2022 Wirra Wirra RSW Shiraz, McLaren Vale

A mild season, again, and an elegant RSW, though still bristling with dark berries and plum, with some blue fruit echoes. Black tea, dried violet, some dried olive, dark panforte and amaro, licorice powder, old leather and tar. There’s an appealing savouriness to this, and a weight that sits below the fuller side of things, the detail clearly rendered, the tannic architecture resolute but not strident. It’s a very good release.

96 points Marcus Ellis winecompanion.com.au

Wirra Wirra’s RSW Shiraz is one of McLaren Vale’s most distinguished reds, named after Robert Strangways Wigley, the winery’s charismatic founder and noted South Australian cricketer. First released in 1997, it represents the pinnacle of Wirra Wirra’s Shiraz selection, with fruit sourced from low-yielding, premium blocks across McLaren Vale. The region’s Mediterranean climate, with warm days, cool sea breezes from the Gulf St Vincent, and diverse soils ranging from sandy loam to ironstone gravels, allows Shiraz to develop both richness and aromatic lift. Only the finest parcels are chosen for RSW, each vinified separately in small batches before blending and maturation in French oak to create a wine of depth, balance, and longevity.

In the glass, RSW Shiraz is deep crimson with purple highlights. The nose is powerful yet refined, showing blackberry, mulberry, and dark cherry alongside lifted violet, black pepper, and exotic spice. Layers of dark chocolate, anise, and savoury oak complexity emerge with time in the glass. The palate is full-bodied and structured, with concentrated dark fruits framed by fine, persistent tannins and a fresh acid line that drives length. French oak maturation contributes subtle cedar, clove, and mocha notes, perfectly integrated with the fruit. The finish is long, elegant, and distinctly McLaren Vale in its combination of opulence and poise.

It is a superb match for slow-braised beef cheeks, roast lamb with rosemary and garlic, venison with juniper, or a rich mushroom and lentil casserole. While already impressive on release, it has the structure and concentration to cellar gracefully for 15 years or more, developing greater savoury complexity and a velvety texture.