Balnaves, Coonawarra Cabernet/Merlot
Vintage: 2021
| Vintage | Product Code | Format | Closure | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | BA102B21 | 6 x 75 | Screwcap | Available |
Producer
The Balnaves family vineyard is at the southern end of the famous Coonawarra Terra Rossa strip, where the ‘terra rossa’ soils are rich in red clay and silt. Planted in 1975, the vineyard is now 58 hectares in size (70% of which is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon) and has been in the family for three generations. Today, Doug Balnaves, together with his son Pete and daughter Kirsty, runs the Balnaves vineyard while managing another 300 hectares for other growers in the heart of Coonawarra.
Balnaves’ fruit has always been excellent, yet they didn’t make their own wines until 1995 when they hired Pete Bissell (ex-Wynns) as their winemaker. Pete retired in June 2020, though he still works with Balnaves as a consultant alongside winemaker Maddie LeMire, who joined the team in 2025. The Balnaves’ vineyard is divided into small blocks, between one and two hectares in size, which are managed separately according to the specific needs of each area. This gives numerous blending components, resulting in layered and complex wines.
The Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot skilfully blends ripe black fruit with toasty oak, while the Cabernet Sauvignon, intense and poised, illustrates beautifully the balance obtained in these wines. The ‘Tally’ (a reference to the number of sheep you could shear in a day) is their top wine and is consistently rated as one of Australia’s best Cabernet Sauvignons.
Vineyards
Balnaves' 35 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards are split into sub blocks (some only one hectare in area), on the basis of soil type, clone variation, trellis type etc. This enables them to adopt different treatments for these smaller areas. Although Balnaves have the ablilty to irrigate all their vineyards, at least one third has not been irrigated for five years. The vines used for this blend are between 12 and 22 years old, and are trained on a single wire.
Vintage
The growing season for the 2021 vintage began with cooler temperatures but no frost events. As spring arrived, warm weather resulted in an easy, fast, and even flowering with no disease pressure. Summer was mild which created a long and slow ripening period, with some warmer days which assisted tannin ripeness. The resulting wines have excellent colour, depth, and flavour intensity.
Vinification
The fruit was destemmed and sorted prior to fermentation. Following fermentation, the wine was matured for 13 months in 20% new French oak prior to bottling.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
Red fruit, liquorice and vanilla on the nose. On the palate, dark plum and sage flavours mingle with well integrated tannins and subtle oak complexity.
Alcohol (ABV)
14%
Acidity
5.32 g/l
Residual Sugar
0.8 g/l
pH
3.48
Other wines from this producer
Producer | Wine | Product Code | Features | Style | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balnaves | Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon | BA101 | R | Factsheet | |
| `The Tally` Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon | BA106 | R | Factsheet |