Bellwether, Coonawara Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Grown by award-winning Mike & Brent Wetherall in Coonawarra's famous (indeed World Heritage listed) terra rossa soils. Vines are hand pruned, grapes are hand-picked, preserving the indigenous yeasts for fermentation. Tight grain French oak barrels with only a very small amount of new oak so as not to overshadow site expression. Traditional basket press for slow extraction.

Bellwether is the brainchild of Sue Bell, current Australian Winemaker of the Year, based in the 1868 Glen Roy Shearing Shed in Coonawarra. Sue makes wines from grapes grown in Coonawarra itself as well as other regions of Australia, including as far afield as Tasmania. Their iconic Coonawarra Cab is from growers Mike & Brent Wetherall. Tassie Chardonnay is grown by Jan and David Jenkinson in the lower Tamar Valley. Alternative Vermentino is sourced from the Chalmers in Heathcote, over in Victoria. Wrattonbully fruit is grown by Peter Bird, while Heather Laycock (Shiraz) and Richard & Peter Freckleton (Malbec), also Wrattonbully, combine to make one of the most beguiling, inviting Australian reds we've ever stumbled across.

Wine Advocate 90pts (2014) - The medium-bodied 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a block of Cabernet that is the first picked in Coonawarra every year. It's a bit earthy and herbal, with cassis fruit but also a strong savory element, and supported by tannins that are firm without being excessively hard or drying. Give it a couple of years in the cellar and then drink it over the following decade.