Discover Alex Sherrah

Thursday, November 15, 2018 in News

McLaren Vale Reds, Re-imagined.

James Halliday named Alex Sherrah’s McLaren Vale operation one of the year’s 10 Best New Wineries at his Wine Companion awards earlier this year.

Sherrah’s story is remarkable. After completing a degree in chemistry he took a casual job as a cellar-hand at Tatachilla in McLaren Vale. The wine bug bit and he responded with a graduate diploma in oenology from the University of Adelaide.

Two years later he was working in the Napa Valley for Kendall Jackson's Cardinale, making ultra premium Bordeaux blends, then back in Australia at Knappstein and O’Leary Walker in the Clare Valley, plus vintages in Burgundy and Austria.

Back in McLaren Vale, he became senior winemaker at Coriole in 2012, moving on this year to head up winemaking at Haselgrove, his present day-job. Somewhere in there his girlfriend became his wife, and two children have joined the party.

'Wine to me is not about tasting blackcurrant and cigar box but how the wine “feels” to drink. Flavour is obviously a big part of this, but how does the wine flow from front to back palate? It should transition effortlessly from first smell and sip to swallow, aftertaste and lingering influence of tannin and acid. I believe in balance, a great wine should have no sharp edges, it should have beautiful smooth curves from front to back.'
- Sherrah on his winemaking philosophy

Lepape Label

Alex Sherrah

As Halliday comments: ‘Small wonder he makes such wonderful wines. '

The Sherrah 2017 reds reinforce, perhaps even extend, McLaren Vale’s reputation for achieving good to excellent results with just about any grape variety or blend -- the region has been called ‘Australia’s middle palate’ for good reason.

Sherrah ‘Red et Al’ is a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Nero d’Avola. There is also a straight Shiraz and a straight Nero d’Avola.

Red et Al is fresh and light, the Nero d’Avola spicy and medium-bodied, the Shiraz (as you’d expect) rich and fuller-bodied.

Alex Serrah in the Vineyard

Alex Serrah in the Vineyard

Freshness and drinkability are the most obvious attributes of all three. As Mike Bennie says of the Nero d’Avola: ‘Such fun stuff. Drink with gusto’.

Our initial recommendations? Two of each, or three each of the blend and the Nero d’Avola for those more willing to step out of the mainstream.

It will be fascinating to see what Alex Sherrah does next.

Explore Sherrah >

Discover Alex Sherrah

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