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Established just eleven years after the founding of South Australia, the ancient vines in the Hundred Of Moorooroo were planted circa 1836 by the Jacob brothers, after accompanying Colonel William Light on the Seven Special Surveys expedition to populate Adelaide's north. Moorooroo endures as the nation's cardinal parcel of vine, the mother rootstock for many of the Barossa's most distinguished sites. For over a century, these sacred vines contributed fruit to the Orlando company, where they formed the backbone of countless spectacular historical vintages. Decimated by the government sponsored vine pull schemes of the 1980s, only four rows of these priceless.. The fruit of vines established 1836»
Some precious old blocks of ancient vine Grenache still remain after a government sponsored program to cull unproductive vineyards during the 1980s. Yielding excruciatingly small harvests of the most characterful fruit, these wizzened old veterans deliver small batch vintages which are evocative of the old world classics from Cotes du Rhone. The enduring Wirra Wirra were established 1894, their eclectic range belies the splendour of small parcels which are separately handled and bottled for exclusive release. The Absconder draws fruit from vines planted a century ago, it merits a breathing and decant, an articulation about the sublime excellence of old vine.. The compelling case for old vines grenache»
At latitude 45 degrees south, Central Otago is the southernmost wine region in the world. Snow topped mountains, rocky ranges and dry tussock hills, a place of climatic extremes, bitterly cold winters, parched soils and discouragingly poor fertility. Designed by the angels in heaven for sublime and stupendous vintages of Pinot Noir. At the very epicentre of the most desirable confluence in Central Otago microclimes is Nanny Goat Vineyard. Conspicuous for her serious weight of fruit, splendid structure and chewy, textural palate, Nanny Goat make a magnificently endowed style, offering the understated power and presence to accompany gourmet game sausages, meaty.. That's perfect for porterhouse»
Longview are one of the most highly awarded wineries in Adelaide Hills, inducted into the South Australia Tourism Hall of Fame for their stately homesteads and the sublime excellence of their vintages. A place of pristine viticulture and breathtaking beauty, where native gums flourish with wild abandon amongst the closely husbanded plantings. It's all captured within the fruit of the wines themselves, the purity of varietal expression, the elegance of tannins and seamless textures, Longview are all about encouraging the grace of a truly resplendent harvest, to retain its eloquence from vineyard to bottling... Natives amongst the vines»

Wirra Wirra Woodhenge Shiraz CONFIRM VINTAGE

Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia
Woodhenge is about big ideas, in the manner of cyclopean fences built by Australia's early settlers. A wine of great elemental sculpture, the assemblage of individual vineyard and sub-regional characteristics is the key to success of the style. Woodhenge has previously claimed Decanter World Wine Regional Trophy and Gold Visyboard Great Australian Shiraz Challenge. Bold and tightly knit, incorporating ripe berry fruit and integrated oak balanced by velvety tannins, Woodhenge Shiraz, like it's namesake edifice, is solidly structured and imposing.
Available in cartons of six
Case of 6
$221.50
A legacy well worth toasting, named after the massive post and rail fence that now greets visitors to the Wirra Wirra wineworks. Shiraz from estate vineyards and good McLaren Vale growers is gently crushed, destemmed into open top and static fermenters, tasted twice daily to determine optimum number of daily plunges and pumpovers for extraction. Once pressed, parcels are moved to oak for completion of ferments, rack and returned every four months. The wine was assembled at fifteen months of age and returned to oak for two months before an egg white fining. Matured a total of seventeen months in a high proportion of new French and American oak barriques and hogsheads.
Deep red, bright edges. Fragrant bouquet of ripe plum, rich raspberries, polished leather with bitter chocolate and sweet cedar. The palate is rich and fleshy with layers of Satsuma plum and raspberries interwoven with nutmeg and aniseed spice. The bold yet soft fruits are balanced with fine sandy tannins resulting in a wine with structural power, great length and style. To accompany Scotch fillet steak with dill gherkins and fresh cut kipflers.
Wirra Wirra
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Wirra Wirra
The Wirra Wirra Cellars were built by Robert Strangways Wigley, one of the McLaren Vale's all time characters

