McLaren Vale, Part 1

 A brief trip to South Australia plans to first of all explore the northern parts of McLaren Vale, Clarendon and Blewitt Springs. First stop is Bekkers, a boutique producer of high end wines. You have to be brave and confident to start pricing from $90/bottle. Is it justified?

Bekkers focusses on three red wines, as they say, from the hero varieties of McLaren Vale. The 2022 Bekkers Grenache is red fruited, singing the high notes. There is some spice as well. The key to this wine is its texture, defined by the silky tannins. Acidity is quite high (more on this in later posts) and the finish is long. This is a very harmonious wine.

Score: 95/+++

The 2021 Bekkers Syrah sees 47% new oak. The dark fruit flavours are intense, but more significant are the savoury flavours, its salty and liquorice notes. This firm flavour profile is matched by soft and silky tannins. This is a very seductive Shiraz.

Score: 95/+++

Then there is the 2022 Bekkers Syrah-Grenache. This blend is 75% Shiraz, 25% Grenache. I find it less convincing. The colour is dark, showing the Shiraz dominance. Vegetable flavours add to the dark fruit flavours. I did not find much of the alluring Grenache flavours in this wine. The blend is not so convincing.

Score: 92/+

I could also taste the 2017 Bekkers Grenache to understand how the Grenache evolves over time. This is a very aromatic wine. The acidity stands out less. It almost tasted like an aged Nebbiolo; very gentle, but with a solid structure and red and black berry flavours.

Score: 95/+++

Overall, a very promising start to the McLaren Vale exploration.