Description Michael Fragos grew up in McLaren Vale, and spent 14 years at Tatachilla before taking over at Chapel Hill in 2004. Endless titles and Trophies worldwide followed. A three-time ‘Bushing King’, Michael was named best winemaker on the planet at the world’s biggest wine show and Halliday notes his “wine quality is unfailingly excellent”. This McLaren Vale heavyweight is divinely good and shows Michael’s wonderful handiwork at its very best. It brims with deep blueberry, mocha, dark olive and liquorice with a lovely mouthfeel, the fruit and tannins all in perfectly pitched harmony. Gilbert & Gaillard give it a Double Gold medal; "right ruby colour with a few purple glints. Reserved nose of red fruit, spices and toast. Velvety attack opening onto a heady, full-bodied, firm palate just beginning to reveal its complex range. Hand-crafted, very elegant."
With nearly 200 years of winemaking history, McLaren Vale is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions and today home to 177 wineries. Protected by mountains and the sea, the McLaren Vale wine region is a veritable smorgasbord of wine styles and just a short 45-minute road-trip from Adelaide to McLaren Vale. McLaren Vale is actually the first place in South Australia where vines were planted. Multi-generational wineries are commonplace here. Vineyards stretch from the Mount Lofty Ranges way out to the sea. "McLaren Vale has many secrets waiting to be discovered, from the folds of its ever-changing landscape, to its small restaurants and cellar doors and the spectacular d’Arenberg Cube." – James Halliday. There is a wealth of experimental winemakers here, with winemakers constantly pushing the boundaries and setting new benchmarks. Having said that, McLaren Vale is renowned for Rhone red varieties such as Shiraz and Grenache. Another hotbed for delicious wine is Fleurieu surrounded by beautiful beaches and temperate weather.
McLaren Vale is demarcated by its various elevations and soils into several distinctive sub-regions. They include Blewitt Springs, where the wines “have a unique structure, texture, flavour and style, elegant yet highly aromatic and effortlessly flavoured” - James Halliday. Other sub-regions include Willunga, Sellicks, Seaview and McLaren Flat. “Grenache is McLaren Vale’s secret weapon – not merely Australia’s best, but every bit as good as that of the Rhône Valley.” – James Halliday.
