The first thing I have to mention is when I drove up to the Rymill cellar door.  What an amazing welcome.  Walk in the door and the welcome continues. The cellar door staff are very engaging, informative and by no means pushy or suggestive of what I should be drinking.  It was a “come in, relax and let me know what you’d like to try” and you weren’t made to feel you had to leave with a bottle of something (much like all the Coonawarra cellar doors actually).

Cabernet Sauvignon is the Major General of Coonawarra let’s be honest. It’s a shame that varieties like Shiraz live in the shadows of this highly ranked variety in this region. Shiraz deserves to be its Sergeant Major.

The colour is dense but has a youthful purple rim that is so alluring.  And the nose!  The nose goes right through to the long, long palate.  Dark fruits, plums, a hint of star anise and tannins nicely coated in a smooth creamy oak which, I think (and please correct me if I’m wrong), had a little bit of chariness to it.

This example of Coonawarra Shiraz yields a mighty stick. It’s dead set serious about putting its flavours in order, on parade & proud to call itself Coonawarra.

I swapped some Tassie Pinot Noir and Riesling with John Rymill (a very kind and generous man) for a mixed dozen of his wines and I’m stoked this was among them.

This wine is worth the $32 you will pay for it from the Rymill website.  Yes, you will pick it up cheaper if you google it but when you try it, the price becomes irrelevant.  It’s a very nice wine.

http://www.rymill.com.au