2022 Ministry of Clouds Onkaparinga Rocks Shiraz, McLaren Vale

The 2022 Single Vineyard Onkaparinga Rocks Shiraz is supple and juicy in comparison to the stern power of the Blewitt Springs Single Site Shiraz tasted alongside. This is silky and expansive, with a higher proportion of whole bunches (35% here) and picked across three separate picks. The time on the skins was five weeks, which imbued the wine with a load of natural tannin, and yet it feels both pliable and malleable in the mouth. Drink 2025 to 2037.

95 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, December 2025

From estate vines planted on a steep south-facing incline on shallow grey loam over sandstone, siltstone and 'ancient rocks', this was picked in three tranches, fermented with 32% whole bunch and kept on skins from two to five weeks; two puncheons made. In a portfolio full of intensely detailed, bright and crunchy reds, this has a more classic gravitas. Vibrant, still, but some black fruits, blueberry and darker spices, a peppery, twiggy, coal smoke lift complexing. The tannin detail and fine texture are features at MOC, and that is duly delivered here. Drink 2024 to 2034.

95 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion, May 2025

Bernice Ong and Julian Forwood launched Ministry of Clouds in 2012 with a clear focus on site-specific wines from distinguished McLaren Vale vineyards. Their estate vineyard — The Chase — sits above the Onkaparinga Gorge on a steep south-facing slope, looking out over some of the oldest farming land in the region. It is a site of remarkable geological age, with a thin veneer of grey loam over a deep bedrock of sandstone, slaty siltstone and ancient rocks dating back 650 million years, making this among the oldest geology planted to wine grapes anywhere in the world.

Fruit was hand harvested across three separate picks, with around a third retained as whole bunches and the balance fermented as whole berries in traditional open vats with daily hand plunging. Some parcels spent up to five weeks on skins before basket pressing to old and new French oak puncheons for eleven months maturation — a patient approach that builds natural tannin and structure without sacrificing freshness.

The 2022 is lifted and deep. Blue and dark fruits, plum and blueberry, with garrigue herbs, coal smoke and darker spice adding complexity. The palate is powerful but pliable, with waves of intense fruit supported by the tensile mineral tannin structure the site consistently delivers. Silky and expansive in feel, with a long, detailed finish that rewards time in the glass.

Give it plenty of air and serve alongside a slow-cooked lamb shoulder or a richly spiced Middle Eastern dish. Drink from 2025 through to 2037, with the structure to reward patience well beyond that.