"The Balnaves family, Coonawarra and Cabernet Sauvignon are concentric circles, indivisible from one another,” declares James Halliday. So true: they’re Coonawarra to the core. Doug Balnaves and children Kirsty and Pete were all born in Penola and the winery sits at the heart of the famous Terra Rossa strip, where Doug started planting vines in 1976. Former Qantas Winemaker of the Year Pete Bissell is the other essential piece of the puzzle, helping this producer to the title of James Halliday Winery of the Year in 2008. 

Fruit from the Dead Morris and Old Paulownia blocks. Cabernet co-fermented with 4.8% petit verdot. Matured for 18 months in French oak (52% new). The indefatigable fruit here is a solid match for the oak – at no point does it wither beneath the weight of it. This is a classically styled, almost old-school cabernet, but it has been handled with class. That fruit, as mentioned, is glorious. A beautiful wine which will no doubt age gracefully. Date: Nov 2021; Alcohol: 14.5%; Price: $45.00; Drink by: 2037; Rating: 95 Points; Erin Larkin; James Halliday Wine Companion