Stonehaven Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 from Stonehaven Wines on South Australia’s Limestone Coast is a seriously impressive Coonawarra cabernet, sourced from adjacent rows of 40‑year‑old vines and matured 18 months in French oak hogsheads for maximum depth and polish. This Stonehaven Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 has already picked up a rare 97‑point rating from the Halliday Wine Companion, signalling it as one of the standout cabernets of the vintage.

In the glass expect inky purple colour and intense aromas of blackberry, black cherry and spicy oak, layered with licorice, beef stock, warm bitumen, a hint of mint and later notes of bergamot and mulberry as it opens. The palate is concentrated yet elegant, plush and focused, with slinky, silky tannins, fine structure and exceptional length that mark it as a long‑term cellaring prospect through 2038 and beyond.

This is built for hearty food – think slow‑braised beef cheeks, lamb shanks, rich meat stews, chargrilled ribeye or deeply flavoured pasta ragù, where its dense black fruit, spice and savoury complexity can really lock in with the richness on the plate. It will also shine with mature hard cheeses after a few hours in a decanter.