Coonawarra

"Coonawarra’s agricultural history began in the mid-1800s when settlers recognised the potential of the flat, fertile plains for sheep farming and fruit growing. Enterprising Scottish settler John Riddoch planted Coonawarra’s first grapevines in 1891, thirty years after establishing a lucrative sheep farm at Penola. Thanks to the work of pioneering work of people like David Wynn and Bill Redman today Coonawarra is, perhaps alongside Margaret River, Australia’s most famous cool-climate region for Cabernet Sauvignon.

The grape varietal has found a home in the terra rossa soils of Coonawarra, producing rich, firmly structured red wines that are renowned around the world... While not unique to the region, the terra rossa of Coonawarra is Australia's most famous soil. Vivid red in colour, it is either friable subplastic clay or a shallow friable loam derived from and lying on top of a bed of soft limestone. 

The terra rossa strip is just one-kilometre-wide and runs for 12 kilometres northwest through Coonawarra. This tiny stretch of land is among the most valuable – and controversial – patches of earth in Australian wine. But rather than creating a climate of elitism this is a region where the production of world-class wines is woven into the community. Coonawarra is home to well-established names that have endured and continue to succeed alongside newer names that are reinvigorating the region. And while Cabernet holds the Coonawarra crown, there is a lot more to this classic region than first meets the eye." - Wine Australia

Map courtesy of Wine Australia

  • Wynns Black Label Shiraz 2019

    Wynns Black Label Shiraz 2019

    Region: SA- Coonawarra
    Farming Sustainably-made

    GOLD WINNER AT 2022 ROYAL MELBOURNE WINE AWARDS!

        "Some fruit comes off the Undoolya vineyard planted in 1894. This has slipped comfortably into a seamless wine. Supple, ripe fruit, lightly spiced with cedar, liqorice root and cinnamon. The palate is fuller bodied but so restrained. The...

    Current stock: 1

    $40.00
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  • Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

    Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

    Region: SA- Coonawarra
    Farming Sustainably-made

    97 POINTS! - THE REAL REVIEW
    96 POINTS! - HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION

      "Impressively dense, dark, glass-staining colour with a strong tint of purple. Concentrated and superripe blackberry aromas, bright and intense and beautifully ripe with minimal herbal accents. Nuances of tar and licorice as well. It's full...

    Current stock: 1

    $155.00
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  • Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Gift Boxed

    Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Gift Boxed

    Region: SA- Coonawarra
    Farming Sustainably-made

    99 POINTS! - HUON HOOKE!
    98 POINTS! - WINE ADVOCATE
    98 POINTS! - WINE PILOT
    98 POINTS! - JANE ANSON
    98 POINTS! - HALLIDAY
    TOP 100 WINES 2024 HALLIDAY
    GIFT BOXED EDITION

      "The 2021 John Riddoch Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon is a brilliant wine. It is achingly intense yet is defined by its levity, which is not a common attribute in Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine expounds the virtues of the red gravel...

    Current stock: 12

    $165.00
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  • Yayoi Wines Merlot 2023

    Yayoi Wines Merlot 2023

    Region: SA- Coonawarra

    A DELIGHTFUL, LIGHT RED, JOYOUSLY MADE BY AN EXCITING NEW WINERY

      "Yayoi make a slurpable, juicy Merlot they call the Miles Raymond, in tribute to the character in the movie Sideways who famously never drank Merlot. Sourced from a quality Coonawarra site, this is a decidedly light, fresh take on the variety,...

    Current stock: 4

    $30.00
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  • Wynns Michael Shiraz 2021

    Wynns Michael Shiraz 2021

    Region: SA- Coonawarra
    Farming Sustainably-made

    98 POINTS! - WINE PILOT
    ONLY MADE IN THE BEST VINTAGES, THE MICHAEL SHIRAZ IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE FINEST SHIRAZ PRODUCED IN AUSTRALIA

      "A wine that is only made in the better vintages although it has made more regular appearances in recent years, thanks to the combination of vintages and vast improvements in viticulture that were part of the Wynns overhaul some years ago. This...

    Current stock: 2

    $150.00
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  • Wynns Messenger Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

    Wynns Messenger Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

    Region: SA- Coonawarra
    Farming Sustainably-made

    97 POINTS! - HUON HOOKE
    96 POINTS! - WINE PILOT
    A DISTINGUISHED, SINGLE VINEYARD RELEASE

      "One of the picks of the 2021 vintage releases, Messenger comes from The Messenger vineyard located at the southern end of Coonawarra’s famous terra rossa strip. Each year, Wynns winemakers choose a premium parcel of fruit from a single...

    Current stock: 3

    $80.00
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  • Wynns Black Label Shiraz 2022

    Wynns Black Label Shiraz 2022

    Region: SA- Coonawarra
    Farming Sustainably-made

    A SUPERB, EFFORTLESS SHIRAZ FROM THE OLD VINES OF COONAWARRA

      "Sweet black berries rise from the glass followed by red fruits, aniseed and a whisper of woodsy oak before a rush of Aussie bush scents and bay leaf. Old Vines – widely known as Black Label Shiraz – unfolds in the glass with ease,...

    Qualifies for 10% discount in a straight dozen

    Current stock: 21

    $40.00
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  • Ottelia Riesling 2023

    Ottelia Riesling 2023

    Region: SA- Coonawarra
    Farming Vegan-friendly Sustainably-made

    A CLEAN AND ENERGETIC RIESLING FROM MOUNT GAMBIER - GREAT VALUE!

