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Stephen George grew up amongst the grape vines, very near the hamlet of Reynella and the nascent Skillogalee in Valley Clare. Both salubrious sites which were originally planted to vine by George senior in 1970. Stephen's pioneering work at Ashton Hills was a major catalyst for the development of Adelaide Hills as an internationally renowned wine growing region. Along with the eminent Brian Croser, Stephen was one of the principals who placed Adelaide Hills on the map, resolved to produce the best Pinot Noir in the country and bring global fame to the Adelaide Hills Piccadilly Pinot style... From the misty chills of ashton hills»
Jim Barry was a pioneer of the Australian wine industry, the first academically qualified winemaker to take up Clare Valley viticulture in 1949. He had an uncanny intuition for good land and established some of the most illustrious vineyards on the continent. Jim Barry is also a patriarch of the Coonawarra, in pursuit of the perfect terroir for Cabernet Sauvignon, he planted vines on the ancient Penola Cricket Oval, preserving the original pavilion for posterity. Jim Barry endures as one of the nation's most distinguished brands, renowned throughout the world of wine for decades of the most remarkable vintages, an evolving range of superior vineyard editions,.. Salient statements from superior sites»
Rolf Binder is one of the Barossa's quiet achieving superstars, recipient of the most conspicuous national accolades, Barossa Winemaker of Year and Best Small Producer, Best Barossa Shiraz Trophy and coveted listing in the illustrious Langtons Classification of Australian Wine. Binder's focus has always been on old vines fruit, in particular, the abstruse canon of early settler varietals which populated Barossa Valley during the 1840s. Wild bush vines Mataro, picked off patches at Tanunda along Langmeil Road, ancient growths of Grenache from Gomersal and Light Pass. Rolf's tour de force are eight superlative rows of Shiraz, established 1972 by the Binders.. Seven decades of tillage at tanunda»
The mean gravelly soils and invigorating climes of Mount Barker of the Australian southwest, were identified during the 1960s by the world's leading viticulturalists, as a place uncannily similar to the great terroirs and clime of Bordeaux. The pioneering vines of Forest Hill were the first ever planted here, sired from rootstock of ancient Houghton clones, inaugurally vintaged by the illustrious Jack Mann in 1972. The Cabernet and Riesling of Forest Hill were promptly distinguished by multiple trophy victories and praised by gentleman James Halliday as the most remarkable wines to come out of the Australian west. Forest Hill have remained a source of the most.. Softly spoken wonders from the west»

Wirra Wirra RSW Shiraz CONFIRM VINTAGE

Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia
RSW is an acronym for Robert Strangways Wigley. He learned his craft during a tenure at Bankside under the tutelage of Thomas Hardy, who claimed to have never known anyone that worked harder than Wigley. RSW's wild pranks as a young man made him somewhat of an embarrassment to his family. In 1893 he was pointedly sent to rusticate in McLaren Vale where he undertook the planting of vines in 1894. By the turn of the century he was proprietor of the most eminent winemaking operation in the district, with a hundred acres under vine.
Available in cartons of six
Case of 6
$389.50
RSW is not made to a uniform style year after year, thereby crafted to reflect the very best wine Wirra Wirra can deliver. Parcels are picked from vineyards at Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale and McLaren Flat in small batches and cold soaked for three days to extract maximum colour without the presence of alcohol. Each ferment is assessed twice daily to determine the cap management program, before basket pressing at the first sign of tannin hardness. Batches are transferred to an individual barrel selection, depending on vineyard block, before completing malolactic, rack and returned every four months. Matured nineteen months in a mix of seasoned and new French oak puncheons and barriques.
Deep plum colour with crimson rim. Bright plums, blueberries and raspberry fruits fill the nose, aniseed, leather and dark bitter chocolate add further complexity. The palate displays vibrant rich plum and raspberry fruits infused with bitter chocolate and aniseed that fill the mouth. The dense core of fruit is balanced by fine cedary oak and textural tannins providing a wine of superb line and splendid length, wonderful power, balance and style.
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