2020 Mr. Riggs The Chap Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon

98 POINTS

Ray Jordan - Winepilot

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.

97 POINTS

Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

A magnificent rendition, the rich bouquet shows dark fruit intensity, cake spice, game, bouquet garni, and cedar characters. The concentrated palate displays awesome weight and power, wonderfully structured by refined texture and layers of chalky tannins. It's intensely flavoured with seductive complexity, finishing persistent and gratifying. A blend of grapes from McLaren Vale & Coonawarra.

95 POINTS

Tony Love - Winepilot

This is Ben Riggs’s major opus in the tradition of the Great Australian Red blend, in past times often referred to as our “Claret”, here taking in a 68% proportion of McLaren Vale Shiraz in consort with 28% Coonawarra Cabernet, the latter carrying the opening statement with a high percentage of dark chocolate character, mint as well, charcoal notes and well toasted oak (80/20 French/American, 35% new) all integrated deeply in the aromatic profile. The set up suggests we’re going in big and beautiful here, and true to its word the blend is now immaculately seamless in the palate, richly woven with its dark berry jam-like intensity – the fruit alive and welcoming, sweetly concentrated and tantalising before a lingering, flavourful denouement. Impressive from start to finish.