Zema understand Coonawarra viticulture very well, it was their first workplace and home after immigrating to Australia, they still insist on personally husbanding their vines. Subtley contrasting mesoclimes and delicate variations of soil represent a palette of terroir, from which to craft a solidly structured Cabernet Sauvignon with malleable tannins, fragrant bramble fruit character and stylish oak, the essential construct of Coonawarra. Match Zema with succulently roast garlic lamb, twice cooked duck or slowly braised cheek of beef.
Nicola Zema started working for Wynns in 1953, hand pruning, picking and planting, a job that continued until his retirement. His passion never abated, the Zema family's consuming ambition was to one day own a piece of Coonawarra's famed Terra rossa soils so that they could create their own wines. Grapes are harvested at the very moment they achieve optimal ripeness. The musts are vinified for several days under controlled temperatures in a combination of rotary and static fermenters. Assemblage and fourteen months maturation in a selection of small French and American oak barrels have contributed to the evolution of a wine characterized by richness and intensity.
Medium red colour with purple hue. Dark berries and spice on the nose, a subtle hint of regional mint and attractive violet lift. The palate is attractively textured and complex with rich ripe fruit, bold, dark red berry flavours and hints of regional mint are supported by well integrated oak and persistent tannins, before a persistent, balanced finish.
