2016 McLaren Vale Wine Show - OCT 2016

GOLD MEDAL

2016 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards - OCT 2016

GOLD MEDAL

West Australian, Ray Jordan - JUL 2016

92 POINTS“There are few wineries that capture the spirit and essence of McLaren Vale as well as Wirra Wirra. It makes some mighty good wines there but the most famous is this little beauty. This was the late Greg Trott’s original combination for Church Block which gradually morphed to another blend over the years. Still, this one is a beauty. Medium-bodied with gorgeous perfumes of rose petal and violets. Palate is just beautiful with smooth, succulent restraint. Long, sinewy tannin holds its tight lines to the finish.”

Australian Wine Review, Andrew Graham - MAY 2016

92 POINTS“A mix of McLaren Vale Grenache and Shiraz, this is bright raspberry red coloured, and smells utterly alive, with juicy Grenache fruit jumping out of the glass, all bright red raspberry, a dash of red lolly and then some very licorice for good measure plus some light sandy tannins. This is not a profound wine. It’s not firmly structured, nor is it really going to improve in the bottle. But at every turn this is a satisfyingly open, vital, savoury and ‘real’ red , that relies purely on fruit, not oak or tannin additions, to make a statement. Wirra Wirra have been nailing Grenache lately, and this looks another winner. A well priced and very appealing red that I’d recommend with gusto.”

HuonHooke.com, Huon Hooke - JUN 2016

90 POINTS “Deep, bright purple/red colour, the nose shows carbonic maceration character, with Beaujolais-like meaty, peppery spicy nuances. The palate is medium-bodied and firm, with tightly sculpted tannins. Elegant, taut and spicy palate, which is not complex but very appealing.”

WineFront, Campbell Mattinson - APR 2016

90 POINTS“The lineage of this Original Blend goes back over 40 years. It’s a seriously drinkable wine. It’s red-fruited and light- to medium-bodied, and a lot of folks are looking for gutsier/darker options. Fair enough. This isn’t a wine to sway folks over to grenache or grenache-based blends, its sweet raspberry and red cherry notes proudly displayed. That’s part of its charm. It also shows fennel and great splashes of dried spice, the end result therefore seeming complex/fruity/savoury/charming all at once. If you like the Original Blend, this 2015 is a very good version of it.”

REVIEWS & ACCOLADES2015 Original BlendGrenache Shiraz

REVIEWS & ACCOLADES2015 Original BlendGrenache Shiraz

Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine, Max Allen - SEP 2016

“Despite its long-established name and its pedigree (Wirra “originally” produced their first blend of grenache and shiraz in 1972) there’s a lot about this wine that’s very new. For a start, the lightweight (well, lighter than has become fashionable in recent years) branded bottle is a welcome change; and the style of the wine - smashably juicy, vibrantly spicy, medium-weight, light on its feet – is also very much aligned with the new-wave producers currently so in vogue.”

James Halliday 2017 Wine Companion - AUG 2016

94 POINTS“The name harks back to the first vintage in ‘74, otherwise not a year to remember. Bright crimson-purple, it manages to give each variety equal footing; it’s the full bucket of red, blue and black fruits that provide its flavour and its tannins, oak irrelevant.”

WBM Trade, Tyson Stelzer - SEP 2015

92 POINTS“Impeccable celebration of McLaren Vale Grenache and Shiraz, layered with all the musk stick, raspberry and wild strawberry of Grenache, bolstered by the black cherries and blueberries of Shiraz and the inimitable black olives and liquorice of the region. It’s all laced together neatly with the firm, fine tannins of even, appealing texture.”

Winefront, Gary Walsh, APR 2015

91 POINTS “Grenache is such a good grape for McLaren Vale, and in this blend it makes up 70%. OB, there Original Gangster. Or Burgundy, if you prefer. Good wine here offering immediate attraction, assuming you love the smell of fresh raspberry, poached strawberries, spice, roses and coal. Medium bodied, fresh and succulent, with a smattering of grainy tannin shaping up all that juicy fruit, and a dry almost leathery finish to bind the story. Not so deep, but great to drink. Its charm is easy to enjoy.”

Huonhooke.com, Huon Hooke - JUNE 2015

91 POINTS“Deepish red colour with purple tints. Spicy aromas, clean and attractive, with intensity and depth on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and succulent, with muscle and grip and stacks of flavour. Excellent wine, balanced and soft and full of spicy fruit flavours. This over-delivers.”

Australian Gourmet Traveller - SEP 2015

“While hipster somms and indie bottle-os go ga-ga for new wave, smashable, spicy South Oz grenache blends, it’s nice to be reminded that some wineries have been producing this style, on and off, for decades..”

The Ed Cellars Grenache Cup - SEP 2015

Winner - Judge’s Choice

REVIEWS & ACCOLADES2014 Original BlendGrenache Shiraz

James Halliday 2015 Wine Companion - JUL 2014

94 POINTS“Bright, full and clear crimson-purple; McLaren Vale Grenache stands proud, providing the red fruit cadences to the bouquet and mediumbodied palate, shiraz providing black fruits and exactly the right amount of tannin structure.”

Oz Wine Review, Andrew Graham, AUG 2013

94 POINTS “Absolutely brilliant. Not much else to say but this is such a clever representation of the Vale, using McLaren Flat Grenahce and Seaview Shiraz. Oh and the sample came in a box with a nice beanie. Not that I can be bought with headwear mind you! 70% Grenache, 30% Shiraz. Sexy. Lovely purple fruit and a real vibrance and juiciness to this wine. Quite light on its feet and undeniably fresh and vital. Red fruit, aplenty and the tannins are fine. What a wine! Bang on really. Has that great tension between red fruit, fine tannins and freshness.”

