1963 was a memorable South Australian vintage, but overshadowed from an historical perspective by the previous year’s success. The 1962 Penfolds Grange Hermitage and the legendary 1962 Penfolds Bin 60A attracted enormous attention within the wine community and beyond. But the latter wine, and its sister Bin 60, a reverse blend, helped put Coonawarra on the map. While the region was established in 1890, its progress was hampered by distance and economic headwinds. Owen Redman, who should be credited for the region’s survival, once said, ‘From 1890 to 1945 you can write failure across the face of Coonawarra’. New investment during the 1950s and 1960s and a trend to cooler expressions of red wine led to significant plantings of cabernet sauvignon on terra rossa soils. Wynns Coonawarra Estate, created by David Wynn in the early 1950s, made its first Cabernet wine in 1954. The release of the Woodley’s Treasure Chest series of wines, combined with the beautiful packaging design by Wytt Morro, further garnered interest in the potential of the region. Lindeman’s, Penfolds, Mildara, and others acquired land and existing vineyards during the early 1960s. The 1963 Mildara Cabernet Sauvignon became one of the most famous wines of the period, winning the nickname Peppermint Pattie on account of its minty aromas and flavours. The exact provenance of the wine is meant to be 100% Coonawarra, but various recollections suggest that other material from McLaren Vale or Reynella was included. Even so, the wine – apparently aged in seasoned Limousin oak hogsheads – blitzed the Australian wine show circuit. Having tasted the wine on various occasions, I have not seen a good example in many years. Christie’s catalogued 1963 Mildara Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz as the more famous Peppermint Pattie, but this is a lesser-known sister wine, which has probably outlasted its sibling by a considerable distance. Having been stored in cold conditions, the wine was preserved very well. The minty notes, common to both releases, were still clearly present but the density and character of the fruit, not to mention the overall freshness, made a much better marriage. Being a touch cynical, I would not be surprised if the wine was bolstered with some McLaren Vale shiraz, as the mid-palate possessed a generous chocolaty roundness. Coonawarra Shiraz was typically lighter and more claret-like at the time.
Hong Kong, March 2026
13
Powered by FlippingBook