James Halliday Wine Companion 2020

97 / 100

Deep but bright colour. The highly expressive bouquet offers red berries with spice and pepper notes wrapped in controlled oak. The delicious, velvety palate unrolls layer-upon-layer of black fruits to accompany the red, its tannins round and soft. The key words are balance and length.

Wine Details

• Region Coonawarra, South Australia
• Vintage 2016
• Type Red Wine
• Variety Shiraz Cabernet
• Volume 750ml
• Alcohol Volume 14.5%
• PH

  3.40 g/l

• Standard Drinks 8.6
• Acidity

  6.38 g/l

• Closure Cork
• Background

  A dry Shiraz Cabernet made in the old ‘Coonawarra’ style, celebrating the legacy of William Wilson. Released in the 200th year since his birth, it is a collaboration between his descendants, the Balnaves and Redman families, who proudly continue to produce wine in Coonawarra.

• Vineyard Notes

  Made from 55% Redman’s 80 year old North End Shiraz and 45% Balnaves 43 year old Paulownia Cabernet Sauvignon vines, the fruit was hand-picked, destemmed and fermented in open topped fermenters with plunging and pump overs. The Cabernet spent 26 days on skins. Maturation for 18 months in French oak barrels (38% new) preceded blending and bottling in February 2018.

• Tasting Notes

  Deep red in colour, the nose displays dark mulberry and blackberry fruit with highlights of violets and subtle spicy French oak. The palate is smooth and light with fine grained tannin and great balance of fruit and structure.

• Peak Drinking / Cellaring Potential

  A wine to cellar that celebrates the 121 year winemaking history of Coonawarra and the man who inspired its beginning, William Wilson.

• History

  About William Wilson