WBM, Mike Bennie - SEP 2013

93 POINTS“I reckon an army of wine folk cut their teeth on such wines; easy drinking, soft textured, rich fruited, mellow spiced and this 2012 Grenache Shiraz blend shows all this with a definition in supple tannin that speaks with further sophistication. Dig in.”

Drinkster, Phillip White - APR 2014

92+ POINTS“In 1972, Greg Trott made a wine like this and called it Wirra Wirra Church Block. It took off. Bordeaux Evangelista Brian Croser gets the blame for convincing Trott to change the Church Block blend to Cabernet, Shiraz and Merlot. This Original Blend is truer to Trott’s from. Its cool to see winemakers Paul Smith and Paul Carpenter making it the old way. The wine reminds me of dear Trott, who I sit with now and then where he lies in the Strout Toad cemetery. We talk. He’d love this wine, even though there’s no chook feathers stuck to thebottle. Its sweet-smelling, and soulful, and warm. Its all syrupy cherries and ripe raspberries, with a neat rise of spice box/coffee-grinder oak adding some edge on one side, and some old-fashioned lolly shop confectionary on the other. That pleases the remnants of the schoolboy that still hides in me, just as Trott never really grew too far past his. It isaltogether a pretty and comforting smell. The palate’s smooth and polished, with that lovely silky Grenache sheen chroming up the slightly more tannic and blackberry Shiraz – the heart and gentle soul of McLaren Vale at its simple honest best. It is a wholesome thing: just right for sittin’ and drinkin’ – reminding me that id better take a bottle of this vintage down there to the quiet little boneyard in the trees and tell my old friend all about it. I’ll bet I’ll find Joe Petrucci there, telling him about his stuff, and how much we miss him. Trott’s an even more reliable confidant now that he cant hide from us. He was always a sweetheart as a confidant, but sometimes he’d hide, so he could think, and love women. He doesn’t hide anymore. He’s all over McLaren Vale. I can feel him in this glass. You know.”

West Australian, Ray Jordan - NOV 2013

92 POINTS“Such an elegant and poised young wine from this super vintage. The contrast with previous year is striking. Lovely, lifted floral notes of the Grenache with those raspberry red-fruit characters carefully retained in the winery.”

REVIEWS & ACCOLADES2012 Original BlendGrenache Shiraz

Winefront, Campbell Mattinson, AUG 2013

91 POINTS “The old McLaren Vale Burgundy style of red – it’s a pity we’ve lost the heritage of these names. Not that the word Burgundy is as defensible as Claret is, admittedly. This is in super form. It’s just lovely to drink. Medium-bodied, even tempered, ripe without being pushed too far, modestly oaked. It tastes fruity and well balanced and effortless. Raspberries, earth, ground dry spice, a lick of toast, maybe the odd iodine or salt-like note. Very tasty. Very easy to like.”

The Wine Advocate, Lisa Perotti-Brown - FEB 2014

93 POINTS“Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2012 Original Blend flaunts a gorgeous nose of ripe cherries, black raspberries, roses and orange peel with hints of baking spices. Medium to full-bodied with beautiful balance between vibrant acid and medium levels of velvety tannins, it finishes long. Drink now to 2019+.”

REVIEWS & ACCOLADES2012 Original BlendGrenache Shiraz

Gourmet Traveller Wine, Nick Bulleid - JUN/JUL 2012

95 POINTS“Top form, Wirra Wirra Original Blend Grenache Shiraz certainly impressed the panel….It’s wonderfully fragrant, with blueberry and black pepper, and plenty of juicy, sweet-fruited flavour. It’s a delicious, fruity wine. Fresh, spicy red fruit and cracked pepper jump out of the glass. It’s young, but not simple, and has lots of character. Lovely drinking.”

Hooke’s Dream Dozen, Decanter Magazine - NOV 2013

93 POINTS“A vibrant. Charming red that has a lot in common with a good Cotes du Rhome. Attractive, fresh, spicy aromas, lifter with some peppery cool-year character, and a twist of liquorice. Its light to medium-bodied and soft, beautifully balanced and eminently drinkable. Lovely now while young and fruity.”

Winefront, Gary Walsh - JUL 2012

92 POINTS“Very peppery, red berries, some confection – like Redskins, cherries and earthy mulchy characters. It’s well defined with lively acid and gentle grainy stalky tannin, quite different, curious even. A vibrant wine that’s tasty, interesting and very good to drink. Cool to taste, literally and figuratively.”

The Advertiser Top 100 Wines 2012, Tony Love - NOV 2012

“While most will know Wirra Wirra for its popular Church Block red, this was the original blend now released in limited numbers, and thank goodness we still get the chance. It’s a ripper - bright and cheery, with a fresh bite of redcurrant and raspberry a touch of mimed herbals, and spot-on served with lamb stews.”

Sydney Morning Herald, Huon Hooke - APR 2012

93 POINTS“A lighter-weighted, fruity, early-drinking style without obvious oak or much tannin. Great colour, spicy red fruit, bright and clean to sniff, with a twist of black pepper. Bright, lively fruit flavours are light to medium bodied and beautifully balanced.”

The Adelaide Review Hot 100 Wines 2012

“Displays all the right moves from primary fruit, slick texture, bright acidity and fine bony tannins. Get amongst it.”

REVIEWS & ACCOLADES2011 Original BlendGrenache Shiraz