Coonawarra shiraz is an interesting conversation. A dialogue between cool climate precision, mid-palate warmth and a certain austerity that is far from, say, the exuberant floral persuasion of Beechworth, Yarra or the Canberra region. This wine more than compensates with a skein of energetic peppery acidity threading licorice, thyme and black and blue fruit all with a fine boned tannic needle. There is plenty of oak, but ample intensity and concentration of fruit, too, reassuring the drinker that all will gel effortlessly with patience.
96 points, Ned Goodwin (February 2018)
This is not a big wine, rather it's elegant and beautifully balanced, tight and reserved and built for long ageing. It's a layered wine, fine-boned and intense, with plum and cranberry aromas, subtle spice touches and low-key oak impact. Cellar it!
95 points, Huon Hooke (July 2018)
A luscious, succulent, perfectly ripe wine produced from the best shiraz grapes of the season. The raspberry and plum flavours have excellent clarity of expression, accented by subtle regional spice. Although the wine drinks exceptionally well on release, it also ages beautifully, so it is worth tucking a few bottles away to appreciate in the future.
96 points, Toni Paterson MW (August 2018)
A suave nose of ripe red fruits with nicely integrated oak spices, subtle sappy herbs, leaves and mint, as well as peppers and wet stony nuances. The palate has an elegant linear shape, delivering tangy, bright red berries and red plums. Bright and effusive. This will age well.
94 points, Nick Stock (August 2018)
It’s peppery in Wynns Michael terms and it’s fragrant with floral herb notes too. All this gives the wine a prettiness; it feels lively. There’s redcurrant, fennel and blueberry fruit characters too, deep and well-powered without being profound. It puts elegance in its sights and aims everything in that direction. Tannin is finely an impressivey assertive; it might be elegant but it’s not shy, it knows what it’s about. This will mature well. It’s a detailed, precise expression of Coonawarra shiraz.
94+ points, The Wine Front (July 2018)
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.