Wigley began building at the turn of the century using Dr. A.C. Kelly's plans of a split-level design that his friend Alec Johnston had used to build the Pirramimma winery. Wirra Wirra is an aboriginal name meaning amongst the gums. Born in 1864, Bob Wigley studied Law and Architecture and managed to play cricket for South Australia. His wild pranks as a young man had already made him somewhat of an embarrassment to his family. In 1893 he was prudently sent to rusticate in McLaren Vale. He planted the vineyard in 1894 and made his first wine with Alec Johnston in 1897. By 1901 he was the owner of one of the best wineries and vineyards in the district with 100 acres under vines and 15 acres under currants.

Wirra Wirra

Stylistically, Wirra Wirra established a long and distinguished history for itself of producing wines with great elegance, balance and complexity. "Mr. Thomas Hardy says of all those he ever had under him, no town man worked harder than Mr. Bob Wigley who was at Bankside for 18 months learning winemaking. At the end of this time he took up 240 acres of land at McLaren Vale, and has succeeded in producing wonderfully fine full-bodied Burgundy, especially suited for the export trade." - The Register Adelaide Australia 1903

Bob Wigley died in 1924 having contributed much to the life of the district and having made many fine wines which in the main found their way to England, having been shipped by Burgoynes of London. After 1936 the original 240 acres were sold by his family and eventually the cellars with only 7 acres left fell into disuse. It was not until late 1969 that the winery, by then virtually a derelict building, and the surrounding 7 acres of land was re-established.

Cousins Greg and Roger Trott purchased the holding from Vern Sparrow, son of Wigley's foreman Jack Sparrow. Roger Trott, an accountant, has a property at McLaren Flat, Moray Park, and Greg's vineyard. Bethany, is just across the road from Wirra Wirra, while Scrubby Rise, part of the original Wirra Wirra, is immediately in front of the cellars. Before they bought the old, ruined winery, Greg spent five years with Southern Vales Co-operative looking after growers interests and in his own words, had become familiar with the rudiments of winemaking.

Wirra Wirra

Like many of the McLaren Vale winemakers, these men were helped by their friendly rivals, a feature of the district. Good use was made of Oenological Services of McLaren Vale, a winemaking advisory and laboratory service led by Peter Klose and started by David Hardy, Alex Johnston and Colin Kay. In a gesture worthy of the wonderful Wigley, the two cousins Trott spent a frantic five weeks gathering equipment from all over the state. Then, armed with an ancient wooden Bagshaw crusher, a pump and an old French press, they made their first wine in the open air amidst the ruins.

In a gesture worthy of the wonderful Wigley, the two cousins Trott spent a frantic five weeks gathering equipment from all over the state. Then, armed with an ancient wooden Bagshaw crusher, a pump and an old French press, they made their first wine in the open air amidst the ruins. In its modern day, Wirra Wirra has hosted a vast and eclectic array of winemakers, cellar hands, drifters and vagrants each vintage. One of the most interesting things about February, is the influx of a range of recalcitrants from all over the world. Yanks, Poms, Krauts, Frogs, Kiwis, Queenslanders, the occasional Aussie and more, all converge on the cellars to pick, pump, drain, crush, press, and massage the fruit that comes in from the vineyards. There is now nothing quirky about the design of the winery, which is in its third stage of development. Although functional and technologically advanced, the cellars retain a soul. This is largely due to the spirit of the tribe that work there.

Although McLaren Vale is at the heart of everything Wirra Wirra, diversity in fruit styles also plays a part in viticultural & winemaking philosophy. Other regions act as a source of fruit, with the Clare Valley contributing to Hand Picked Riesling. Coonawarra fruit is a major component of The Angelus, whilst Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are based purely on Adelaide Hills grapes. Petrucci's, Paxton, Parkinson, Trott, Gower et al make up a stable of carefully selected growers who are inevitably part of the Wirra Wirra tribe. Scrubby Rise (which is flat and bereft of Scrub), Nocowie (named by Trott's father who disliked cows), Chook Block (next to Greg's old Chicken Sheds), 73 Block (one guess only), Finniss River & House Block contribute the majority of the best fruit year after year.

Wirra Wirra