Hesketh Penola Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Since buying Parker Coonawarra Estate some years ago Jonathon Hesketh has got himself access to some serious fruit from Coonawarra – the good stuff. And this wine has been given the Rolls Royce treatment too with a fair whack of new French oak thrown at some classy fruit. 2018 is also a very good vintage with the nearby Southern Ocean cooling it down while other areas of Australia baked.

It’s a beautiful example of Coonawarra with bright, sweet leafy blackcurrant fruits with great purity plus some cedary oak in the background. On the palate it is like all good Coonawarra should be – dry and mid-weight, with juicy, unforced fruit and finishing with a savoury touch of Terra Rossa earth. It looked even better on day two showing this wine is a keeper.

Angus Hughson

Founder at Winepilot

Angus is an award-winning wine writer and the Founder and Publisher of Winepilot, the Australian Editor for leading international publication VINOUS with Antonio Galloni based in New York City and the Co-Publisher of The Australian Ark with over 15 years of publishing, writing and judging experience.

Criticauthor and publisher