2020 Mr Riggs The Chap Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon

Rich, concentrated and powerful with a long, refined finish.

Personally tailored by Mr Riggs this high end offering comes appropriately dressed in a dark blue bound presentation box that even smells like a new suit! Fruit is sourced from Ben’s own Piebald Gully vineyard in McLaren Vale whilst the Coonawarra Cabernet component comes from Weatherall vineyards. A blend of 68% Shiraz and 32% Cabernet Sauvignon maturation took place in a mixture of French (80%) and American (20%) oak, of which 35% was new, for a period of 22 months.
Dense midnight black core with a deep dark red black hue. Engulfing aromas of blackberry, liquorice and blackcurrant combine with vanillin cedar, subtle tobacco, earthy dark chocolate and spice notes. Making a rich, velvety entrance onto the medium to full bodied palate are concentrated blackberry, liquorice, blackcurrant and dark chocolate flavours. Exhibiting magnificent power and depth, notions of vanillin cedar, earth, delicate tobacco and spice extend across the back half. Beautifully integrated tannins lend a mild firmness to the long, refined finish.
Drink over the next 6-8 years.
Alc. 14.5%

Other Reviews…..
The colour is something akin to a black hole – so deep, opaque and impenetrable. It’s a blend of McLaren Vale shiraz and Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon, and this is just the fifth release from the first in 2012. The McLaren Vale component from the cooler Clarendon subregion brings both elegance and a vibrant middle palate, sweetness and density. The earlier ripening Coonawarra input is all about structure and definition. But this is not a bruising big wine. It is refined and elegantly presented with a brilliance and purity of fruit. Hard to put down now, but cellaring for 20 years would not be a problem.
98 Points
Ray Jordan