"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. 

Dark red in colour, the nose is intense with aromas of mulberry, wild blackberry and liquorice combined with delicate smoky-coffee French oak. The palate is medium bodied with a soft round Merlot mouth- feel, black fruit flavours and a touch of dried herbs. This wine will reward careful cellaring, and decant before drinking.

A blend of 67/26/4/3% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/petit verdot/cabernet franc; matured in 18% new French oak for 12 months. This offers a medium-weight serve of black- and red-berried fruit flavour, though there are also plenty of leafier, more savoury aspects around the edges along with eucalypt and smoky oak notes. It's drinking well young, but it has all the sturdiness required to last well into the future. Balnaves always seems to over deliver on quality, and this is another example. Date: Nov 2022; Alcohol: 14.5%; Price: $32.00; Drink by: 2033; Rating: 93 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday Wine Companion