The Classic Varieties of McLaren Vale

Musings from Wirra Wirra CEO, Matthew Deller MW. 

McLaren Vale is a viticultural mosaic. Defined by its ancient geology, Mediterranean climate with a maritime influence, and the precision with which vignerons sculpt the land’s potential into wines of profound site expression, McLaren Vale is one of Australia’s most dynamic wine regions, and home to emerging and classic varieties.

It is the traditional varieties of Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon that Wirra Wirra has worked with since the early days of Robert Strangways Wigley in the 1890’s and early 1900’s that we continue to invest our energy. These mainstays have been cultivated with increasing refinement over decades, unlocking their fullest potential through meticulous site selection and proven to be capable of producing wines of intrigue, longevity and distinctiveness. We see ourselves as interpreters of this landscape, capturing the nuances of this fascinating terroir in every bottle.
 
Shiraz: A Multifaceted Benchmark

McLaren Vale’s Shiraz is revered for its depth, generosity, and ability to translate site into structure. However, to speak of Shiraz as a monolith here would be an oversimplification. The region’s geological diversity - ranging from the limestone soils on the coast, to the deep sands of Blewitt Springs in the foothills - imbues the variety with a spectrum of personalities.

The Wirra Wirra Sand Hill Vineyard, located behind the winery and with its sandy soil over gravelly Pirramimma sandstone clay, is a study in complexity, dissected into unique blocks that yield distinct expressions of Shiraz. Chook Block delivers a meatier, more fulsome style with deep concentration and brooding tannins, while House Block produces a more fragrant, velvety interpretation, showcasing a lifted aromatic profile. The 1973 Block, by contrast, achieves a poised balance - svelte and structured, with a seamless integration of fruit, acidity, and tannin. These individual block wines capture the nuanced interplay between soil, climate, and vine age, offering a profound insight into the site’s potential.

Further afield, Blewitt Springs emerges as an epicentre of finesse, where deep sandy soils encourage vine roots to delve meters below the surface, yielding Shiraz of exceptional aromatic complexity typified by blue fruits and spice, detailed tannins, and longevity. Along with the McLaren Sandhill formation, Blewitt Springs is a key contributor to our flagship RSW Shiraz, a wine defined by its depth, elegance, and remarkable ability to age. These wines articulate the paradox that defines the greatest examples of McLaren Vale Shiraz - both weight and levity, richness and restraint, structure and succulence.

Grenache: The Renaissance of an Icon

Grenache is undergoing a renaissance, repositioned from its historical role as a workhorse variety to a leading light in McLaren Vale’s vinous narrative. The region’s old bush vines - some over a century in age - are now celebrated for their ability to produce wines of transparency and precision. McLaren Vale Grenache really is a wine unto itself. The cache of truly old vines and the willingness to let these sites express their unique identity through thoughtful winemaking is exciting in a global context.

Blewitt Springs, with its deep aeolian sands, has emerged as the grand cru of McLaren Vale Grenache, yielding wines of remarkable aromatic lift, purity of fruit, and an almost Pinot-like delicacy. These sites encourage measured ripening, fostering wines that balance red berry vibrancy with an intricate lattice of tannin.

Our Farmer’s Heart Grenache is a study in restraint and energy, a wine that prioritizes phenolic definition over extraction, ensuring clarity of site expression. This wine is a blend of remarkable vineyards, each contributing distinct characteristics: the Flower Vineyard (McLaren Sandhills) with 73-year-old bush vines on Maslin sand; Brookman (Blewitt Springs) with 95-year-old bush vines on Blewitt sands; Wait Vineyard (Onkaparinga Gorge) with 61-year-old trellised vines on red/brown gravelly loam; Blagrove Vineyard (McLaren Sandhills) with 103-year-old bush vines on alluvial clay/clay loam; and Cooter Old Vines (Whites Valley) with 63-year-old bush vines on red-brown loam. These sites come together to form a Grenache of depth, elegance, and intricate complexity, capturing the essence of McLaren Vale’s diverse terroirs.
 
Cabernet Sauvignon: A Study in Structure

McLaren Vale’s Cabernet Sauvignon finds one of its purest expressions in our flagship Cabernet Sauvignon (known as The Angelus in Australia and Vintage Bell when off-shore), which for the past few years has been sourced predominantly from a small, isolated two-hectare site in the Onkaparinga Hills. Elevated and naturally low in vigour, this vineyard produces Cabernet of exceptional balance, resulting in a wine that is dense, mineral, and remarkably focused. The hallmark characteristics of The Angelus/Vintage Bell Cabernet include a beautifully integrated balance of dark fruits, savouriness, minerality, and fine herbal elements, all contributing to a long-lived and elegant expression of the variety.

While often overshadowed by Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon is a quiet achiever in McLaren Vale, producing wines of impressive depth and longevity. The region’s maritime influence ensures a lengthy ripening window, allowing for the slow accumulation of tannin maturity without over-ripeness.

In our Bell Tower vineyard, where Cabernet is anchored in a combination of clay and gravel, the variety expresses itself with remarkable tension—cassis, blackcurrant, and graphite wrapped in a framework of firm yet polished tannins. It is a style that eschews excessive sweetness in favour of structure, balance, and age-worthiness. This distinctive take on McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon has found enduring resonance in our Church Block blend, where its brooding core provides the backbone against which Shiraz and Merlot can weave their contrasting textural 

The Essence of McLaren Vale

McLaren Vale’s strength lies not just in its classic varieties, but in its ability to continually refine, redefine, and elevate its expressions of site. Every vineyard tells a story, and at Wirra Wirra, we see our role as bringing those stories to life—not through intervention, but through attentive listening to what the land articulates.

From the commanding structure of McLaren Sandhill Shiraz to the haunting perfume of Blewitt Springs Grenache, to the graphite-drenched precision of Cabernet, McLaren Vale is a region in constant dialogue with its past, present, and future. It is a privilege to be part of that conversation, shaping wines that honour both their origins and their evolution.

For more information, please contact Wirra Wirra CEO, Matthew Deller MW via email here.