2023 Mr. Riggs JFR Shiraz, McLaren Vale

Purple in the glass. Savoury and ferrous, almost meaty on the nose, with notes of roast beef resting juices alongside warm vinyl, Dutch cocoa and Danish liquorice over a concentration of black cherry liqueur. Savoury on the palate too, full-bodied and intense, with chewy tannins lingering. Give this time in your decanter, or even better, rest in your cellar for a while for maximum benefit. Drink to 2041.

93 points Melissa Moore for The Real Review, May 2026

Even in this cool year, traditional styling is the linchpin. All is in proportion and seamlessly made, in the Riggs mode, but it’s a wine to sit down for, with waves of dark berries and dried plum, bitter chocolate, dark roast coffee, clove, allspice, some green cardamom, soft licorice and smoked meats, the palate glossy in texture, with enough graininess to tannin to tighten things up. It’s an enveloping wine, a welcome warming hug on a cold night. Drink to 2034.

93 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion, May 2026

Founded in 2001, the Mr in Mr Riggs is winemaker Ben Riggs, whose wines, in his own words, are inspired by Ella Fitzgerald – bombastic and powerful with a huge vocal range, yet with purity of tone and a gentle sensibility when needed.

First made in 2001 this wine has been called J.F.R. since the 2018 vintage, with the initial standing for John Frederick Riggs, Ben’s late father.

The 2023 is a blend of fruit grown in the Piebald Gully and Gateway vineyards of McLaren Vale. Piebald Gully is in the coolest part of McLaren Vale, bordering the Adelaide Hills, with vines standing in deep sand over clay subsoils. The vineyard is dry grown, late ripening and produces an elegant and refined style of Shiraz. The Gateway Vineyard on the other hand is in the warmer Seaview, with vines standing in deep limestone rock and producing a richer fruited Shiraz with excellent structure.

The parcels were fermented separately in open fermenters and the pressed wine matured in an 85/15 combination of French and American oak, of which roughly 35% were new in total.