Meandering Through McLaren Vale

By Alex Russell on September 25, 2014 in Food

There is some cool stuff going on in McLaren Vale at the moment, including some great vintages and a little thing called the Scarce Earth Project. I visited the region recently and dropped into a few places to find out what all the fuss is about.

D’Arenberg

D’Arenberg makes about a bazillion (I made that word up) different wines. There truly is something for everyone at this place. Plus, there’s an awesome degustation – the pic above is a duck broth with snap peas and shallots, topped with a raspberry and beetroot foam. Amazing stuff.

One standout wine is the Money Spider Roussanne, You may not have heard of this grape, but if you know Viognier, you’re not far off. Think stone fruits and just a tiny hint of tropical flavours (but nothing as full on as a Kiwi Sauv Blanc), with some interesting spice and complexity on the end. It’s great with fish and white meats.

For $20 from the winery, it’s unbelievable value, but may be hard to find in shops. That’s okay though, because there are loads of other wines to choose from in the portfolio. It’s easy enough to mix up a case online and have it delivered.

Primo Estate/Joseph Wines

There is some very cool booze coming out of Primo at the moment, along with a few cellar door only wines. And if you like a really good olive oil, you’ll find their stuff in the better grocers.

The stand out of the Primo range has to be the ‘Zamberlan’, which is a blend of Cabernet and Sangiovese, with some really complex fruit and subtle oak. It’s about $35 and is worth tracking down.

You’ll also find a Shiraz Sangiovese made in Australia (called ‘Il Briccone’) and another made in Tuscany (called ‘The Tuscan’), both by the same maker. Try them side-by-side and you’ll see how much the land makes a difference.

The Joseph range is the top-shelf gear, with an amazing Shiraz, a Nebbiolo and a really special Cabernet Sauvignon (which is very rare). The Nebbiolo is my favourite, but the ‘Moda’ (Cabernet Merlot made in a special way) is one for the collectors. There’s also a great dessert wine called ‘La Magia’ (Italian for ‘The Magic’), and it really is just that.

One final drop that really blew me away was ‘The Fronti’. This is a fascinating wine, with source material from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and even Rutherglen in Victoria (a few barrels bought from a winery that needed funds). Joe Grilli, the decorated winemaker, made some pretty interesting Frontignac (possibly one of the oldest grapes in existence) in 1981 and has been using it as base wine ever since. Add in Rutherglen fortified wine and other bits and you’ve got something very special – perfect for those cooler nights.

Wirra Wirra

I cannot recall a better line-up from these guys than what I saw at their cellar door. The 2012 wines are looking superb, including the famous ‘Church Block’. What really blew me away though was the Scarce Earth Project wine from these guys. You may know that the Barossa has been doing sub-regional wines (i.e. wines from specific districts within the Barossa) for a while. Scarce Earth is a McLaren Vale project designed to show off the area’s sub-regions. It’s a tightly controlled project, so it has to be good wine to make it into the program, and the one from Wirra Wirra is the most expensive of the lot. That should tell you something. It comes in a special bottle and there are only 45 cases from the Whaite Old Block, so get it if you can. Other wineries are also involved in this project, so there are a few to different drops to choose from.