The vintage gods smiled ever so well on the majority of the vineyard area of South Australia during the 2008 vintage and the result are wines like this little beauty from Jamiesons Run. A brilliant wine of richness and sweetness upon release, time in our climate controlled cellars has amplified those secondary characters of herb, cedar and mocha to deliver a perfectly balanced, and affordable cellared wine.

Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon is the icon Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. Named after Coonawarra pioneer, pastoralist and parliamentarian, John Riddoch, this Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the very best of Wynns vast planting in Coonawarra and it only made in the years that best express Wynns strive for excellence. Arguably richer and more complex from comparable styles in the region, John Riddoch Cabernet is highly sought after and extremely limited.

'Black Label' Cabernet Sauvignon, which was first vintaged in 1954, has evolved markedly over the decades. It is arguably Australia's most recognised Cabernet Sauvignon, and has more than any other, helped define Coonawarra. The wine is matured in new and seasoned French oak for 12 to 18 months. A classic Coonawarra Cabernet with pristine dark berry/ cassis aromas, fine grained tannins and underlying savoury nuances, it develops into a rich, chocolaty wine with age. In a super vintage, this wine can look astonishingly like a 2nd or 3rd growth Bordeaux with its pure cassis aromas and cedary complexity. See Chief Winemaker Sue Hodder speak about the spectacular 2015 release:

2006 Patrick of Coonawarra Home Block Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were grown at the Toccaciu Coonawarra estate, and the wine was matured for 26 months in French and American oak; while I am not a fan of ProCork, this is a very attractive wine, which has cruised through six, rising seven, years, the cassis and cedar flavours supported by very fine but persistent tannins.

The Parker Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is made in a riper, more generous style to its peers, yet with enough restraint to display the distinct varietal and regional characteristics. Offerings of ripe blackberry and damson plums, wafts of warm earth, iodine, mint and black olives. The palate shows a lot of restraint and freshness, fuller bodied not big though with determined tannins. A solid performer not just a backup singer.

The Mythology Cabernet Sauvignon is a tribute to ancient practices, with its own origin embedded in the richness of the Coonawarra soils and the artistry of traditional winemaking techniques. Dense dark fruits with brilliantly aromatics of raspberries and plums, dark chocolate and vanilla bean. Full bodied with lovely tannins, complemented by well-balanced French oak and a wonderfully long structured finish.

Jacaranda Ridge Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, always exhibiting its Coonawarra provenance in the form of regional aromas and flavours, the intensity of the fruit produced by this location is exceptional for the region. Showcasing traditional regional characters of fine tannin and blackberry leaf, but also a darker, brooding quality unique to the vineyard from which the grapes were sourced. The balance and poise of this wine, along with the ample cassis and dark berry fruit flavour, will see this age well for decades to come.