John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Wynns Coonawarra Estate
John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Wynns Coonawarra Estate
John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Overview
Overview
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 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 | 2019 |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Coonawarra |
| Volume | 750 mL |
| Closure | Screw Cap |
| Alc/Vol | 13.5% |
| Winemaker | Sue Hodder & Sarah Pidgeon |
Awards and Accolades
Awards and Accolades
| 98 Points | James Halliday, The Australian |
| 98 Points | Winsor Dobbin |
| 19+/20 Points | Matthew Jukes |
| 97+ Points | Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate |
| 97 Points | Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion |
| 97 Points | Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal |
| 97 Points | Stuart Knox, The Real Review |
| 96+ Points | Campbell Mattinson, The Winefront |
| 96 Points | Jane Anson, janeanson.com Inside Bordeux |
| 96 Points | Angus Hughson, Vinous |
| 96 Points | Georgina Hindle, Decanter |
| 94 Points | Markus Del Monego, tastingbook.com |
| 93 Points | Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent |
Erin Larkin
"Like the 2018 that preceded it, this is a wine of stature, precision and endurance. The piercing intensity of fruit on the middle palate echoes in the mouth. Truly, sublime. 97 Points."
Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal
"Deep crimson. Expressive blackcurrant, blackberry, mocha, espresso aromas with graphite, hint leafy notes. Not ready to drink, but should unfold and develop brilliantly. Drink 2025 – 2038. 97 Points."
Campbell Mattinson
"This is a stellar release. It’s everything you could hope for in a cabernet; both pure and bold of fruit, elegant at the same time. One sip and I was both bowled over and convinced. It’s so well put together that you could easily drink it now, seriously, though of course, its true magic will come in another 20 or 40 years time. 96+ Points."
Food Pairing
Food Pairing
Chicken
Cheese
Veg
Taste Description
Taste Description
Nose
An attractive lift of violet adds floral perfume to its bright red and dark cherries, with deep undertones of chestnut and bitter dark chocolate imparting a brooding complexity.
Flavours and Palate
The near ideal conditions offered by 2019 have produced a brightly lit John Riddoch which flows elegantly without excess weight. Its vivid red and black forest berries sit within a classical medium-weighted frame, before they extend with great persistence to a long finish marked by an impression of sandalwood and finely detailed tannins.
Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking
Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking
Coonawarra, South Australia
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.
Good winter rainfall was followed by a cool dry spring. Canopies remained in excellent condition through to the end of harvest, with even warm days, no heat spikes, and the important cool nights created by the Southern Ocean upwelling. Ripening season temperatures were cooler than 2018 and the resulting picking dates were close to long term average, with Cabernet harvested over three weeks in April. 2019 was an excellent, classic Wynns vintage – medium bodied with good bright colour and fine tannins.
Sarah Pidgeon - Winemaker
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.