Limestone Ridge Shiraz-Cabernet is an opulent loose-knit style with intense fresh blackberry/ raspberry/ meaty aromas, voluminous fruit, fine ripe chocolaty tannins, underlying savoury/ malt oak. The vineyard, named after the limestone cap that passes just below the surface, is planted to around 18 hectares of Shiraz and six hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon on unusually shallow terra rossa soils over limestone. After vinification in stainless steel fermenters, the wine is matured in a combination of new and seasoned American and French hogsheads. With proven cellaring potential, this is an important Coonawarra wine that evokes a strong scent of place.
This Shiraz Cabernet is sourced exclusively from the 45-year-old vines of the Limestone Ridge Vineyard. The epitome of a classic Australian blend with great intensity and length, it’s a full-bodied wine with rich, juicy dark fruits, complex black liquorice and spice flavours that are framed by fine-grained tannins.
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.
