Wynns Shiraz

Vibrant deep red with a red/purple hue. The bouquet shows there are lifted red cherries and wild berries, with some sweet spice, accompanied by hints of cocoa and subtle vanillin oak. The palate is rich and spicy, with red berry fruit and a touch of nutmeg. The fruit is well supported by ripe soft tannins which combine to add lovely length on the back of the palate.

Scotsman John Riddoch founded what is now Wynns Coonawarra Estate in the late 19th century. He planted his first vines in 1891 and by 1896 had completed the estate’s famous three gabled winery, an image that is reflected on the Wynns Coonawarra Estate labels to this day. It wasn’t until 1951 however, that two Melbourne wine merchants, Samuel and David Wynn, purchased Riddoch’s original vineyards and renamed the winery. Today, Wynns Coonawarra Estate is the region’s single largest vineyard holder, with the best and most established vineyards in the district. First made in 1982, the John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon was conceived as a flagship wine for the Wynns portfolio. The wine honours pasturalist and parliamentarian John Riddoch, who was the largest land-owner in South Australia’s south-east corner. With his brother George, the two owned the freehold to more than 70,000 acres. John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon is made in small quantities from the best available fruit grown on the estate’s extensive Cabernet plantings. It has become the definitive Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, and is arguably richer and more concentrated than any other wine in the region. Made only in years when grapes of extraordinarily high quality are available; less than one per cent of the top Cabernet grapes are used to make it.