2014 Wirra Wirra RSW Shiraz Museum Release, McLaren Vale

This is a Museum Release of bottles held back at the winery to show the wine as it enters its, for the winery, optimal drinking window. The following reviews are for the initial release of the same wine.

The continued refinement of the flagship wines from Wirra Wirra is evident in the '14 RSW. Darkly coloured and darkly fruited, the palate is finely poised with grainy, slatey tannins saturated in blackberry-laden fruit, the finish long, savoury and extremely fine. Drink to 2038.

96 points & Special Value James Halliday for Halliday Wine Companion, June 2021

Lots of black licorice, blackberry and blueberry aromas. Violet undertones. Medium to full body with very linear character that is fine and racy. Firm and linear tannins. Cool fruit tannins here. A beauty. Tight and racy. Drink or hold.

95 points James Suckling, June 2017

Attractive dark fruits in the blackberry, mulberry sphere. The palate is highly intense and warming with ripe, gently chewy tannin. A big, bold wine built for long-term ageing. Drink to 2029.

93 points Toni Paterson MW for The Real Review, September 2017

Wirra Wirra was established in 1894 by Robert Strangways Wigley. Having fallen into disrepair after his death in 1926, it was resurrected by Greg Trott, who with his cousin along with his cousin Roger Trott bought the property in 1969. They restored the historic ironstone cellars and revived what is now one of Australia’s most loved names in wine.

The Wirra Wirra team passes by a large slate installation as they enter the winery, inscribed by Greg’s mantra: Never give misery an even break, nor bad wine a second sip. You must be serious about quality, dedicated to your task in life, especially winemaking, but this should all be fun.

Today, the much-enlarged estate vineyards across McLaren Vale are complemented by fruit from long-term growers in the Adelaide Hills, with vineyard work managed by a team lead by viticulturist Anton Groffen. The original estate vineyards around the winery, as well as those the team manages, are certified organic and biodynamic.

The women rule back at the winery, with chief winemaker Emma Wood working closely with Kelly Wellington and Grace Wang. Each wine in the Wirra Wirra portfolio has a defined style but with allowance for vintage variation. The stylistic thread across the wines is a balance of generosity and elegance.