Mr. Riggs
2012 Mr. Riggs Syrah Piebald
Syrah •Piebald Gully
Australia: Adelaide Hills
Mission Briefing
Big Riggs
Winemaker Ben Riggs has completed an astonishing 44 vintages flying around the world, chasing harvests, and making wines from top quality fruit all over the globe. His home court is most definitely in Australia’s McLaren Vale where he owns vineyards and produces his highly regarded Mr. Riggs wines. Perhaps better known in Australia than the United States, Riggs is a legend. We certainly admire his 2012 namesake Piebald Valley vineyard Syrah with that extra dash of Viognier. It takes the bruiser quality out of Syrah / Shiraz, and as a result, allows it to complement a wider range of foods and situations.
Very pretty stuff with our highest recommendation!
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Inky purple. Here’s an interesting and counter-intuitive fact: co-fermenting Viognier with Syrah actually increases the depth of color, making the red wine a darker purple. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Blueberry, camp smoke, peppered chocolate, dried lavender, mint. Lovely, classic Syrah/Shiraz nose that’s freshly accented. |
| Taste: | Blackberry, blueberry, plum, and peppery spices. The texture is rich, but not as thick as warmer blooded Barossa Valley Shiraz. You really can taste the Clarendon cool factor here, with a fresher, less baked taste. Very delicious Syrah. Super stuff to smell. |
| Finish: | Elegant and balanced Syrah that benefits from the lift that Viognier provides. Not a bruiser, but still quite deep and flavorful. A vivid expression of Syrah. peppered and black. |
| Pairing: | An excellent partner to Korean BBQ, and other interpretations of BBQ. Ben Riggs’ personal recommendation: pork belly with roast vegetable gravy. That sounds pretty nice, too! |
What the Winery Says
- Winemaker
- Ben Riggs
- Grape Varietal
- 95% Syrah, 5% Viognier
- Region
- Clarendon, McLaren Vale, Australia
- Vineyard
- Piebald Gully Vineyard
- Total Production
- 1200 cases
- ABV
- 14.5%