      "A citrussy and mineral Riesling showing impressive structure, liveliness and length. Clean and with refreshing acidity, this excellent value Riesling pairs well with seafood but can be enjoyed on its own." - Wine House   "The Ellis family...

    Current stock: 10

    $25.00
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  • Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

    Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

    Region: SA- Coonawarra

    98 POINTS - TONY LOVE
    97+ POINTS - ERIN LARKIN, WINE ADVOCATE
    97 POINTS - TYSON STELZER

      "It’s all Coonawarra, it’s all Cabernet Sauvignon and it’s all French oak. The herb notes come straight at you but then the fruit, wow the fruit, it’s a surging wave. Blackcurrant, mint and woodsmoke in pure, commanding,...

    Current stock: 1

    $300.00
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  • Balnaves The Tally Reserve Cabernet 2021

    Balnaves The Tally Reserve Cabernet 2021

    Region: SA- Coonawarra

    98 POINTS! - HALLIDAY
    "While very intense, its perfect balance makes it light on its feet." - Halliday

    Among his many pursuits, Doug Balnaves was a shearer of Merino sheep. A shearer in Australia, is paid by the number of sheep he shears. Counted every two-hour period, the Tally is recorded in the Tally book. The higher the Tally, the greater the...

    $95.00
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  • Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

    Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

    Region: SA- Coonawarra
    Farming Vegan-friendly

    JAMES HALLIDAY 94 POINTS!

      "Aromatically a very pretty wine with cassis and raspberry characters intertwined. This paves the way for the elegant, medium bodied wine to shine. Ageing of the wine in French oak barriques for 18 months harnessed the inherent fine tannin...

    $40.00
    $37.00
    SOLD-OUT
  • Majella The Malleea Cabernet Shiraz 2015

    Majella The Malleea Cabernet Shiraz 2015

    Region: SA- Coonawarra

    A BLEND FROM THE OLDEST SHIRAZ AND CABERNET VINES ON THE MAJELLA ESTATE

      "A blend of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz from the oldest vines on the Majella estate. Prime quality. Smooth as silk. Pure, rich blackcurrant, plum, and boysenberry with cedar wood highlights. Acidity is slightly nervy but the quality of the...

    Current stock: 1

    $80.00
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  • Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

    Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

    Region: SA- Coonawarra
    Farming Sustainably-made

    97 POINTS HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION!

      "Like the 2018 that preceded it, this is a wine of stature, precision and endurance. The tannins are fine and omnipresent, but then a cabernet without tannins would be like a person without purpose. This is direct, forthright and confident, with...

    Current stock: 13

    $150.00
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  • Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

    Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

    Region: SA- Coonawarra
    Farming Sustainably-made

    96 POINTS HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION!

      "Such fine-grained tannin, such even-handed fruit, such a lengthy finish. This is a beautiful Black Label cabernet, elegantly medium-bodied, blessed with blackcurrant, forest berry, cool mint and cedar characters, and tempered by tobacco-like...

    Current stock: 5

    $42.00
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  • Penley Steyning Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

    Penley Steyning Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

    Region: SA- Coonawarra

    JAMES HALLIDAY WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR 2024!
    HALLIDAY 96 POINTS!

      "Dark, fragrant aromas of blood plum, blackcurrant and anise will draw you in to this contemporary expression of Coonawarra cabernet. It’s a complex and thought-provoking wine, medium-bodied with layers of cassis, dark chocolate and toasty...

    Qualifies for 10% discount in a straight dozen

    $60.00
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  • Penley Chertsey Cabernet Merlot Cabernet Franc 2018

    Penley Chertsey Cabernet Merlot Cabernet Franc 2018

    Region: SA- Coonawarra

    JAMES HALLIDAY 2024 WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR!
    JAMES HALLIDAY 96 POINTS!

      "A 3-way bet of 70/20/10% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/cabernet franc. They must be magic numbers, because this is an enchanting outcome. The aromas are like perfume: all floral, blackberries and exotic spices. But it is the palate that really puts...

    Qualifies for 10% discount in a straight dozen

    $60.00
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  • Hollick Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

    Hollick Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

    Region: SA- Coonawarra

    THIS CLASSIC COONAWARRA ESTATE IS RENOWNED FOR ITS AGEWORTHY CABERNETS!

      "This is a wine of substantial pedigree, indelibly marked by the menthol, piercing currant and firm, wiry tannins of the region. The fruit is generous, judiciously ripe and not excessive. The oak, too, is handled with aplomb following partial...

    Current stock: 4

    $70.00
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  • Leasingham Classic Clare Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

    Leasingham Classic Clare Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

    Region: SA- Coonawarra

    DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS MEDAL

      "The term 'Classic' is entirely apt with the Clare's signature billow of dark fruit and spice, sluiced by a verdant lift of peppermint patty, drying across a bed of astringent tannins. These serve the purpose, though, corralling the flavours...

    Current stock: 9

    $60.00
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  • Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot 2016 Evans Vineyard

    Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot 2016 Evans Vineyard

    Region: SA- Coonawarra

        "Lots of purple remaining in this deep crimson colour, the bouquet shows toasty-oak laced dark berries, with a layer of very dark chocolate. It's very full-bodied and firm, rich and dense with masses of tannins providing formidable...

    Current stock: 5

    $80.00
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