Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Coonawarra

Tasting Notes: This 2003 is fragrantly floral and it shows a cedary / savoury edge, from four years in bottle. It is made entirely from estate fruit, off vines 30 years and over. It has aromas of cedar, tobacco and strawberry. The palate is medium bodied, with obvious sweet cassis fruit flavours, a touch of cedar and vanillin oak to finish.

Background Information: It’s taken all year but finally we’ve found a replacement for the 2004, which sold out in December of last year. It was the RACV City Club who took the last of it and it’s been 8 months of tasting a lot of samples before we finally found something as good to replace it.

Over this period we’ve sampled some wines of poor quality as well as some pretty decent drops, but none good enough until now. We like to have a wine with some bottle age on it to go under our ‘Premium’ One Tree Paddock Range, which is not always easy to find.

This is sourced from one of the more famous of Coonawarra names. They were established in 1985and own 17.5ha of predominantly cabernet vines in the southern end of Coonawarra.

The well known winemaker was awarded the prestigious Qantas / Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year award a couple of years ago. They produce three Coonawarra Cabs, as well as a range of wines for the export market, starting at AUS$21 to their Reserve at $110, which is released in only the best vintages.

The winery did not release a Reserve in 2003, so the best fruit was used for the standard release wines, making them even more special.

Vintage: 2003

State: South Australia

Country: Australia

Alcohol Content: 13.5%

Standard Drinks: 7.7

Preservatives: 220

Bottle Top: Screwcap

Bottle Size: 750 ml

Red/White Wine: Red