Winemaker Notes
This wine is named after Robert Strangways Wigley, a noted South Australian eccentric and state cricketer who established Wirra Wirra back in 1894. Each vintage Wirra Wirra takes pride in producing a flagship Shiraz that befits McLaren Vale’s reputation as a first class producer of this varietal and home to some of the oldest Shiraz vines in the world.
Deep plum with garnet rim. Bouquet of sweet berries, Christmas cake and clove layer over blueberry and plum. Classically inviting, spicy, generous and varietal Shiraz. On the palate, classic dark chocolate and earthy character of McLaren Vale Shiraz is drenched in juicy, moreish blackberries and plums. Seasoned with cinnamon spice and cedar, framed by structural yet polished tannin, this wine is deceptively attractive in youth but will generously reward careful cellaring with increased complexity and savory notes.
Can be enjoyed upon release, but will live for 20+ years with careful cellaring. Try pairing it with slow braised beef short ribs with garlic potato gratin.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
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.
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Wine Enthusiast
There's lots for big red drinkers to like about this wine. It offers a melange of licorice, plush dark berries, coffee and chocolate notes, with a prominent earthy core of something smoky and charred, like the dying embers of a campfire. It's full bodied but restrained, with a nice line of acidity and ultrafine sinewy and savory tannins. There's enough structure to back the juicy berry fruit. Drink 2020 - 2034.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 RSW Shiraz offers a beautifully pepper and spice-laced nose over a core of warm blueberries, crushed black berries and plums, plus licorice and cedar hints. The medium-bodied palate delivers a great core of flavor while being softly structured, finishing with an herbal lift.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.