Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (Gift Box)

"John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s great fine red wines."  Andrew Caillard MW  

Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year 2024 - Tyson Stelzer
Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wines of 2024

"Akin to an elite Saint-Estèphe. Epic."  Matthew Jukes
"Powerful, profound and rich."  Huon Hooke
"This is textbook Coonawarra of the highest order."  Tyson Stelzer
"A brilliant wine. Achingly intense."  Erin Larkin
"Composed and super refined, with killer length and balance."  Angus Hughson
"One of our most iconic wines and a world famous Cabernet."  Ken Gargett
"Pure cabernet poise."  Shanteh Wale
"Tremendous power and persistence."  Ray Jordan
"An outstanding example of Coonawarra Cabernet."  Jeni Port
"Full of Cabernet Sauvignon cassis. Great quality." Inside Bordeaux
"Utterly gorgeous. Impeccably balanced."  John Stimpfig

First made in 1982, the John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship wine of the Wynns portfolio. It is made in small quantities from the best available fruit grown on Wynns Coonawarra Estate's extensive Cabernet plantings. It is produced from the top 1% of available Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and is made only in the years when the grapes are of extraordinarily high quality. It has become the definitive Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, and is arguably richer and more concentrated than any other wine in the region. Classified 'Exceptional' in Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine, a rating equivalent to an Australian 'First Growth', it is one of the most prized and highly sought-after Australian wines. 

"In one word - epic.  Having just returned from ten days in Bordeaux tasting a vast number of youthful Cabernets, if this beauty had been slipped into the mix, it would have lounged somewhere near the top of the pile.  John Riddoch is a pristine Cabernet with relatively low alcohol (top Bordeaux typically ranges from 13 – 14.5%), firm acidity and a reasonable percentage of new French oak (approximately 25%). This recipe sounds like one read straight from the fiche technique of a great Left Bank wine, albeit with a lower percentage of new oak. In reality, John Riddoch is more akin to an elite Saint-Estèphe than a typical New World Cabernet: don’t even contemplate Argentina, Chile, Tuscany, South Africa or California because the bulk of these wines are not even in the same ballpark!  ’21 JR is pure, stunningly plush, deeply fruited but seemingly weightless and incredibly detailed. It is a superb thoroughbred with impeccable balance. It is time that Wynns John Riddoch sat alongside the acknowledged world Cabernet greats, and this vintage will undoubtedly help make this dream a reality."  Matthew Jukes

"Matured for 16 months in French oak barrels of which 48% were hogsheads and 52% were barriques. Deep red with a purple hue. An immediate lifted bouquet of scented florals and red fruits. Violets and rose petal aromas are a hallmark of a great Wynns vintage and the 2021 has them in abundance. Berries and cherries are apparent with hints of dried sage. The fresh red and dark cherry palate is lively and alluring. Supple and very fine tannins meshed with fresh acidity. The 2021 has the piquancy of a young wine, yet it is already integrated for drinking. Chestnuts and dark chocolate are apparent on the finish. A classic medium bodied Cabernet with moderate alcohol and the hallmark Wynns balance. Enjoy on release, or carefully cellar for up to 30 years."  Wynns Coonawarra Estate

Expert reviews

"Very deep, dark, impenetrable purple colour; a gorgeous fragrance of spicy superripe berries and a hint of licorice, super concentrated and almost essency. Traces of soy sauce and nori. The wine is highly concentrated on the palate; powerful, profound and rich, with masses of sweetly ripe berry fruit and no sign of herbal varietal touches. A profound and multi-dimensional cabernet that will richly reward long-term cellaring. It drinks superbly already but it would be sacrilege to open it before it's had more time to build the tertiary complexity that we know will come with time."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 99 points

"In one word - epic.  Having just returned from ten days in Bordeaux tasting a vast number of youthful Cabernets, among other styles of wine, if this beauty had been slipped into the mix, it would have lounged somewhere near the top of the pile.  John Riddoch is a pristine Cabernet with relatively low alcohol (top Bordeaux typically ranges from 13 – 14.5%), firm acidity and a reasonable percentage of new French oak (approximately 25%). This recipe sounds like one read straight from the fiche technique of a great Left Bank wine, albeit with a lower percentage of new oak(!). In reality, John Riddoch is more akin to an elite Saint-Estèphe than a typical New World Cabernet: don’t even contemplate Argentina, Chile, Tuscany, South Africa or California because the bulk of these wines are not even in the same ballpark!  ’21 JR is pure, stunningly plush, deeply fruited but seemingly weightless and incredibly detailed. It is a superb thoroughbred with impeccable balance, and it is as relevant for an old-world geek as it is for a new-world disciple. It is time that Wynns John Riddoch sat alongside the acknowledged world Cabernet greats, and this vintage will undoubtedly help make this dream a reality."  Matthew Jukes - 19.5+/20 points 

