Wine of the Week: Wynns John Riddoch Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

When most people think of high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon, they perhaps look straight to Bordeaux Left Bank, or perhaps Napa Valley or a Super-Tuscan blend, but there are some outstanding wines from the southern hemisphere including from Australia, New Zealand and Chile that are really worth exploring.

This week we look at the iconic John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon from Wynns Coonawarra Estate, an outstanding wine with a long ageing potential. But before we look at the wine let’s look more closely at the producer and the region.

 

Wynns Coonawarra Estate

Today one of the most well-known names in Australia, Wynn’s current day vineyards were first planted in 1891 by Scottish Pioneer John Riddoch.  Wynns is known for having the longest-established vineyards and longest-producing winery in the region.  Samuel Wynn and his son, after having purchased the winery in the 1950´s, soon built up an important reputation for Coonawarra as a quality wine region.

Known as one of the jewels in the crown of Treasury Wine Estates along with Penfolds, Wynn´s focuses on rejuvenating the vineyards in order to reveal the true essence of the terroir of the region through their single vineyard selection, Black Label and Icon wine collection.

John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon is one of two wines in their Icon wine collection reflecting the very top selection of high-quality grapes of the region

Coonawarra, perhaps one of Australia´s best-kept secrets, at least in Europe!

Coonawarra is a very interesting region in Australia, much cooler than the more famous Barossa Valley.  What makes Coonawarra special is its fresher more ocean-influenced climate and its famous Terra Rossa soils ideal for producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon.

Located on the Limestone Coast of South Australia, 450 km from Melbourne, Victoria and 380 km from Adelaide, South Australia, Coonawarra is known as being one of the most important wine regions of Australia producing top-quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah for generations.

copyright: Wine Australia

Terra Rossa (red soils) are by far the most prestigious soils of Coonawarra.  The Terra Rossa soils run in a band of just 27 km and are composed of heavy clay-rich soil developed over chalky limestone.  This gives ideal conditions for growing high-quality grapes providing excellent pH balance, and good drainage combined with a natural inhibiting effect of vine vigour. The resulting wines have naturally high acidity and a high-quality refined tannin structure, two elements essential for producing high-quality age-worthy wines.

Terra Rossa Soils. Photo copyright: Wynn´s Coonawarra Estate

Photo copyright: Wynn´s Coonawarra Estate

 

 

Wynns John Riddoch Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Pris: 889,70 kr.
 

Stunning wine, should be in every wine collector's cellar. One of the best examples of Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia - a la Pauillac style rather than often more opulent Cabernets from California.

97 poeng


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Årgang:
2018

Produsent:
Wynn´s Coonawarra Est.

Region:
Coonawarra

Land:
Australia

VMP:
13823001

First produced in 1982, John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship wine of Wynns. This wine is made in very small quantities from the best fruit from Wynn´s extensive estate in Coonawarra in the famous terra rossa soils. Less than 1% of the top-quality selection of grapes makes its way into this wine.

Winemaking: aged 16 months in new (31%) and used French oak.

Utvalg:

Spesialutvalg

Druer:
Cabernet Sauvignon

Lagringspotensielle:
can drink now, but will age well over next 10 - 15 years +

Smaksnotat:

An intense wine, high concentration of vibrant black fruit – cassis, blackberries, mocca, with developing layers of complexity and just starting to open up to reveal forest floor, bitter chocolate and hints of leafy notes. High acidity keeps the fruit vivid and fresh, whilst the high level of ripe fine-grained tannins provides a firm backbone around the fruit which continue into an extremely persistent finish.  14% abv. Just entering its drinking window now, but this wine has so much staying power that it can be enjoyed over the next 10 – 15 years revealing more beauty and complexity as the fruit and tannins become softer and resolved.

Vurdering:
97 poeng

Anmelder:
Jane Nisbet Huseby