Winemaker Notes
A deep wine with vibrant purple hues. On the nose, Black cherry, blackberry & brambly aromas entwine with dark spices & tobacco. On the palate, Fragrant, bright and pure, with blackcurrant, coffee and violet notes. A core of dark fruit runs through the palate,defining this as a powerful expression of ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. Supple tannins coat the palate & frame all the elements to create a focused, elegant and classic Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Sometimes the best wine in the house is the one you have in your hand, the 2010 Wynn Coonawarra Estate Cabernet is evolving well and while quite rich, it is quite open-knit; racy red fruit flavors, with a streak of chalkiness; serve up some blackened chicken, fresh off of the grill and you'll have a match.
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Wine Spectator
Refined, showing finesse, this plays its black currant and blackberry fruit against hints of mineral and herb. The finish is wrapped in fine tannins.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon shows forward black currant, cedar and clove aromas over hints of forest floor and bay leaf. Medium-bodied with good amount of muscular fruit, crisp acid, medium to firm levels of grainy tannins and a long, relatively straightforward finish. Drink it to 2020+.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Distinguished by a thin, subterranean band of crumbled, red clay loam, Coonawarra is a fairly flat, otherwise unobtrusive region with a cool Mediterranean climate, actually not dissimilar to Bordeaux.
In Coonawarra, this unique layer of red clay is called, "terra rossa" and gets its color from iron oxide. The terra rossa soil overlies soft, penetrable limestone, in a continuous area that is part of the Limestone Coast zone of South Australia. This uncommon layering of soils creates a substrate that is both well draining and at the same time, offers good water retention to support vine roots through dry summers.
Not surprisingly, Coonawara experiences great success with the Bordeaux varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but also Shiraz. However Cabernet reigns superior and accounts for half of the Coonawarra harvest each year. Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon develops powerful, yet polished tannins, ripe, red berry fruit and often sweet herb or dried mint qualities. The region has an increased focus on the individual expressions of single vineyards.