Rethinking McLaren Vale Cabernet
Musings from Wirra Wirra CEO, Matthew Deller MW.
In the global conversation about Cabernet Sauvignon, certain regions are always mentioned first. Bordeaux defines the blueprint. Napa Valley pushes the limits of ripeness and scale. Chile’s Alto Maipo brings energy and herbal lift. Bolgheri combines structure with Mediterranean warmth. In Australia, Margaret River and Coonawarra have long shaped the country’s Cabernet narrative.
McLaren Vale rarely enters that discussion. But it should.
Cabernet has been grown in McLaren Vale for over a century. It has rarely been a headliner. More often, it has played a supporting role, blended into regional reds, overshadowed by Shiraz, and largely absent from the spotlight. That is changing. Not because the region has changed, or the grape, but because more attention is being paid to where and how it is grown and made. The best producers now work with Cabernet in a quieter, more deliberate way, choosing sites carefully, picking at the right moment, and allowing the vineyard to lead.
McLaren Vale is a warm region, but not a hot one. Afternoon breezes off the Gulf St Vincent, gully winds from the Adelaide Hills, and a varied landscape of ridges and valleys give it more nuance than the headline climate suggests. For Cabernet, that means a longer growing season, slow accumulation of flavour, and the chance for tannins to ripen fully without being pushed. The best wines show dark fruit, natural acidity, and firm but supple structure. They don’t rely on winemaking tricks to find balance.
At Wirra Wirra, we see this in our own biodynamically farmed Bell Tower Vineyard, where deep alluvial clays yield Cabernet with blackcurrant, bay leaf, and a grounded, architectural feel.
In terms of our family of growers, higher-elevation sites in Clarendon bring a leaner frame and more linear expression. Hickinbotham and Bekkers Clarendon Estate give us fruit with aromatic lift and fine-grained tannins. Springs Hill in Blewitt Springs offers energy and detail. The Ciccarelli Vineyard in White’s Valley adds mid-palate richness and warmth. Each site has its own character, but they share a common thread, clarity, restraint, and structure shaped more by the land than the cellar.
Compared to other regions, McLaren Vale’s style falls somewhere in the middle. It doesn’t have Bordeaux’s austerity or Napa’s plushness. It avoids the extremes of ripeness and extraction. Alto Maipo tends to show more herbal lift and drive. Bolgheri, with its maritime climate, leans brighter and more red-fruited. McLaren Vale stays in the darker spectrum, black fruits, earth, graphite, but rarely feels heavy or forced.
The contrasts within Australia are just as revealing. Margaret River favours freshness, leafiness and finesse. Coonawarra is darker and more defined by acidity and mint. McLaren Vale doesn’t push for those signatures. Its Cabernet is broader across the palate, with more weight and fruit density, but still holds its shape. It is structural without being strict.
Equally important is how the vineyards are farmed. Much of the Cabernet we work with is grown organically or regeneratively. This is to manage vine health in a region where rainfall is scarce and summers are long. Vines need resilience. Healthier soils give us earlier balance, more consistent ripening, and better expression of site. That shows up in the wines, not only in flavour but in the precision of tannins and purity of aroma.
Our Flagship Cabernet - The Angelus, named Vintage Bell outside of Australia - bottling is built from parcels that show the most complete structure. Fruit is important, but we’re looking for shape, tension and longevity. The goal is not power, but clarity, a Cabernet that speaks in a full voice, without needing amplification.
McLaren Vale doesn’t try to imitate Bordeaux, Napa or its Australian peers. Its Cabernet is grounded in its own setting, informed by its own conditions, and increasingly confident in what it has to say. For wine professionals who care about site, balance, and expression, it’s a region worth revisiting, and paying attention to.
For more information, please contact Wirra Wirra CEO, Matthew Deller MW via email here.
