brightly. Unsurprisingly, Cabernet Sauvignon was the star, as it makes up the vast majority of regional plantings, but there are also some honourable mentions for Cabernet Franc, Shiraz, Merlot and even Sauvignon Blanc, thanks to the considerable effort of Xavier Bizot at Terre à Terre, which remains one of the top examples of its style in the country. It is slightly surprising that more winemakers do not do the same. The classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, or vice versa, also is very much at home, particularly in Coonawarra. Coonawarra’s well known ageing potential was clear in the range of wines sampled. Wines from Yalumba, Redman and Leconfield from the 2014, 2016 and 2018 vintages, respectively, were all drinking beautifully and just starting to hit their peak. Both the 2016 Redman William Wilson Shiraz Cabernet and the Leconfield Sydney Reserve were still very vibrant and youthful, promising to offer at least a decade, if not two, of drinking pleasure. But the most exciting part of the tasting was wines from the classic 2021 and 2022 vintages. The 2021s in particular have an effortless quality as seen in the great Coonawarra vintages. The best wines have every piece in its perfect place with concentrated and focused fruit beautifully intertwined with firm yet fine tannins and a finish of extreme length. The overall consistency of this vintage is superb and it genuinely is a vintage where it is hard to go wrong. Balnaves, Redman, Terre à Terre, Wynns and Leconfield have produced what are probably their best wines in years – yes, they are really that good, and in a classic mid-weight package. But don’t discount 2022, which is a bigger, riper vintage, with some quite serious underlying power and volume of tannins. The leading wines from the vintage are not out yet, so it is hard to generalise. The 2022 vintage has certainly delivered impressive fruit density and structure that will see the wines age well, but the overall feel is that the natural balance of the 2021 vintage will see it triumph by a short nose over the long term. Time will tell.
Coonawarra Vineyard Terra Rossa
South Australia 2024
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