Big Wynnsday: five fine 2021 cabernet sauvignon and shiraz reds in Coonawarra's flagship release

This year Wynns has five fine 2021 cabernet sauvignon and shiraz reds available from June 7 at wynns.com.au and bottle shops.

The wines are the $80 Wynns 2021 Glengyle Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, the $60 Wynns 2021 V&A Lane Cabernet-Shiraz and Wynns 2021 V&A Shiraz and the $45 Wynns 2021 Black Label Old Vines Shiraz and Wynns 2021 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon.

They are the proud product of a team of viticulture manager Ben Harris, senior winemaker Sue Hodder, winemakers Sarah Pidgeon and Chris Plummer and viticulturists Dr Catherine Kidman and Nick Baverstock, pictured above at the emblematic, 1898 Coonawarra rail siding.

The Wynnsday pattern is to select one prime single vineyard release and this year it is a cabernet sauvignon from Glengyle vineyard - a fragment of Coonawarra founder John Riddoch's original vineyards.

Sue Hodder is the first female chief winemaker of the Wynns brand and says 2021 was "a classic Coonawarra vintage of which we are very proud". Sue's mum was a School of the Air teacher and her dad a CSIRO cattle research scientist in Alice Springs and Sue was schooled in The Alice and Adelaide and then got an agricultural science degree at South Australia's Roseworthy College.

Her first job on 1984 graduation was in Penfold's Barossa Valley viticulture. That followed in 1988 to a Roseworthy winemaking diploma which led to Seaview Barossa winemaking and in 1989-1992 to Seppelt Great Western. In 1993 she joined Wynns and in 1995 became deputy to chief winemaker Peter Douglas, succeeding him in 1998 on his 14-year Wynns stint end.

Adelaide-born Sarah Pidgeon went from school to a 1994 Roseworthy winemaking degree, doing Australian and Californian vintages before joining Wynns in 1994.

Wynns' genesis was in 1896 when Scottish migrant John Riddoch founded Penola fruit colony, planted wine grapes and built a winery, that made its first vintage in 1897.

Riddoch's dreams and Coonawarra winemaking failed and by 1951 the land was on the cusp of being turned to grazing when David Wynn persuaded his wary father Sam to buy the business. Under David's leadership Wynns Coonawarra Estate reached new heights, but Wynn family ownership ended in 1972 to be followed by corporate takeovers ending in today's Treasury Wine Estates control.

THIS superb Wynns 2021 Glengyle Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon shines bright garnet in the glass and has 13.6% alcohol, berry pastille scents and velvet-smooth blackberry front-palate flavour. The middle shows cassis, bramble jelly, spice and savoury oak and the finish has earthy tannins. It is from cabernet vines planted in 1969.

PRICE: $80.

DRINK WITH: beef burgundy.

AGEING: 12 years.

RATING: 5.5 stars

FROM some vines from the original 1890s Coonawarra fruit colony plantings, the Wynns 2021 Black Label Old Vines Shiraz has 13.8% alcohol, inky purple hues and potpourri aromas. Intense plum flavour displays on the front palate, mulberry, briar, peppermint and savoury oak characters on the middle palate and a finish of chalky tannins.

PRICE: $45.

DRINK WITH: lamb cacciatore.

AGEING: 10 years.

RATING: 5 stars

THE Wynns 2021 V&A Lane Cabernet Shiraz has 13.8% alcohol, cassis scents and deep purple hues. The front palate shows juicy blackcurrant flavour, middle-palate Morello cherry, licorice, mint and mocha oak and a dusty tannin finish. V&A lane relates to the border of the Victoria and Albert electorates honouring the then queen and her consort.

PRICE: $60.

DRINK WITH: tapas.

AGEING: nine years.

RATING: 5 stars

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