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 |
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 |
"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 a core of pure, soft and unfettered berry fruits that cascade over the tongue and trail through the interminable finish. The piercing intensity of fruit on the middle palate echoes in the mouth. Truly, sublime." Erin Larkin
"Deep crimson. Expressive blackcurrant, blackberry, mocha, espresso aromas with graphite, hint leafy notes. Generous, dense and inky with plentiful blackcurrant, blackberry fruits, fine chocolaty/ grainy tannins and well-integrated roasted chestnut, mocha, vanilla oak notes. Finishes cedar firm. Elemental and compact wine with lovely density, vigour and mineral length. Not ready to drink, but should unfold and develop brilliantly. 16 months in new and seasoned French oak barrels. 31% new French oak, 69% in 1-4yo French oak. 85% barriques, 15% hogsheads. Drink 2025 – 2038 13.5% alc 97 points" Andrew Caillard MW
"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, lengthy, silken and rippled with fine-but-assertive tannin. One sip and I was both bowled over and convinced. It’s awash with blackcurrant, whispered with tobacco, lifted with mint and finished with both redcurrant and cedarwood. It’s the combination of power, balance and length that really sets it apart. 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." Campbell Mattinson
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.
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.
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.
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.