About The Pack
The changing face of McLaren Vale wine over the last decade or two has been amazing to watch.
Yes, there's still plenty of hefty, rich Shiraz, Cabernet and Grenache to warm the cockles if that's your thing.
But there's a lighter side to McLaren Vale now too.
With more experimentation and more of a lean towards freshness and vitality in their red wines, the new wave of McLaren Vale producers coming through are adding a different shade to this famous region.
There's plenty to explore in modern McLaren Vale wine and this pack is a great place to start!

South Australia
2019 Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz
The name 'Violet Hour' refers to the fading light owners Andre Bondar and Selina Kelly saw on the horizon as they picked the last bunches of Shiraz for their first ever release, the 2012 edition of this wine. A violet sky, a beautiful wine, and a new future ahead for the couple and their vines.
The Violet hour tastes as stylish as it looks, it hits that sweet-spot for all red wine lovers - a combination of elegance and power.
The pedigree of the McLaren Vale vineyard is second to none - it's one of the most respected sites in McLaren Vale where Seaview and Blewitt Springs meet. You get the lively, bright blue fruits of the sandy soils of Blewitt Springs with the power and structure of the Seaview terroir. It's a winning combination. The quality of the Shiraz speaks for itself.
Put simply, if you like McLaren Vale Shiraz with a fresh face - this is a must buy.
Read more about 2019 Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz2020 La Petite Vanguard Grenache
"Such a lovely drink, now, or a fair bit later."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
About The Wine
The team behind Vanguardist uses the 'Petite Vanguard' label to experiment on certain parcels of fruit in order to find a better path in producing their excellent premium Vanguardist label.
The Grenache is a wine built for easy consumption, early drinking, and something that goes with a wide array of food styles.
The intense but low yielding vintage of 2020 supplied fruit that could handle plenty of whole bunch, as such about 50% of the Grenache this wine was fermented as whole clusters giving lightness and freshness to counteract the natural density of the fruit.
It's bright, lively and spot on for a fresh example of McLaren Vale Grenache.
Read more about 2020 La Petite Vanguard Grenache2020 Poppelvej Zoonotic Spillover Mourvedre
Savoury yet smashable is the meassge here.
Winemaker Uffe Deichmann has been tinkering with Mourvedre for a few years now. Up until this point, its all been in the context of crafting his delicious Dead Ohio Sky Rose.
The fruit this year looked particularly good, so Uffe kept a parcel separate, fermented it with his classic 100% whole bunch approach for a juicy yet savoury version of the variety.
When you think Mataro, you think moody, earthy, dark and serious - this falls in the lighter, fresher frisky end of the red wine pool. We loved it. It's just a shame its so limited. Hopefully he makes a little more in the future.
Read more about 2020 Poppelvej Zoonotic Spillover Mourvedre2018 Somos Aglianico
The Somos wines are the product of two enthusiastic young winemakers looking to make wines from new and interesting varieties grown in classic regions. Benjamin Caldwell and Mauricio Ruiz Cantu are the duo behind them, smart guys with some tasty things in production.
This is their delicious Aglianico sourced from a small vineyard in McLaren Vale. It was fermented as 50% whole bunches, striving for a perfumed and medium-bodied version of this late-ripening Italian variety.
Totally more-ish and one of our favourite Aussie Aglianicos.
Read more about 2018 Somos Aglianico2019 Dune Pyla
A new age McLaren Vale red wine here from the notable Lloyd family of Coriole fame. The brothers Duncan and Peter forging a new project from their Blewitt Springs vineyard.
Italian varieties have become one of the great stories of McLaren Vale, with Coriole doing plenty to champion these sun-loving grapes. Here, Nero d'Avola takes centre stage, surrounded by Negroamaro & Montepulciano as well as Rhone classics Carignan and Mourvedre.
It's savoury, spicy and full of lush McLaren Vale dark fruit.
Not a foot wrong so far from this exciting rising McLaren Vale project.
Read more about 2019 Dune Pyla2018 Varney Wines Entrada GMT
Alan Varney has spent time making wine in Portugal. He draws on those experiences to craft this top value range of Entrada wines.
He descibes this as "a fresh, approachable red blend styled on the very drinkable red wines of Portugal and Spain."
It takes Grenache in all its rosy, cherry-filled glory and meshes it to savoury Mataro and the exotically perfumed Portuguese variety, Touriga Nacional.
It's a lip-smacking, medium bodied red wine perfectly suited to all occasions.
For 95 point mid-week red at this price, it's hard to beat.
Read more about 2018 Varney Wines Entrada GMT