Parker Coonawarra Estate First Growth Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

John Parker established Hungerford Hill Wines in the Hunter Valley in 1968 and later identified the best locations on Coonawarra’s Terra Rossa strip to establish a vineyard and winery with Doug Balnaves. They planted their first vines on the 50 hectares property purchased from the Abbey family in 1985, which was sourced from the 19th Century-planted vines at Reynella. The inaugural 1988 of First Growth established Parker Estate’s reputation for producing wines of outstanding quality and longevity. Parker Estate has achieved numerous wine show medals, trophies, and accolades, including a Five Star rating by James Halliday, and in 2010, Parker's 'First Growth' entered the Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine as 'Excellent'.

 The First Growth wine is made only in exceptional years when the fruit quality is outstanding and has the potential to age for more than 15 years. It is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the 'Abbey' vineyard and is classified as "Excellent" by Langton's. The grapes were harvested in April 2019 and fermented in a closed-static-fermenter for 38 days to encourage tannin structure and increase ageing potential. After time on skins, the wine was pressed and matured in 80% new oak barrels for 18 months to produce a tightly structured wine with fine-grained tannins that can improve with proper cellaring for over 20 years. The wine has received acclaim from Australian and international critics.

The 2019 Parker Coonawarra Estate First Growth Cabernet Sauvignon has a complex blend of herbal flavours such as thyme, sage, oregano, and a hint of jalapeño, alongside the intense taste of black fruits and blackcurrants. The wine's dense and concentrated tannins create a solid structure and flavour profile. The wine is solid, dense, and slowly blending together, with a promising future ahead.

The spread of flavour here is elite. It's not the density, which is significant but not overbearing, but rather it's the way the flavours expand as they roll through the mouth, like rice in water, the finish vastly more voluminous than the start. It shows textbook characters of blackcurrant, bay leaf and tobacco, and while there are oak influences in the form of cedar, chocolate and dark, sweet coffee, they are folded into the fruit with the deftest of touch. And then there are the tannins. These have a sweetness of their own, and an authority, and yet they are a masterclass in integration. Stand back. This wine has its sights set firmly on the future. Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Wine Companion, 97 Points.

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Cabernet Sauvignon
Country - Australia
Region - Coonawarra, South Australia
Vintage - 2019
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14.5%