Mount Gambier, Padthaway, Mount Benson and Robe are all beginning to hit their straps, with momentum building, as is local belief in the quality of the wines. The same cannot be said of Wrattonbully, and particularly Coonawarra, thanks to the quality of Cabernet Sauvignon in particular, which has been obvious for decades. I am happy to admit that a great wine from either of these regions is as exciting as wines from any top region around the world. It is their purity and composure that is utterly gripping. Powerful without being overwhelming, stern yet sleek at the same time – a vintage Aston Martin that has what it takes under the bonnet to go the distance without missing a beat. These are classic Cabernet Sauvignons in anyone’s language, which still remain inexplicably undervalued and, in turn, offer almost unbeatable value for money. These two regions, though, are not identical. Wrattonbully, with its more continental climate providing warmer days and cooler nights, is the more muscular of the two, turning out densely flavoured red wines with gravelly tannins to match, often needing Shiraz or Cabernet Franc in the blend to tame sometimes brutal Cabernet Sauvignon tannins. The 2021 Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard Reserve is a breath- taking example, not dissimilar to a classed growth from Bordeaux’s left bank. Coonawarra is no less structured, but the more even daily temperatures help to provide a finer quality to the tannins with Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, in great vintages, able to produce truly world class and age-worthy wines in part thanks to mature vines, as well as winemaking honed over decades. Wines such as the Balnaves The Tally Reserve and Parker Estate 95 Block show this in spades. The Vintage Journal: South Australian Wine Guide 2026 saw wines from Limestone Coast across a broad swathe of vintages stretching between 2016 and 2025, with the vast majority of wines coming from 2021 to 2023. It is a pleasure to report that all three of these vintages are a very happy hunting ground for fans of the Limestone Coast, which were marked by cooler weather, particularly in 2023, although Limestone Coast was less affected by this challenging vintage than many other regions in south- east Australia. The resulting red wines from all of these vintages have an attractive mix of power, elegance and structure, with strong ageing potential. Both 2021 and 2022 are vintages at the highest level of quality that are hard to separate, although the natural generosity and balance of the red wines from 2021 may see this vintage come out trumps by the barest margin. Again, cooler conditions across these three vintages have been fabulous for the region’s white wines, delivering flavour with energy and vitality, thanks to significant acidity. While red wines from Limestone Coast have generally been the stars, it is clear that the best white wines from the region are narrowing the gap and getting better with each subsequent vintage. The future is exciting and bright for Limestone Coast from every viewpoint.
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The Vintage Journal
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