clean crisp dry finish. 94/100. $25.00. Bargain. 2022 Johnny Block Shiraz. Fruit for this wine is destined for the Reserve Shiraz but spends less time on oak and displayed more fruit characters. 89/100. $40.00. 2021 Reserve Shiraz. Juicy black current and plums, rich cherries and chocolate, hint of spice upfront. 94/100. $55.00. 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon. From the coolest part of the vineyard which resulted in a longer ripening period. Medium bodied, blackberries, toffee, cassis. dominate a nice balanced palate. 92/100. $28.00. Bargain.
A winery worth following and the best value for money.
Conclusion
Fiano is an emerging varietal in the region but still a work in progress. Everyone is having a crack at it and a regional style will eventually emerge. Grenache is indeed the work horse and is producing wines the are earthy, savoury with great fruit treatment. The best region in Australia for Grenache. Whereas only 7% Grenache is grown in McLaren Vale 55% is under Shiraz. Its unique regional characteristics of blackberry, raspberry, blackcurrants and liquorice with hints of pepper and spice continue to please consumers worldwide.
Let me know your thoughts on this McLaren Vale blog by responding in the comments section on this page. Enjoy.
