Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

There will be obvious comparisons to the outstanding 2021 vintage of JR which preceded this release. That is the cross to bear for any wine that follows such a top vintage. That said, from the first pop of the cork – yes, John Riddoch remains under cork – the wine slips warmly, elegantly, oh so easily into traditional John Riddoch mode. That is, it meets the drinker not only with immediate and enjoyable drinking appeal but with a stunning complexity. Flavour and tannins are anchored in deep for a long journey ahead. Impenetrable dark purple hues. Dark cherries, plum, blackberry scents rise with black liquorice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cocoa, dark earth. Flows effortlessly, smoothly, across the palate with tannins that, while dense and well defined, are fine and well-crafted. Finishes long and true. Beautiful stuff. Enjoy.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic