Lindemans Limestone Ridge Shiraz Cabernet 1997

The Coonawarra Trio of Limestone Ridge Vineyard Shiraz Cabernet, St George Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Pyrus Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Malbec are all of exemplary quality."  James Halliday

The Limestone Ridge Shiraz Cabernet is one of the three wines that make up Lindemans' famous Trio, which are the ultimate expression of Coonawarra and represent the pinnacle of the company's viticultural and winemaking skills. Fruit is sourced exclusively from the Limestone Ridge vineyard, which was planted in 1967 with 22 hectares of shiraz and 2 hectares of cabernet sauvignon on the eastern boundary. The vineyard was so named because the topsoil was very shallow, and the underlying ridge of limestone caused considerable problems in readying the land for planting. This same limestone gives the wines the bony structure and long life which so distinguish them.

"A traditional Lindemans Coonawarra red with typically rich, ripe plummy and spicy small berry fruit which has absorbed the full small oak treatment to develop mocha and chocolate flavours and a typically smooth, creamy palate."  Jeremy Oliver

Expert reviews

"Medium to full red-purple; lusciously ripe plummy/cherry fruit is swathed in high-quality oak on the bouquet. The same ripe cherry and plum fruit runs through a seductive palate with a long, soft finish. Oak certainly makes its contribution, but does so in balance and harmony with the fruit. Best Drinking: 2002-2012."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion – 94 points

"A traditional Lindemans Coonawarra red with typically rich, ripe plummy and spicy small berry fruit which has absorbed the full small oak treatment to develop mocha and chocolate flavours and a typically smooth, creamy palate. Drink 2005-2009."  Jeremy Oliver - 90 points

Limestone ridge vineyard

Lindemans has a long history in the Coonawarra region through buying wines for blending in the 1950s before formally arriving in Coonawarra with the purchase of the Rouge Homme winery and its vineyards and land in 1965.

In addition to the 19 hectares of vineyards they acquired from Rouge Homme, they also acquired 119 hectares of red soil suitable for vines. Limestone Ridge was the first vineyard planted by Lindemans after the acquisition. Between 1967 and 1968, 22 hectares of shiraz and 2 hectares of cabernet sauvignon were planted on the eastern boundary. The vineyard was so named because the topsoil was very shallow, and the underlying ridge of limestone caused considerable problems in readying the land for planting.

About the winery

Lindemans Hunter Valley Winery and Vineyards

Lindemans was founded in 1843 by Dr Henry John Lindeman who planted its first vines on his 816-acre property 'Cawarra' on the Upper Paterson River in the Hunter Valley wine region. The business flourished and nine years later, Lindeman established a head office, and storage and bottling facilities in Sydney.

Fast forward over a century and Lindeman's winemaker Karl Stockhausen crafted many sublime Hunter semillons (labelled Hunter River Riesling) in the mid-1950s to late-1960s, together with some great Hunter shiraz (labelled Hunter River Burgundy). The 1965 Lindemans Hunter River Burgundy Bin 3100 and 1965 Lindemans Hunter River Burgundy 3110 were iconic wines that generated a cult following in subsequent decades.

While Lindemans was established in the Hunter Valley, it was an early pioneer of cross-regional sourcing. Under the direction of Ray Kidd, one of Australia's great and largely unsung wine men, who ran Lindemans from 1962 to 1986, Lindemans expanded into the Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Padthaway, Clare Valley and Corowa. Ray bought Leo Buring in 1962 and Rouge Homme in 1965, purchased the century-old Nursery vineyard (the oldest planting in Coonawarra) in 1965 and planted the Limestone Ridge and St Georges vineyards in 1967 and 1969 respectively. Lindemans produce their famous Trio of benchmark Coonawarra wines - St George Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Limestone Ridge Vineyard Shiraz Cabernet and Pyrus Cabernet blend - from these three vineyards.

Lindemans most successful wine was the infamous Ben Ean Moselle which was aimed at the lower end of the market and produced in enormous quantities to compete with Orlando's Barossa Pearl. It financed much of Lindemans' growth in the 1970s and reached its peak in 1979 when it accounted for more than 20% of Australia's bottled white wine sales. Ben Ean was the creation of Ray Kidd while he was Lindemans' cellar and vineyard manager in the late 1950s and was originally produced from Hunter Semillon with some Verdelho. Kidd correctly predicted that the hugely successful fruity carbonated sweet Pearl wines would lead drinkers to demand still table wines with the same features.

In 2005, the Lindemans brand and assets, which had been previously owned by Foster's and Southcorp, were acquired by Treasury Wine Estates. The Coonawarra Trio continue to be a compelling expression of wine borne of the famed terra rossa soil, but sadly various factors including time, fashion and complacency have worked against their reputation. The globalisation of the brand name has also not helped, as they seem to get lost in such a commercially focussed portfolio.