"The complexity, concentration and structural harmony that can only come from long, slow ripening in a cool season are something to behold, and John Riddoch exemplifies this like no other cabernet. This is textbook Coonawarra of the highest order, pinpoint in its varietal definition, striking a balance between power and long-enduring structural confidence of limestone-mineral tannins like only the greatest vintages can achieve. A worthy winner of my Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year."  Tyson Stelzer - 98 points and Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year 2024

"The 2021 John Riddoch Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon is a brilliant wine. It is achingly intense yet is defined by its levity, which is not a common attribute in Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine expounds the virtues of the red gravel in which the fruit was grown, via its iodine and crushed shells, cassis and blood, sweet marrow and tobacco. It tastes so clearly of the place, which is a wonderful thing. The back palate swells with flavor, framed by the earth and the attuned oak. This is a tribute to the earth, an ode to it. Plentiful tannins bob along on the current of fruit. This will cellar interminably. It's up there in both quality and feel with the 2010, or so I think. Drink: 2024-2051."  Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate - 98 points

"16 months French oak hogsheads and barriques (31% new, the balance one to six years old) and 22 months in bottle prior to release. A cacophony of blackberries, Bing cherries and elderberries. Blackcurrant leaf, acaí and prune skin. Black coffee, vanilla pod, ash and charcoal. Acidity wisps about the palate like magic, a mesh of thread-like tannins pull and draw the focus. A hint of dark chocolate bitters; the wine finishes perky with echoing tunes of granite. It's just so centered and chic. Pure cabernet poise. Drink by 2038."  Shanteh Wale, Halliday Wine Companion - 98 points and Top 100 Wines of 2024 and Special Value Wine  ★ 

"One of the best vintages in Coonawarra for many years. Little wonder this release of the John Riddoch is one of the best since the initial release from the 1982 vintage. Aromas of violets and red berry with a slightly cherry glaze character adding further intrigue. The palate is medium weight and refined but with tremendous power and persistence. A combination of hogsheads and barriques has been used to deliver the perfect level of oak. One of the best of these I can recall. Drink: 2024 – 2054."  Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot - 98 points

"Gotta love a wine that unfolds slowly over time, what you first sniff and taste is subtly different to what you sniff and taste an hour, half a day, a day, later. My notes for John Riddoch came in two acts, two tastings over two days. I am sure there could be a lot more acts, indeed, a full play waiting to be discovered in this outstanding example of Coonawarra Cabernet. There’s no shying away from what it is, there is a noteworthy herbal presence throughout and rich layers of black fruits and berries, vanilla and gentle spice. The rising, aromatic florals, led by violet, lift the wine, the earthy, chocolate and spice notes ring in behind. Fruit, oak and tannin are beautifully in sync, probably the best for some time. Ripe, supple but firm tannins bring extra focus, and there’s plenty in the tank for the future. Beautifully in balance. Drink: 2024 – 2045."  Jeni Port, Wine Pilot - 98 points

"Deep inky purple, full concentration, gorgeous chalky tannins, this is just such a consistently impressive wine, with stretched out architecture and a real kick of freshness, full of Cabernet Sauvignon cassis that sits on the edge of capsicum and eucalyptus, with rose bud and raspberry leaf, black truffle, espresso, cocoa bean, peppery fleshy plum. Savoury, intense and highly spiced. Great quality."  Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux - 98 points

"This utterly gorgeous John Riddoch has clearly benefited from the long, cool growing season in 2021 and Sue Hodder’s skilful winemaking. The appearance is youthful and bright while the nose provides alluring primary cassis and floral aromas. On the palate are flavours of juicy blackcurrant, violets and cocoa powder all supported by deft cushioning tannins, super acidity and considerable length. Once again, it is an impeccably balanced wine of moderate weight and structure with considerable class, pleasure and charm that is already delicious to drink. And although it is approachable now, this will also go the distance for long-term cellaring."  John Stimpfig, The Wine Conversation 

"One of our most iconic wines and a world famous Cabernet. It would be most people’s choice as the pinnacle from Coonawarra, every year. First made from the 1982 vintage, early examples from top years like 1982, still drink like a dream. From a stunning vintage like 2021, who knows the lifespan. The wine spent 16 months in a mix of French oak, 48% hogsheads and 52% barriques. An inky opaque maroon colour here, the nose gives us chocolate, blackberries, tobacco leaves, soy, licorice, mint, vanilla and dried herbs. This is impressively concentrated and balanced at the same time. The structure exhibits good focus, great length and fine, silky tannins. On the palate we see notes of coffee beans, root vegetables and mocha. This wine has power and will give pleasure for twenty years, more if you want. Drink: 2024-2044."  Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot - 97 points 

