Description The 2020 vintage won multiple Golds and a Trophy, the 2021 won Gold and 93pts – "fabulously drinkable"notes Sam Kim, Wine Orbit. Here's the impressive 2022 displaying similarly silky black fruits and nicely integrated levels of oak complexity. Named after the ancient Monkey King who had an insatiable hunger for roasted coconuts (Noix de Coco Rôties), this is a superbly balanced red. It’s from RedHeads, a small, very eco winery with only one vineyard. For the rest they have an impressive list of growers to draw upon, to ensure, every year, they receive just the fruit they’re after. Just as the do in the often very pricey reds of France's northern Rhône Valley Syrah is co-fermented with the Viognier skin, in open top fermenters, after which, hand plunging and 10 months' oak ageing has produced a red with elegant fruit and velvety tannins. Ideally decant an hour beforehand.
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.