All of which sets the scene for the 2004 wine – a beautiful, natural and effortlessly balanced claret of considerable finesse and longevity. Without hesitation, I include Petaluma’s Coonawarra blend amongst the ten finest expressions of Australian cabernet. Mature vintages aren’t all that hard to find on the secondary market, so you have every opportunity to explore it in some depth and detail. And, if cabernet has remained your flavour, try not to miss the 2004 release. Jeremy Oliver
Typical of many of Australia’s leading 2004 red wines, this is a very finely balanced, natural and effortless long-term cabernet blend very reminiscent of its stylish and beautifully harmonious predecessor from 1991. Its heady perfume of violets, cassis and dark plums, lightly toasty mocha/cedar/vanilla oak precedes a classically tight and finely integrated palate whose deep fruit qualities are perfectly married with oak and firm tannins. (Coonawarra, $50 retail, approx., 19.2/97, drink 2024-2034) Jeremy Oliver
What a fantastic wine. It's been a while since I've been really impressed by a Petaluma red (and the 2003 Petaluma Coonawarra is still yet to be released) but this 2004 really dishes up the goods. What a value killer - I'd love to line this up against some international examples at thrice the price. Loaded up with cassis, cherries, woodsmoke, cedar, malt, cream and lots of loamy, dusty, briary, classy savoury characters, this is both powerful and elegant at once. To boot, its tannin structure is fine, firm and expansive. A great Coonawarra red. Drink: 2012-2025. 96 points. Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
No serious tasting would be complete without Petaluma though so here we have it - just about the last cab off the rank. This is 65 percent cabernet and 35 percent merlot. Aromas of cassis, cherry, white flowers, cigar box and subtle choc-vanilla oak. A very fragrant sweet smelling wine. On the palate medium to full bodied with red fruits, cassis and light cigar box oak. Fine powdery tannins offer a firm but fair grip and clean acidity freshens the mouth. Almost seamless apart from a slight dip on the back palate (which may smooth out). The overall impression is of a beautifully balanced, svelte and stylish cabernet and one with enormous cellaring potential. Rated : 94+ Points; Price : $50; Drink : 2012 - 2024; Gary Walsh, Winorama
This is almost two wines in one, a notion I have had when I tried a number of other Cabernets from 2004 Coonawarra. It is remarkably approachable and the only saving grace is the knowledge that with some patience, we are actually looking at one of the finest Coonawarra Cabernets ever made, a wine that in 12 or so years – and I am not one for long drinking windows – will be remembered not only as an Australian classic, icon, legend – call it what you want but also prove to be one of the great bargains due to the fact that at $45 it is still less than half the retail price of the other Australian icon Cabs. I’d love to match this up with a Bordeaux in a decade, safe in the knowledge that you couldn’t buy a cork and capsule of decent Bordeaux for this money.
The 2004 Coonawarra is a tremendous wine that we believe will sit along side the great vintages of Petaluma Coonawarra including the 1990, 1998 and 2000 vintages. Winemaker, Andrew Hardy
