The first thing you need to know about S. Caica is that it’s pronounced kai-kerr. The second is that the ‘S’ stands for Simon, the Adelaide native behind the label who started the project barely two years ago. He’s had his head in the game for more than a decade, however, topping off a viticulture and oenology degree with work across retail and restaurant floors, as well as vintages and harvests in the Hunter, Orange, Alsace and Burgundy. He’s a real one.
Simon focuses on single vineyards in McLaren Vale, but his light touch and somewhat idiosyncratic approach mean the wines sit well outside their regional counterparts – in the very best way possible. Take the hugely appealing 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon, which almost drinks like a cabernet franc, balancing the sweetness of raspberries and redcurrants with the vegetal tang of roasted capsicum and semidried tomato. Some fresh herbs in the mix, too, along with pumice-like tannin and length for days. Balance is very much the watchword in his feather-light 2025 Cinsault as well, which manages to be frisky and mega-fresh yet somehow still elegant, crunchy with sour red fruits and chock full of spice.
Whole-bunch merlot forms the base of the ripper 2025 Rosato, which is just about as crisp and crunchy as they come – think cranberries, watermelon rind, tomato leaf and all the salinity and nuttiness of Manzanilla Sherry. Definitely not for the Provence enthusiasts! There’s more merlot, too, co-fermented with vermentino of all things, in the 2025 Field Blend, which could easily pass for young Beaujolais. Carbonic red fruits, a floral top note, but proper structure and a slight balsamic bitterness to the finish that lend cohesion and complexity to the equation. Don’t sleep on these.