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Coonawarra, SA
Cool climate/Elevation 60m
The Coonawarra fruit colony was established 108 years ago and began a century of grape growing. Bill Redman once said “from 1890 to 1945 you can write failure across the face of Coonawarra”. His family had been supplying bulk wine to Woodleys since 1920, enabling it to produce the prized Treasure Chest series of wine in the early 1950s. By 1951, David Wynn established Wynns Coonawarra Estate at the disused Chateau Comaum stone winery. It was the first winery in Australia to use the word ‘Estate’. Coonawarra is today one of the most famous red wine regions in Australia. Its weathered limestone terra rossa soils, relatively cool climate and overall water availability make it a unique vineyard site. The region, however, is extremely flat and unprotected. Consequently, it can be exposed to the swinging influences of the cool Great Southern Ocean and hot, dry northerly winds. Spring frosts are a major problem and have been known to wipe out crops. Mechanical and machine harvesting is widely used in Coonawarra, although smaller producers prefer to tend their vines by hand. The region is best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, although its Shiraz can be particularly smart. There are some Coonawarra Rieslings and Chardonnays, but these don’t have the same impact as the red wines of this region.
Cabernet Sauvignon
South Australia's Coonawarra is one of the classic Cabernet-producing regions of Australia, once described as the 'Medoc of the Southern Hemisphere' and, truly, Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon can be disarmingly like Bordeaux when young. The 1986 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is an example, typically highly perfumed, with striking blackcurrant, licorice, cedary fruit characters and a beautifully structured palate with fine-grained tannins. Bowen Estate, Hollick, Katnook, Leconfield, Lindemans, Orlando St Hugo, Majella, Penley Estate, Petaluma, Rouge Homme and Rymill all fall more or less in the same category. Since 1982 we have also had the super-concentrated, often soupy style of Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch. This has been described as the essence of Cabernet and investors and collectors have shown great interest in it. The 1982, 1986 and 1990 are usually successful in the market, while the 1988 has never fired. I wonder where this style is heading although the 1998 vintage is absolutely wonderful. The wines, in the past however, can be cumbersome and unattractive, showing no regional qualities at all. Orlando Jacaranda Ridge is another example of this style. Some of Coonawarra's 'golden oldies' are the 1949-1956 Woodley Treasure Chest series, 1963 Mildara 'Peppermint Pattie', 1966 Penfolds Bin 620 and, arguably, the 1980 Lindemans St George. Investors should avoid the 1995 vintage. Recently Coonawarra has experienced four outstanding or above average vintages in a row - 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001. This gift of nature has given the ammunition this region needs to bring back focus to its wonderful Cabernets.
Shiraz
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael is the alter ego of John Riddoch, a richly concentrated wine with pronounced spicy, blackberry and licorice aromas and substantial oak. Investor confidence in this style has waned over the last few years as buyers seek greater regional definition. Most other Coonawarra Shirazes are more elegant and refined. Bowen Estate, Zema Estate and Majella are examples. They can be mistaken for Cabernets, as they often show blackcurrant-like fruit. The palate is usually the giveaway, with much riper and less-structured tannins. Interestingly, it was Shiraz that put Coonawarra on the map - the original 1955 Wynns Michael is one of Australia's most famous wines.
Andrew Caillard MW, Langton's
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