Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Coonawarra Australia

Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 from Coonawarra in Southern Australia was  the first winery to be established in the Coonawarra, by John Riddoch in 1896. This vintage is  the lowest yielding of the 52 vintages that this wine has been made for,  due to frost, also the vine age averages 32 years. This was a difficult year for the winemaker, Sue Hodder.

The wine was  in matured in a mix of American and French mostly used oak for 15 months with spice, cedar box and smoke all playing their part on the nose and palate.
The deep ruby core has bouncy aromas of black stone / berry fruits mixed with spice and mint and a definite splurge of tropical fruits, these follow through to the palate, good acidity accompanies this blend keeping it fresh , the alcohol is slightly warming but well supportive and adds body whilst enrobing the fruit. The tannins are savoury and have some grip - ripe and not overly intrusive, the finish is persistent with a fresh blackcurrant and spice end. A lovely balanced wine with good depth and character. Expect to pay around £15 - if you can find it - a lovely a-typical Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon.
Score : 90

Coonawarra

The Coonawarra region is located in the far south-east of South Australia and has a viticultural history dating back to 1890. It is 100 kilometres (60 miles) inland, and is exposed to a maritime climate, with dry and moderately cool summers but maritime location does not, prevent the occurrence of spring frosts that are occasionally quite severe.  The climate is quite unique, persistent cloud cover partially moderates the ripening period temperatures. The terra rossa soil is what  Coonawarra is most famous for, but it is not unique to the region as many parts of the Limestone Coast Zone have similar soils, it is renowned for its affinity with Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Another soil format is the groundwater or black rendzina clay lying to the west of the limestone ridge and because of its poor drainage this soil is less favourable  The main wine styles produced in Coonawarra include  Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Riesling.  

Katnook Estate Founders Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Coonawarra Australia

Katnook Estate Founders Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 from the famous Terra Rossa soil region of Coonawarra, Australia was named in honour of the original land holding of John Riddoch, the founder of Coonawarra, and the Katnook Estate Founder’s Block range is styled for everyday drinking.
This is actually a blend of 3% Merlot, 2% Shiraz and the remainder - Caberbnet Sauvignon.
The wine itself has had a little oak maturation, approximately 15% of the wine was matured in a combination of French and American Barriques, 30% of which were new and this adds a subtle layer in the resultant wine and tasted well integrated and smooth.
Shades of garnet at the rim and ruby at the core introduce this wine, as do the aromas of blackcurrant, plum, olive and a touch of mint, there is a slightly 'baked' character to it and looking at the weather profile - there was a blast of record high temperatures just prior to harvest, it could also be due to the pure fruit showing without the masking effect of oak maturation.
On the palate - blackcurrant, olive, mint and spice follow through, with additional black cherry and cedar box, it has great length, sufficient acidity to keep this wine clean and bright on the palate and the alcohol is well balancing at 13.5%, supportive, enrobing but not intrusive. Ripe soft tannins add to the wine, they are fine grained and slightly dusty - it is available for £14 from Elwood Wines, enjoy.
Score : 87
 

 

Coonawarra

The Coonawarra region is located in the far south-east of South Australia and has a viticultural history dating back to 1890. It is 100 kilometres (60 miles) inland, and is exposed to a maritime climate, with dry and moderately cool summers but maritime location does not, prevent the occurrence of spring frosts that are occasionally quite severe.  The climate is quite unique, persistent cloud cover partially moderates the ripening period temperatures. The terra rossa soil is what  Coonawarra is most famous for, but it is not unique to the region as many parts of the Limestone Coast Zone have similar soils, it is renowned for its affinity with Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Another soil format is the groundwater or black rendzina clay lying to the west of the limestone ridge and because of its poor drainage this soil is less favourable  The main wine styles produced in Coonawarra include  Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Riesling.