In the late 1970s, Adelaide expanded greatly, especially to the south of the city. Vineyards had been planted there since the nineteenth century; they were forcibly ripped up and replaced by monotonous housing estates. Now, of those vineyards only Penfold's Grange remains; an oasis of vines in the middle of suburbia.

One region survived: McLaren Vale. It's on the edge of the ocean, falling from a height of 250m in Mt. Lofty Ranges into the much flatter valley. Maybe it was because it was difficult to expand the suburbs into uneven terrain; maybe it was just a little too southerly; and most definitely it was because of the efforts of local growers and winemakers to make McLaren Vale a protected region which now cannot be built upon.

After that protection was attained, in the mid-1990s McLaren Vale established a water recycling programme giving growers vital access to water in a dry region. Within a few years, plantings had doubled (the region now has 7,500ha, about a third of the plantings in Barossa Valley). This transformed the position of McLaren Vale within Australia's wine culture. Rather than being a region with history but not reputation, McLaren Vale became a premium producer of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grenache: old-vine Grenache in particular gives McLaren Vale a distinct identity.

McLaren Vale is quite an experimental region, not afraid to try new varieties not traditionally planted in Australia. I tried Fiano (both still and sparkling), and there are other Italian varieties planted such as Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Lagrein, and Barbera, as well as Tempranillo. This is a vibrant region with lots of surprises.

geology

There are several geographical features which define McLaren Vale. To the east are Mt. Lofty Ranges, a 220km set of mountains which end with the ocean. To the west is the ocean itself, which brings in strong breezes which affect the growing season and cool conditions down. To the north, elevation is higher with vineyards planted at over 100m; the rest of the valley is flatter, although still with undulation and different aspects which affect exposure to both sun and wind.

Geologically, McLaren Vale is diverse with 40 different soil types. These have been formed by water covering the valley floor several times over the course of millions and millions of years, as well as torrential rain falling on the mountains and then down into the valley. Soils therefore can be sand/sandstone in parts (considered more favourable for Shiraz) and alluvial and clay in others (more for Cabernet Sauvignon), with lots of localised variants.

The project of mapping out the geological differences in McLaren Vale was started in the late 1990s, and then taken on by a group of professional geologists in 2008 and completed in 2010. As a result, McLaren Vale is informally divided into 19 districts (all numbered 1-19, and nameless). Each district not only has a distinct soil type, but has temperature, wind, sun, and elevation variances which distinguish them and the wines produced. It's going to be a very long time until consumers even begin to remotely understand the differences between each district, but it gives an idea that McLaren Vale is not a uniform region.

grenache

Old-vine Grenache is officially where it's at right now (hello Spain), and it's a strong part of the identity of McLaren Vale. These vines can date back to the 1930s, and have developed a deep root system to access water in a generally dry climate. Grenache needs a long growing season, and this combination of warmth, sunshine, and stress is ideal for concentrated, high-quality, often ageworthy wines.

Old-vine Grenache is probably the best and most exciting wine made in McLaren Vale, though of course there’s a limit to how much can be made. Compared to Spain the wines are riper and fuller, but with a characteristic floral, perfumed, crunchy nature.

Highlight: Yangarra. I tasted three of the current releases—2021 Hickinbotham Clarendon (AUS$75), 2021 Ovitelli (AUS$75), and 2020 High Sands. Each one was quite distinct: the old vines have developed their own personal relationship with their soils. My favourite was “High Sands,” which has a crunchy, spice, floral, ripe, and very pretty character (AUS$250; ✪✪✪✪✪✪). When tasting it I didn’t realise how expensive it was, but given that yields were just 8hl/ha and its quality, it’s perhaps not that surprising. Listen to my interview with winemaker Peter Fraser for more on old-vine Grenache.

