Coonawarra is one of our favourite wine regions in Australia. It’s really everything about the place. The quaint small-town charm. The main thoroughfare flanked by oceans of vines as far as the eye can see. Hosts at cellar doors who are genuinely hospitable – actually happy you’ve come to pay the visit. And of course, above all, glorious, glorious (predominantly red) wines.
We believe Coonawarra holds Australia’s greatest potential for Cabernet Sauvignon. Somehow, the soils and local climate conspire (in most vintages) to produce Cab Sauv of great structure, engaging brambly complexity, and crowd-pleasing juiciness. Usually, we’d consider a red wine “good” if it can nail just one of those three boxes. In Coonawarra, Cabernet regularly ticks all three.
But because Cab Sauv has been so successful here, people often overlook Coonawarra’s magnificent potential for other reds. The region can produce sublime Shiraz, with more heft than Victorian Shiraz and more finesse than most its SA counterparts. And Merlot! – you’d be surprised how much complexity Coonawarra can pull out of this oft overlooked grape. And the list goes on – Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, etc – so many wonderful things to discover in Coonawarra reds. So many unique takes breathing fresh life into varieties you may not know as well as you thought!
We highly recommend you pay Coonawarra a visit. A full weekend will give you a solid feel for the region and guarantees a good time. In addition to the wineries highlighted just below, a few more “must visits” include Balnaves, Di Giorgio, and Raidis Estate (all closed during our recent visit during the holidays).
Three wines (and host wineries) we loved on our recent visit:
* Zema 2022 Sparkling Merlot – wow! What a dark and savoury wonder! Peppery strawberry, dark spices, and a lot of dark forest in general saturate the palate. Very engaging and proves why sparkling is a contender format for reds.
* Hollick 2019 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon – Coonawarra glory delivered! A punchy eucalyptus nose segues into a perfectly assertive, quintessential Coonawarra Cab. Blackberries and bramble, plenty of spice, impeccable structure, endless length – yes, please!
* Parker 2020 Shiraz – For under $25, an engaging, almost mercurial Coonawarra Shiraz. Perfumed, fruity, almost candied nose gives way to a rich blackberry & mocha palate which slowly fades into a lingering pepper and spice finish. Very interesting. Very good!
Magical wine experiences abound in places like Coonawarra, and that’s #WhyWeLoveWine To stay across all our wine adventures, like us at facebook.com/winehuntersaus
