First made in 1982, the John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon was conceived as a flagship wine for the Wynns portfolio. The wine honours pasturalist and parliamentarian, John Riddoch, who was the largest land-owner in South Australia's south-east corner. With his brother George, the two owned the freehold to more than 70,000 acres. John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon is made in small quantities from the best fruit available grown on the estate's extensive Cabernet plantings. It has since become the definitive Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and it is arguably richer and more concentrated than any other wine in the region. Made only in years when grapes of extraordinarily high quality are available, less than one per cent of the top Cabernet grapes are used to make it.
John Riddoch is the definitive cabernet sauvignon of Wynns Coonawarra Estate - produced from the top 1% of available Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and then only in the years when grapes of extraordinarily high quality are available.
Matured in new French oak for up to 22 months, in its youth John Riddoch is intense, almost black in colour. Rich, ripe and complex, the bouquet is a voluptuous infusion of red berry, chocolate, mint, mushroom and cassis-like cabernet aromas merging with lifted, spicy new oak. It is full-bodied with persistent and mouth-filling ripe berry flavour and excellent structure.
This immensely powerful cabernet requires long term cellaring - 10 to 20 years - to fully appreciate its complexity.
Wynns Coonawarra Estate was the first winery to be established in Coonawarra, by John Riddoch in 1896. The winery is located on the world famous strip of 'Terra Rossa' soil that produces fruit of an exceptionally high quality, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon.
Today Wynns Coonawarra Estate is the Coonawarra's pre-eminent wine producer, with the largest holding of the region's best and oldest vineyards. The terra rossa soil and cool climate produce low yields of intensely flavoured grapes, and the resulting wines have long been regarded as some of Australia's greatest, known for their richness and longevity.
Wynns Coonawarra Estate, under Sue Hodder who has been Chief Winemaker since 1998, produces six wines every year. In vintages where the quality of grapes is exceptional, two flagship reds are made, the John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Michael Shiraz.
Single vineyard Wynns releases include the 2001 Harold Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2003 and 2004 Johnson's Block Shiraz Cabernet, the 2005 Messenger Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Alex 88 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 Glengyle Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2008 Davis Cabernet Sauvignon.