Established: 1990
Location: Main Road, Coonwarra, a few kilometres north of Penola.
Winemaker: ?
Important Varietals: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot.
Personal Comments:
The vineyard was first planted in 1975 with the first wines being produced under the Balnaves label in 1990. The most recent newsletter from the winery reports a further 13 hectares of Terra Rosa soil being planted to Cabernet, bringing the total area under vines to 42 hectares. Only about 30 - 40 tonnes of grapes are produced each year and the bulk of sales are mail order or cellar door.
The wines produced by Balnaves are of the classic Coonawarra style. Their 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon will take upwards of 20 years cellaring. Winestate magazine of September/October 1995 described it as having "blackcurrant aroma" with "cassis and plum fruit flavours". They only gave the wine three stars but I have a feeling the judging panels on this magazine tend to treat Coonwarra reds a little harshly, and it deserves something higher than that. It is unfortunate that the winery was unable to produce its Sparkling Burgundy for 1994. I was told in August that the quality of the fruit just wasn't up to it. It's a brave winery indeed that will scrap the whole production of a wine that doesn't meet their standards.
This is certainly one of the wineries on my list when I get to the Coonwarra area. The tasting area is spacious, airy, and light, and gives a marvellous outlook over the tiny lake. As an added bonus, my daughter had a great time feeding the fishes.
This page, and all contents, are copyright © 1995-2001 by Perry Middlemiss, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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Last modified: March 30, 2001.