Patrick of Coonawarra Methode Cabernet Nouveau 2021 ~ Coonawarra ~ South Australia

90/100 James Suckling 
Bronze - Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion

James Suckling "An assortment of techniques to arrive at an early-release and early-drinking style of cabernet that offers a light, red-toned fruit core with sweet, red perfume and fresh-herb notes. The palate has a fine, lightly fleshy feel with elegant, smooth redcurrant flavors."

Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion " Love the concept."....Cool little squat bottle here, and an early release cabernet (if the 'Nouveau' didn't give it away...)...This is surprisingly savoury, leafy and herbal (like a tincture, with amaro mountain herbs, garden mint and medicinal arnica), with a hint of mouse that emerges and plumes through the finish."

Winemaker "This wine sits perfectly in the 'Chilled Red' category, you might see this referenced as CR on a wine list. Putting a red wine in the fridge is certainly not a new thing, but it has seen a re-emergence in the last couple of years. As per the 2020 vintage, this wine is made to enjoy young — it's a soft, approachable twist on a classic variety....If you do want to chill this wine, simply treat it like you would a Rosé or Light White (eg. Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc). An approachable take on a classic that will make you question the variety and challenge your perceptions.

Patrick of Coonawarra was founded by Patrick Tocaciu; one of Australia's leading wine (and AFL football) figures. Patrick's reputation for producing exceptional wine earned him many international accolades for the major labels he worked as Chief Winemaker, including; Tollana, Penfolds, and Hollick Wines.

Patrick's distinguished reputation continued with the establishment of his own Patrick of Coonawarra Estate label. The wines are built on the solid foundation of extensive estate vineyards: 36 hectares in Coonawarra and 42 hectares in Wrattonbully. The Wrattonbully plantings contain shiraz, sauvignon blanc, and some of the riesling. All of the cabernet is grown in Coonawarra. The Estate is now managed by his eonologist son, Luke who continues the tradition of producing wines of varietal and regional excellence.

Coonawarra is the most important wine region within the Limestone Coast zone of South Australia, credited with producing some of the best red wines in the entire country, and often described as Australia's most famous terroir. The region's prime Terra Rossa land, which has a reddish-brown topsoil over a thick layer of soft limestone, covers a narrow strip only 12 kilometres long. The reddish colour of the soil is caused by iron-oxide (rust) formations in the clay. Vineyards on this soil benefit from good drainage and nutrient-holding capacity. It is known for the Cabernet Sauvignon wines produced on its "terra rossa" soil. Coonawarra is an Aboriginal word meaning "Honeysuckle". It is about 380 km southeast of Adelaide, close to the border with Victoria.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.