Even the Socratic Brian Croser, ever-dissatisfied, must be quietly ecstatic over this wine, surely the best Petaluma yet. The epitome of elegance, with gently sweet cassis berry fruit inextricably woven through cedary oak, the palate silky smooth and supple, with perfectly ripened fruit and equally ripe, fine tannins.
97 points, Wine Companion (October 2000)
It’s a lovely Coonawarra cabernet. It’s got lots of dark, curranty, toasty flavour and an appropriate smattering of leaf matter. There’s even a classic edge of cigar box to this wine. It’s tannin structure is excellent and its length is clean, good and long. It’s ready to drink from now – though that said, well stored and well stoppered bottles will age well for another ten years, easy. I wouldn’t say that it’s got a lot of wow factor but it is an excellent example of the joys of Petaluma cabernet, and of Coonawarra cabernet.
94 points, The Wine Front (June 2009)
Coonawarra
The first vines were planted in Coonawarra by John Riddoch in 1890, however it was not until the renewed interest in table wine production in the 1950's that Coonawarra was brought into the limelight. Located almost 380 km southeast of Adelaide, Coonawarra is today one of the most famous red wine regions in Australia. Its weathered limestone terra rossa soils, avaibility of water and relatively cool maritime climate make it a unique viticultural region. Extremely flat and unprotected, Coonawarra is exposed both to the swinging influences of the cool Great Southern Ocean and hot, dry northerly winds. Spring frosts also pose a major threat with the potential to wipe out entire crops. Mechanical harvesting is widely employed in the region although smaller producers prefer to tend their vines by hand. Coonawarra is best known for classically-styled Cabernet Sauvignon, although in good years, Shiraz from the region is also very compelling.
