Wynns Coonawarra Estate

Wynns Coonawarra Estate traces its roots to 1891, when Scottish settler John Riddoch established the Coonawarra Fruit Colony, dividing 800 hectares of terra rossa soil and planting 95,000 vines and 10,000 fruit trees in the first year. Riddoch completed his iconic triple-gabled limestone winery in 1896, but after his death in 1901 the region languished for five decades. The property, known as Chateau Comaum, was on the verge of becoming a wool shed when Melbourne wine merchants Samuel Wynn and his son David purchased it in 1951. David took over winery operations in 1953 and was among the first Australian producers to use the word 'estate' on a wine label, commissioning Melbourne artist Richard Beck to create the now-iconic woodcut of the winery facade that has appeared on every label since.

• John Riddoch established the Coonawarra Fruit Colony in 1890 to 1891, planting 95,000 vines in the first year
• Samuel Wynn arrived in Australia as a Polish immigrant in 1913, changed his name, and became one of Australia's most prominent wine merchants
• David Wynn purchased Chateau Comaum in 1951 against the advice of his management team, recognising the region's untapped potential
• The triple-gabled winery facade, rendered as a woodcut in the 1950s, is one of Australia's most recognised wine symbols

Coonawarra's defining asset is its narrow strip of terra rossa soil, iron-rich red clay loam overlying a bed of soft porous limestone. The core terra rossa area runs approximately 15 kilometres long and 2 kilometres wide north of Penola. This free-draining soil limits vine vigour and concentrates flavour, while the underlying limestone regulates water access and encourages deep root development. Coonawarra sits approximately 60 kilometres from the Southern Ocean, giving it a cool maritime climate influenced by the Bonney Upwelling, a phenomenon where cold deep ocean water rises each summer to cool the surrounding air. This produces long, mild ripening seasons ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, allowing full phenolic ripeness without excessive sugar accumulation.

• Terra rossa: thin layer of iron-rich red loam, typically 30 to 50 cm deep, overlying porous Miocene-era limestone
• Cool maritime climate moderated by proximity to the Southern Ocean, approximately 60 kilometres away
• Long ripening season allows development of complex flavours and phenolic ripeness at moderate alcohol levels
• Wynns vineyards are concentrated in the prime terra rossa strip, the heart of the region's GI-registered area

Under Senior Winemaker Sue Hodder, who joined Wynns in 1993 and was appointed to the chief role in 1998, the winery has undergone a sustained transformation. Hodder phased out American oak entirely, shifting to a pure French oak maturation regime for the Cabernet wines. The introduction of open fermenters, an optical grape sorter, and a rigorous vineyard rejuvenation program led by viticulturist Allen Jenkins from 2002 produced wines with brighter fruit, more precise tannin structure, and improved consistency. The Black Label is drawn from the top 20 to 25 percent of fruit harvested from approximately 240 hectares of vines over 35 years of age on terra rossa soils. For the icon wines, French oak barrels are used for maturation and the John Riddoch is only produced in vintages when the quality of the fruit is deemed exceptional.

• Pure French oak maturation introduced by Hodder, replacing the previous mix of French and American oak
• Open fermenters and an optical grape sorter installed to improve fruit selection and tannin precision
• Black Label sourced from top 20 to 25 percent of fruit from older vines, primarily those over 35 years of age
• Vineyard rejuvenation program under Allen Jenkins from 2002 included replanting around 25 percent of vineyards

The Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon, first produced in 1954 by winemaker Norm Walker, was the first commercially labelled Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia and remains the winery's most important wine. The label was originally white but changed to white text on black in 1965, giving the wine its enduring nickname. The John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, introduced with the 1982 vintage, is made only in exceptional years using less than one percent of the top-quality Cabernet fruit from the estate. The Michael Shiraz, named after David Wynn's son, was first produced as a one-off from the outstanding 1955 vintage and relaunched in 1990 as a best-of-vintage Shiraz made only in exceptional years. The V and A Lane range, introduced in 2008, offers single-vineyard wines from select blocks in the southern part of Coonawarra.

• Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon: first produced 1954, one of Australia's most collected and cellared Cabernets
• John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon: first produced 1982, made only in exceptional vintages from the finest estate fruit
• Michael Shiraz: first produced from the legendary 1955 vintage, relaunched 1990, made only in outstanding years
• V and A Lane range: launched 2008, sourcing single-vineyard fruit from distinct southern Coonawarra sites

Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon is a benchmark for identifying cool-climate Australian Cabernet. The wines show primary dark fruit aromatics, blackcurrant and dark cherry, layered with Coonawarra's signature mint, dried herb, and graphite notes. Tannins are fine-grained, firm, and persistent rather than heavy or extracted, reflecting both cool-climate ripening and Hodder's restrained extraction philosophy. The palate carries vibrant acidity that frames the fruit and signals genuine ageing potential. In blind tastings, experienced tasters have noted that the elegance, structure, and minerality can be mistaken for Old World Bordeaux. With time in bottle, the wines develop leather, cedar, and secondary complexity while retaining freshness.

• Aromas: blackcurrant, dark cherry, dried herbs, mint, graphite, and pencil shavings typical of cool-climate Cabernet
• Palate: medium to full body, fine-grained persistent tannins, vibrant acidity, and restrained alcohol
• Ageing: Black Label develops gracefully over 15 or more years; John Riddoch is built for even longer cellaring
• Regional signature: subtle eucalyptus and mineral notes often described as resembling elegant Bordeaux in blind tastings

David Wynn sold the business in 1972 to Allied Vintners of the UK. Penfolds acquired it in 1985 through its purchase of the Allied Vintners group, and Penfolds subsequently became Southcorp Limited in 1994. Foster's Group acquired Southcorp in 2005, bringing Wynns into the Foster's wine portfolio. In 2011, Foster's shareholders voted to demerge the wine division, creating Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), listed on the ASX, which now owns Wynns. Sue Hodder leads the winemaking team, with the estate operating some 500 hectares of vineyards, making Wynns the largest single vineyard holder in Coonawarra. The historic triple-gabled winery houses a cellar door offering tastings of current releases and back vintages alongside an interpretive centre covering the estate's history and terroir.

• Ownership timeline: Wynn family (1951), Allied Vintners (1972), Penfolds/Southcorp (1985), Foster's (2005), Treasury Wine Estates (2011)
• Treasury Wine Estates is publicly listed on the ASX under the ticker TWE
• Approximately 500 hectares of vineyards, with around 380 hectares currently under vine
• Cellar door in the historic triple-gabled winery offers current and back vintage tastings and an interpretive centre