shiraz

Shiraz, as is the case with Australia as a whole, is the most planted variety in McLaren Vale and the one which winemakers feel most reflects the character of each district. I tasted four current releases from two producers, and five wines from four producers from 2010. The latter showed how McLaren Vale Shiraz can age, though in different ways according to the district and the producer, and also how the producer’s intentions have changed over the course of more than a decade in an evolving region. Oliver’s Taranga 2010 “HJ” Shiraz is named after the family’s grandfather; the wine comes from bush vines planted in 1948 by said grandfather (although those plantings involved ripping out 100-year-old vines). It was aged in 35% new oak, the use of which has been cut back for more recent vintages. The wine was garnet with lots of sediment, showing signs of its age, but still very fresh with inviting aromas of dried fruits and flowers and softer tannins than the chewy, intense nature of the younger wines I tried (✪✪✪✪✪). Another highlight was Yangarra “Ironheart” 2010, which was meaty, floral, and ripe, maintaining its freshness and structure despite developing maturity (✪✪✪✪✪). The overall style of McLaren Vale Shiraz is fresher and brighter than the more famous Barossa Valley, but with a firm tannic structure that makes them just as ageworthy.

cabernet sauvignon

It’s hard to get excited about more Cabernet but those who make it in McLaren Vale do so. I find it more compelling when blended with Shiraz, which rarely happens elsewhere in the world. A classic example is Wirra Wirra's “Church Block,” a AUS$25 wine familiar to many Australian consumers and also around the world. As the price indicates, this is released as a youthful, drink-now wine, but I tried a 2012 back vintage which was surprisingly substantial and exciting. An almost equal blend of Cabernet and Shiraz, it brings out the best of both varieties ($AUS25; ✪✪✪✪).

white wines

Only 10% of McLaren Vale is planted to white grapes: its climate and reputation are more conducive to black grapes. For white wine, producers often source fruit from or own vineyards in nearby Adelaide Hills—these wines are usually Chardonnay (which was widely planted in McLaren Vale before the region reinvented itself in the 1990s). Within McLaren Vale, plantings of white grapes are now much more experimental.

I tasted three wines from Fiano made by Oliver’s Taranga, and another from S.C. Pannell. Twenty years ago, no one in McLaren Vale had heard of it let alone planted it. Such has been its success that plantings continue to slowly increase, and with good reason.

Carina Wright is the winemaker at Oliver’s Taranga, the sixth generation of a grape-growing family but the first to make wine, starting in 2004. She was turned on to Fiano by a friend of hers who had bought cuttings after tasting wines in its native Campania—another warm climate with a sea influence. The winery now has 17ha of plantings, with another 2.5ha on the way. Production is small and the wines sell out quickly.

The 2019 sparkling Fiano is made with the traditional method and aged on the lees for three years. The wine is delicate, floral, lightly spicy, and quite simply delicious (AUS$55; ✪✪✪✪✪). The 2022 Fiano has the taut, grainy, stone fruit character of the grape, with crisp acidity (AUS$27; ✪✪✪✪). The 2014 was astonishing: smoke, petrol aromas, with crisp acidity balancing the soft roundness from age (AUS$65; ✪✪✪✪✪). To taste the new vintage and its near ten-year-old equivalent was remarkable, and demonstrated the potential of Fiano—and other Mediterranean white varieties in McLaren Vale.

S.C. Pannell’s 2022 “FiFi” Fiano was a little richer and rounder, but with a fresh acid texture ($AUS32; ✪✪✪✪). To further the Mediterranean theme, I also tasted Yangarra 2022 “Ovitelli Blanc,” a Grenache Blanc/Roussanne blend (Grenache Gris has also been planted, and will appear in future wines). Yangarra were the first to plant Grenache Blanc in 2010, and its weighty, waxy style is balanced by the acidity of Roussanne (single-varietal, some experimental, Roussanne is also made). Prolonged skin contact gives the wine a textural profile, but does not take away from the wine’s freshness ($AUS28; ✪✪✪✪).

Welcome to McLaren Vale, a small, warm, windy corner of the Mediterranean in South Australia that’s varied on many levels: elevation, ocean exposure, soils, grape varieties, and styles of wine. Given the experimentation in the region, that diversity will continue to evolve.