"This 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is stylish but built for the long haul taking a couple of days to show its true colours. It radiates with blackcurrant, gravel and dried mint aromas with a dusting of earth all wrapped up in a gentle blanket of French oak. Composed and super refined, the wine is underpinned by a line of seductive yet firm tannins with killer length and balance to finish. Already very approachable but with serious staying power. Drink: 2030 - 2045."  Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot - 97 points

"It’s medium in weight or just on the bold side of that. It tastes of mint and redcurrant/blackcurrant, black olives and dark tobacco and it has soft, sweet, smoky oak laid within. It has great fruit/oak integration and its quality fruit/oak at that. The first time I tasted this I thought that the tannin was slightly too firm but the second time, it seemed hand-in-glove. Sue Hodder is, as we all know, a fantastic winemaker and this is yet more evidence. Drink: 2030-2040+."  Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front - 96 points

Awards

Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year 2024 - Tyson Stelzer
Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wines of 2024
Special Value Wine – Halliday Wine Companion  ★  

Sue Hodder

Sue Hodder is one of Australia's best-known winemakers. Sue grew up in Alice Springs and began her wine career as a viticulturist before moving into winemaking. She joined Wynns in 1993 as a winemaker under the guidance of Peter Douglas before being appointed senior winemaker in 1998.

Sue celebrated her 30th vintage at Wynn's in May 2022 in the same year that the winery celebrated 40 years of the winery's John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, named after the pioneer who first plated the vineyards back in 1891.

After 30 vintages, Hodder said: "I still have great joy in walking out the back door to our historic triple-gabled winery. While this beautiful building remains largely untouched, we do now use smaller tanks, oak fermenters, different oak barrels, and an optical berry sorter. These winemaking tools just enable us to be more confidently creative. Our winemaking team has had remarkably few changes over the years – we are a family at Wynns, and our house style remains clear.”

Sue Hodder has been the guiding light for Wynns since the nineties, supported by viticultural guru Allen Jenkins and winemaker Sarah Pidgeon. Over the last 20 years the team have overseen a program of revitalizing and replacing the old vines damaged by excessive machine pruning. Since 2002, 300 hectares of vines have been rejuvenated. They have also purchased the best winemaking equipment available, including an optical grape sorter that had "shocking" results, according to Hodder. "The main result is brighter fruit," she says. 

In addition, Sue has initiated a move to open fermentors in the winery and 100% French oak, which together with the viticultural improvements, have resulted in more elegant wines with greater fruit purity and very bright, precise fruit flavours and aromas. 

Sue and Allen were joint winners of the 2010 Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year Award, among many other accolades Sue has picked up in her esteemed career. In 2021 Sue became a Fellow of the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) for her outstanding and meritorious contribution to Australian wine

About the winery

What is now Wynns Coonawarra Estate was founded by Scottish pioneer John Riddoch. He planted vineyards in 1891 and built the famous three-gabled winery. By 1897, 89 hectares of vines had been cultivated.  After a promising start, the Coonawarra Fruit Colony (as it was called then) failed to prosper due to its distance from major markets and poor economic conditions. John Riddoch died in 1901 at the age of 73.

In 1951, Melbourne wine merchants Samuel Wynn and his son David purchased Riddoch's original vineyards and winery and renamed the property Wynns Coonawarra Estate. The Wynns family recognised the intrinsic qualities of Coonawarra wines – their richness and intensity of fruit character – and set out to build an independent identity in the region. David took over the winery operations in 1953, and commissioned Melbourne artist Richard Beck to produce a woodcut of the winery facade. This illustration has appeared on every Wynns Coonawarra Estate label since, making it one of Australia's most recognised wine symbols.

Michael Shiraz (then called Hermitage) was a one-off from the 1955 vintage. The outstanding quality of the shiraz in one particular 2,300 litre vat was recognised for its quality, and bottled separately as Michael, named after David's first son. The second release of Michael Shiraz followed many years later in 1990.

Wynns increased its holdings in Coonawarra over the next two decades. By 1981, it was the largest grower in the district with 440 hectares under vine. The first wine bearing John Riddoch's name, the Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet, was produced in 1982.

David Wynn sold Wynns in the early seventies to focus on the Mountadam Venture with his son Adam. Over the last 50 years, Wynns has had many owners and in the new millennium, the company ended up in the vast portfolio of Treasury Wine Estates.

Today, Wynns Coonawarra Estate has 500 hectares of vineyards in Coonawarra and is the region's preeminent wine producer and largest single vineyard holder with the best and longest established vineyard sites in Coonawarra. Its wines are regarded as benchmarks for the district, lauded for their consistent quality, and depth of flavour.