McLaren Vale Region

Location
 Zone - Fleurieu Zone within Adelaide Super Zone
State - South Australia

Map Reference
 Latitude 35 degrees and 03 minutes South
Longitude 138 degrees and 30 minutes East

Elevation
 50 - 350 metres above sea level

Subregions
 Clarendon

Introduction
 Englishman John Reynell laid the foundations for Chateau Reynella in 1838. Initially viticulture was secondary to wheat, however the fertility of the soil was soon exhausted and the wheat fields disappeared.

From 1876 the pace of viticultural development steadily picked up and in 1903 over three million litres of wine was made by some 19 wineries in the district.

The prosperity was in large part founded on the English trade, with the staple export dark coloured, high alcohol, and tannic dry red wine of legendary medicinal value. This trade continued with a brief interruption between 1940 and 1945 created by the Second World War.

In recent years two threats emerged - the first being the urban sprawl of Adelaide, swallowing early planted vines; the second a severe shortage of water for irrigation. Despite these limitations the region is enjoying success comparable to its golden days at the end of the nineteenth century.
Primary Grape Varieties
White
 Chardonnay 570 ha
Semillon 145 ha
Sauvignon Blanc 120 ha
Riesling 100 ha
Chenin Blanc 30 ha
Other 90 ha
Total White 1055 ha
Red
 Shiraz 1885 ha
Cabernet Sauvignon 1005 ha
Grenache 340 ha
Merlot 225 ha
Pinot Noir 85 ha
Cabernet Franc 45 ha
Petit Verdot 25 ha
Other 40 ha
Total Red 3650 ha
Primary Wine Styles

Sauvignon Blanc
The cooler locations in McLaren Vale are among Australia's top areas for Sauvignon Blanc. While variation from vintage to vintage does play a role, most years the wines have excellent varietal character tending to gooseberry and tropical fruit aromas rather than grassy flavours. Semillon is frequently incorporated as a blend component with excellent results.

Chardonnay
Has established a stranglehold on white grape plantings in the region ever since its introduction just over 20 years ago. The style varies ranging from elegant, citrus-tinged light wines through to richer, peachy and buttery style.

Shiraz
Similarly to so many of the premium wine growing regions of Australia, Shiraz was and still is the backbone of wine. It produces a densely coloured, splendidly flavoured wine that quickly develops a velvety texture. McLaren Valley is not the region for the peppery and spicy type of Shiraz.

Cabernet Sauvignon
The wines are full-bodied and rich, often with a touch of dark chocolate blended with blackcurrant. The tannins are abundant but subtle, and the wines have the structure for long ageing. As with Shiraz, vast amounts of wine produced here are blended with less opulent wines from other regions to provide body and structure in large volume commercial blends.

Grenache
The older vines produce incredibly opulently flavoured wines that are high in alcohol and with an almost juicy sweetness, all are of excellent quality.