Langtons Selections ^3Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, ^4Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz, Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz Wynns Coonawarra Estate is the largest single vigneron in Coonawarra with almost 2200 acres of classic terra rossa. The distinct gabled winery built in 1896 by John Riddoch, the founder of the Coonawarra Fruit Colony, was once known as Chateau Comaum and was briefly home to the rare and wonderful Woodleys Treasure Chest Series wines produced during the late 1940s and very early 1950s. Noted Melbourne wine merchants Samuel and David Wynn purchased the winery and land in 1951. It is currently owned by the enormous wine group Foster’s Wine Estates. Top of the range is John Riddoch Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. It is not a single vineyard wine, rather a single varietal ultra-Cabernet Sauvignon using fruit from Wynns’ extensive Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. The wine is jam packed with fruit and tannins and immersed in new oak, needing several years to integrate. If anything the wine has enjoyed improved confidence on the secondary wine market -on the back of positive reviews of cellaring performance. Michael Shiraz named after the superb but one-off 1955 Michael Hermitage was reintroduced into the market in the early 1990s (first vintage 1991). It hasn’t really attracted the same level of interest as John Riddoch. Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is referred to as Black Label. This wine, more than any other, has helped define Coonawarra. In a super vintage, this wine can look alarmingly like a 2nd or 3rd growth Bordeaux with its pure cassis aromas and cedary complexity. The wines are matured in a combination of new and old American and French oak for between 12 and 18 months depending on vintage. In more recent times Wynns has released single vineyard block wines. These special selected wines Harold Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Johnson’s Block Cabernet Sauvignon are certainly wines to look out for. Sue Hodder, long term head winemaker and one of the region’s most deft and capable hands, has made a huge difference in overall quality. The Shiraz is blindingly good value, almost repeating the Cabernet Sauvignon irony. A Riesling, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot are also made, providing great drinking at competitive prices. Wynns enjoys a moderate volume of interest, spiking on recognised vintage form. Andrew Caillard MW, Langtons