Buy a bottle of wine, help cancer research

Buy a bottle of very good McLaren Vale shiraz under a pink capsule during August and you'll help fund cancer research.

Mr. Riggs Wine Company has sponsored the Flinders Foundation, a South Australian organisation dedicated to supporting medical health research, for 19 years.

Proceeds from sales of the Mr Riggs 2023 The Gaffer Shiraz will again help raise funds for a cause close to winemaker Ben Riggs' heart.

Established in 1976, The Flinders Foundation is one of the leading medical health and research charities in South Australia - raising essential funds for medical research and patient care.

In August each year, Mr Riggs Wines run their Gaffer Month campaign with proceeds donated to the Flinders Foundation.

"We are incredibly proud to have raised over $250,000, which has gone towards a broad range of cancer research," Riggs said.

What about the wine? It's a big red, but well balanced, and paired very well with a home-made steak and kidney pie.

The fruit for the 2023 vintage was sourced from five vineyards; all in different sub-regions of McLaren Vale; from the warmest, earliest picked vineyards to the coolest, latest picked.

The parcels were matured in oak, 90% French and 10% American, and blended just before bottling. A very decent drop this; dark fruited and well balanced, for $25.

The name The Gaffer is a tribute to Riggs' great-great grandfather John "The Gaffer" Riggs (1814-1902).    

See https://mrriggs.com.au/

Exceptional vintage delivers a stellar flagship for Mr Riggs

 

It takes a special vintage in both McLaren Vale and Coonawarra for Ben Riggs to even consider releasing his flagship red wine Mr Riggs The Chap. 

The Chap is a classic Australian "claret" style - an Alpha blend of McLaren Vale shiraz (68%) and Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon (32%), that it is only made in years that Riggs considers exceptional. 

The 2020 vintage was one of those years - and Riggs has made just 912 bottles in total with 2020 joining 2012-2104 and 2016-2018 releases. 

Make no mistake, this is a big assertive wine with power and length, but it finishes with soft tannins, just as Riggs likes it. It's assertive but also elegant, with oak supporting but not overpowering. 

"This is a wine that can easily be cellared for 1-20 years," Riggs says. "I love the long fine-grained tannins and the powerful structure."

Not a wine for everyday drinking with its $120 price tag, but certainly a wine for a special occasion. 

Everything says "Look at Me". There's a heavy bottle, wax and quality cork. On the plate are rich, blackcurrant plum, spice and earthiness

The fruit is a combo of shiraz from Riggs' own Piebald Gully vineyard in McLaren Vale, and the Weatherall vineyards in Coonawarra. 

See www.mrriggs.com.au for more info.