Mr Riggs gets feminine with a special pinot noir

Does it really matter what a wine is called? We know label design can be a crucial part of a consumer’s choice, but how much can a wine’s name reflect what’s in the bottle?

As a widely garlanded winemaker, Ben Riggs has a few reflexes to guide him in choosing the names of each new varietal under his Mr Riggs label – quite a few of his previous releases have been named after close family members, for instance.

But pondering the addition of an Adelaide Hills pinot noir to the range, Ben knew what kind of wine he wanted to make because he knew what kind of wine he wanted to drink – and the name, he was clear, had to reflect that.

“I like juicy, fleshy, unctuous pinot – I do enjoy stalky, Burgundian styles, but having spent some time in Otago I found all the reserve wines there a little structured and tannic, and I quite liked the second-tier wines,” Ben tells us.

“So with (what became) Valerie, I wanted it to be rich and flavoursome, and so I wanted a name that covered ‘strong but elegant’. I literally put in a Google search for a French word for ‘strong but elegant’ and up popped ‘valerie’ – which is my mother’s name.

“That’s why the words on the label on the back could describe my mother. She’s very much from her era, she’s not loud but she’s incredibly strong and tough. At 93 years old, she’s still amazingly fit and healthy.

“My father died 38 years ago and I helped her to look after him, it was the hardest three months of my life, physically and emotionally exhausting. I’ll never forget how incredibly strong she was at a really tough time.”

There’s no doubt Ben’s pinot noir does Valerie justice and is a worthy member of this week’s special offer case from The Australian Wine Club – a mix of pinots from South Australia and Victoria that are all fruit-driven exemplars.

They include the 2018 Kyberd Hills Brigadier Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir, with an RRP of $50 and 94 points from The Wine Front; the 2020 Mt Bera Wild & Free Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir that normally sells for $30 and scored 93 points from Wine Orbit, and; the Allinda Yarra Valley Pinot Noir with an RRP of $28 and 94 points also from Wine Orbit.

As for the extent to which the name does matter, Ben realised he’d got it right when he unveiled his new pinot noir to arguably his toughest audience.

“The funniest thing about it is that I have my reserve shiraz, which is called JFR after John Frederick Riggs, my father, and I have the Magnet grenache which is named after my middle son, as he attracts things very easily, good, bad and indifferent,” he explains.

“So at Christmas 2023 I put a bottle of the pinot on the table in front of my mother and she turned round and said, ‘Oh, it’s about time you named a wine after me!’.”

Mr. Riggs Valerie Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2023

There’s so much fruit going on here, vibrant cherry, cranberry and raspberry on the nose, but also a sprinkle of fresh earth and sweet spice to set it off. The palate is similarly fruit-forward, the same lineup of juicy red berries underpinned by some dried-herb savouriness and balanced acidity that delivers impressive length. Elegant and so very drinkable. 13.5% alc, RRP $35 a bottle.

SPECIALS $29.99 in any dozen, $25.99 in our pinot noir dozen.

Kyberd Hills Brigadier Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2018

The pale brick-red hue is enticing and so is the wash of red berries and spice with rhubarb, redcurrant and red cherries that you breathe in – plus hints of mushroom and a little orange peel. There’s more rhubarb on the palate, with redcurrant and raspberry, but seguing into a pleasing savouriness and powdery tannins just made to complement duck confit. 94 points, The Wine Front. 13.5% alc, RRP $50 a bottle.

SPECIALS $39.99 in any dozen, $25.99 in our pinot noir dozen.

Mt Bera Wild & Free Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2020

The most savoury nose in this week’s lineup offers beguiling notes of truffle and earth, almost smoky with spice and leather, though red cherry and raspberry follow on. But the palate sings a fruitier tune full of cherry, raspberry and bramble, a few smoky notes and a hint of clove. There’s a refreshing acidity and a pleasing savouriness on the finish to complete the circle. 93 points, Wine Orbit. 13.3% alc, RRP $30 a bottle.

SPECIALS $23.99 in any dozen, $25.99 in our pinot noir dozen.

Allinda Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2022

The light garnet colour is a good indicator of the freshness on show here as initial notes of coffee, mushroom and leather on the nose open up to wild strawberries and dried herbs. A

juicy palate hums with strawberry and sour cherry, some fresh herbs and a hint of aniseed amid fine-grained tannins. 94 points, Wine Orbit. 13.5% alc, RRP $28 a bottle.

SPECIAL $25.99 in our pinot noir dozen.

PINOT NOIR DOZEN Three bottles of each wine above for $25.99 a bottle. SAVE $117.

Order online or phone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST and quote ‘ACCJ’. Deals are available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine, LIQP770016550. Stockhead is partnering with The Australian Wine Club on this offer.

This article first appeared in The Australian as The Australian Wine Club: Secret Cellar offers premium shiraz and cabernet deal