Wynns, making wines with philosophy

Cheers: Wynns Coonawarra Estate’s senior winemaker, Sue Hodder, introduces the signature wines of her estate. BD/Zul Trio Anggono

Wynns Coonawarra Estate, an eminent Australian wine producer, offered a superb wine tasting session to the guests of the Sunday Wine Brunch at the Anantara Seminyak Resort & Spa.  

To complete their mouthwatering gastronomic feast at the resort’s rooftop SOS Supper Club, guests were invited to join the riveting wine tasting journey by Wynns, hailed the 2010 winemaker of the year by Australia’s Gourmet Traveler magazine.

They tasted two signature wines: the 2008 Wynns John Riddoch Cabarnet Sauvignon and Wynns Michael Shiraz varieties released in 2011.

“These wines all have their own particular heritage and style and showcase the strength of Coonawarra,” said Wynns’ senior winemaker Sue Hodder.  

“At Wynns, our winemaking philosophy is drawn from the responsibility to both enhance the historic vineyards and to continue to make classic and varietal wines.”

Coonawarra in South Australia is renowned for its unique geological and climatic features, which enable vines to bear the highest quality grapes. The unique combination of terra rossa soil and a cool southerly climate is optimal for growing intensely flavored grapes. The resulting wines have long been regarded as among Australia’s greatest for their style and longevity.      

Wynns Coonawarra Estate was founded by Scottish pioneer John Riddoch, who planted vineyards in 1891 and completed the estate’s iconic gabled winery in 1896.

Today, Wynns Coonawarra Estate is Coonawarra’s pre-eminent wine producer and largest single vineyard holder with the longest established vineyards in the region.

Under the guidance of Sue Hodder as senior winemaker since 1998, Wynns’ wines are regarded as benchmarks for the district, lauded for their consistent quality and depth of flavor.

In vintages when the grapes are deemed exceptional, two flagship red wines are made: the Michael Shiraz and the John Riddoch Cabarnet Sauvignon.  

Michael Shiraz is Wynns Coonawarra Estate’s best-of-vintage Shiraz. The first Michael (then called Michael Hermitage) was a one-off from the 1955 vintage made after proprietor David Wynn noticed the outstanding quality of the wine from two particular barrels and ordered them to be bottled separately.

This wine – named after Wynn’s young son – is a legend of the Australian wine industry with good
bottles still offering a great wine experience. Revived with the superb 1990 vintage, the fruit used for this wine comes from the best vineyard sites in Coonawarra and is only made in years when the grapes are of extraordinarily high quality.

The John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, first made in 1982, was conceived as a flagship wine for the Wynns portfolio.

The wine honors pastoralist and parliamentarian John Riddoch, who was the largest land owner in South Australia’s southeast corner. Along 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 available fruit grown on the estate’s extensive Cabernet plantings. It has become a definitive Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, made only in years when grapes of extraordinarily high quality are available using less than 1 per
cent of the top Cabernet grapes.

The introduction of John Riddoch Cabarnet Sauvignon and Michael Hermitage were two major steps, and are the flag bearers in the years they are made.

- Photos by Zul Trio Anggono