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The best wines from Coonawarra

South Australia

Home Wine Wine Regions Australia Coonawarra
Coonawarra is the most famous wine-growing region in Australia, and it is also the one that was discovered and developed very late. It was not until the end of the 19th century that the attention of the Australian wine world was drawn to this special "cold climate" by John Riddoch with the founding of Katnook Estate. Katnook Estate still exists today and produces good wines. The southernmost wine growing region of South Australia is curiously located in a swampy area. However, the approximately 6000 hectares of vineyards rest on a limestone plateau with good drainage. Coonawarra is one of the few wine growing regions in Australia where the cold influence of the ocean is clearly noticeable. Therefore Coonawarra is climatically, but also qualitatively compared with the Haut-Médoc in Bordeaux. However, in winter the temperatures here can drop so low that there is even a risk of ground frost. The region has recently become famous once again for a 15 kilometre long and 2 kilometre wide strip of red earth called "Terra Rossa". Research has shown that it is specifically on this red soil, made up of different layers of clay and loam, that Australia's best Cabernet Sauvignons grow. In a country that has so far relied more on climate than technology, this finding has triggered a debate about the importance of terroir and driven up the price of vineyards in Coonawarra massively. The cool climate gives both white and red wines a beautiful elegance and sometimes a mineral structure that is unusual for Australia. About 38 producers are firmly established here.

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Best wines from this region

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2021 Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
14,5%
Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz Red Wine
97
2019 Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
14,5%
Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
97
2008 Special Bin 620
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
14,5%
Special Bin 620 Red Wine
97
2018 Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
14,5%
Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra Red Wine
96
2016 Balnaves The Tally Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Balnaves of Coonawarra
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
14,4%
Balnaves The Tally Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
96
2016 Yalumba The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon
Yalumba
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
14,5%
Yalumba The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
96
2022 Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
14,5%
Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
95
2016 Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
14,5%
Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
95
2019 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Syrah
14,5%
Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz Red Wine
94
2019 Redman Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Redman Wines
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
13,5%
Redman Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
94
2013 Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
94
2020 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Syrah
14,5%
Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz Red Wine
93
2017 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Shiraz
14%
Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz Red Wine
93
2015 Patrick of Coonawarra Home Block Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Patrick of Coonawarra
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
13,8%
Patrick of Coonawarra Home Block Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
93
2010 Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
13%
Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
93
1990 Bin 920 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
13%
Bin 920 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz Red Wine
93
2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Phoenix
Penley Estate
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
14%
Cabernet Sauvignon Phoenix Red Wine
92
2016 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Syrah
14,5%
Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz Red Wine
92
2015 Majella Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Majella Wines Pty. Ltd.
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
14,5%
Majella Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
92
2013 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz
Penfolds
Australia
Coonawarra,  South Australia,  Australia
Red Wine
Syrah
14,5%
Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz Red Wine
92
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