Zema Estate

Established: 1982

Location: Main Road, Coonwarra, a few kilometres north of Penola.

Winemaker: Matt Zema

Important Varietals: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Personal Comments:

Demetrio Zema arrived in the Coonawarra in 1959, and, although he made a few small batches of wine at home, it wasn't until 1982 that he was able to purchase a 20-acre vineyard and winery. Since that time the Zemas have purchased a further 60 acres, and now have plantings of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec and nebbiolo.

Zema Estate is not the type of place you go to for the full "winery" experience. The place is functional at best, with the tasting room tending towards the spartan end of the scale. There isn't much to see beyond the prize certificates lining the walls. But the wine more than makes up for all this. It's big, rounded, and full of tannin - simply wonderul stuff. I suppose the only problem is that a lot of Zema's heavy reds are a little difficult to approach when young. They are built as stayers rather than for the sprint, and can be a little unforgiving to those who can't see the potential. I must have picked up one of their early vintages at one time and after 6 or 7 years in the bottle still seemed only half mature. You get the feeling that these wines are there for the long haul; the ten to twenty year trip. They take a level of dedication, both by the wine-maker and the wine-drinker. You will be rewarded.

Best of the recent vintages:

• Cabernet Sauvignon: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995.
• Shiraz: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995.

Winestate magazine rated the 1994 Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, the 1994 Zema Estate Family Selection Cabernet Sauvignon and the 1994 Zema Estate Coonawarra Shiraz as worth 4 stars out of a possible 5, with the following notes:
Cabernet: "Dark plum hue. Sweet, lifted berry fruit nose with attractive, integrated oak highlights. Dark berry fruit flavours with a pleasing drying finish. Tannins are likely to settle down given more time."
Family Selection Cabernet: "Possibly a sleeper with a restrained nose but obvious fruit depth - time will tell. It has a sweet plum and rhubarb palate with a lingering sappy finish."
Shiraz: "Fresh fruity nose with subdued oak notes. Moderate use of oak in this wine, more of a fruit based shiraz with good length. Slightly high acid."

This page, and all contents, are copyright © 1996-2001 by Perry Middlemiss, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Last modified: March 30, 2001.