With many iconic wineries hailing from McLaren Vale, such as d’Arenberg, Kay Brothers, Noon, and Wirra Wirra, the region is not short of great wines. But there is one winery making waves which is well worth watching out for: Mr Riggs, whose range of wines have received significant interest and outstanding ratings from international critics.
The brainchild of wine maker and founding partner Ben Riggs, Ben has worked 23 vintages in Australia, and presided over a further eight overseas, including the Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Greece, Italy and the South of France.
The Mr Riggs wine brand can be summed up in two words: winemaker’s wine. Built on Ben’s long held dream to make icon wines from icon regions, the wines express the essence of the vineyard and variety in a style that is big, rich and complex, but also with finesse, texture and elegance.
Based in his beloved McLaren Vale, Ben also teams up with renowned growers from other tried and tested regions, including Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, Coonawarra and Langhorne Creek. Combining winemaking skills and a great deal of viticultural involvement, it is from these vineyards he is able to select pristine parcels of fruit, be it McLaren Vale Shiraz, Watervale Riesling, Adelaide Hills Tempranillo, Coonawarra Cabernet or something new and different to express his winemaking ability and creativity. It is this variety that allows the Mr Riggs philosophy to exist and continue. “I make wines I love to drink!” says Ben.
One other issue close to Ben’s heart is the support of the Pink Ribbon Campaign to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research. 30 Australian cents from each bottle sold of the “Gaffer” Shiraz is donated to the cause. Montrose Fine Wines, which distributes Mr Riggs in Hong Kong, Macau & China, donates HK$10 to breast cancer research for every bottle sold. - James Yates
For more information please visit montrose.com.hk or write to wine@hkgolfer.com
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