First made in 1982, the John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon was conceived as a flagship wine for Wynns. John Riddoch himself was a true visionary. Amongst his many achievements are the building of the Wynns Gabled winery and the establishment of the Coonawarra Fruit Colony.
John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon is made in small quantities from the best available fruit grown on the estate's extensive Cabernet Sauvignon plantings in the heart of the terra rossa soil It has become a definitive Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, made only in years when grapes of extraordinarily high quality are available, using less than one percent of the top-quality Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Coonawarra |
| Volume | 750 mL |
| Enclosure | Screw Cap |
| Alc/Vol | 13.7% |
| Winemaker | Sarah Pidgeon |
| 100 Points | Andrew Caillard |
| 98 Points | James Halliday |
Andrew Caillard
“Deep crimson. Lovely pure blackcurrant elderberry herb garden aromas with hints of espresso/ roasted chestnut notes. Beautiful concentrated wine with blackcurrant elderberry chinotto herb flavours, fine-grained and plentiful yet vigorous tannins, superb mid palate richness and integrated roasted chestnut/ cedar oak notes. Finishes chalky firm with a long inky/ graphite plume. Made for the long haul. Powerfully expressive yet unforced wine with superb vinosity, richness, density and volume. Superb. The fruit derives from the V&A (Victoria & Albert) and Nursery Vineyards, both located on classic terra-rossa soils. From a dry, mild to warm growing season. Wait a few years to let it unfold, 2025-2050.”
James Halliday
"Densely coloured, its amalgam of cassis and bay leaf is held within a fine web of ripe tannins, the excellent vintage also helping shape a cabernet of the highest class.”
Pure, focused and refined. Beautifully balanced acidity and freshness ensure that this wine will live gracefully for 30 years .
Plush and juicy ripe cassis flavours combine with a mocha like creaminess from French oak. Beautifully textured. A fine tannin line frames powerful fruit, providing all the hallmarks of a great John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon for the cellar.
Coonawarra, on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, is a flat, isolated region almost mid-point between Adelaide and Melbourne. The area enjoys a cool maritime climate - similar to that of Bordeaux - and is renowned for its unique terra rossa soil. Rich, rust coloured soils… crimson sunburnt faces… magenta sunsets: this is red wine country! While Coonawarra is famous for its rich, minty Cabernet, the area also produces Shiraz and Merlot and surprisingly good Chardonnay and Riesling.
A very warm and dry spring led to early flowering, veraison and harvest. The warm November temperatures were ideal for good berry set, necessitating extensive green harvest (thinning) for quality. The grape ripening months of February and March were influenced by a cold water “upwelling” off the coast, but overall, it was a warmer- than-average Coonawarra vintage. We describe our 2016 wines as being at the “fuller” end of our long-term Wynns Coonawarra flavour and style spectrum.
In 1998 Sarah was appointed winemaker at the renowned Wynns Coonawarra Estate winery. Here she feels privileged to continue the tradition of excellence and innovation, working with fruit from some of Australia’s top vineyards on the internationally famed terra rossa soil.
A love of well cellared, mature wines has been cultivated through her custodianship of the precious Wynns Museum Release wines. An intense knowledge of the terroir of Coonawarra vineyards, and great skill with coaxing the best from old vine Cabernets are among her constant rewards.
Questioning and challenging are important to ensuring a healthy future for Wynns and to this end Sarah has contributed to many important trials including development of a rigorous oak selection programme, and other technical trials for the winery.
A graduate of the prestigious Len Evans Wine Tutorial, her recent judging experience spans a decade at both regional and national shows.
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