2012 Parker Estate First Growth, Coonawarra, South Australia

Since the release of the inaugural 1988 vintage, First Growth has set a benchmark for superior wine quality in the Coonawarra region. It is a wine made without compromise, using only the very best viticulture and winemaking practices, and is only produced when a particular vintage shows exceptional fruit quality and is deemed to have ageing potential for a minimum of fifteen years.

First Growth is made exclusively from Reynell selection Cabernet Sauvignon (cuttings from pre-phylloxera Bordeaux) grown in the very best sub-sections of Parker Coonawarra Estate’s Abbey vineyard. This vintage is the second to include a small amount of Petit Verdot (3%) from the ‘95 Block’ sub-section.

Winemakers tasting notes:

Colour: A dark red core with purple rim; Aroma: A perfumed nose burs8ng with notes of crushed blackberries, smoky cedar and dark chocolate. Palate: A full bodied palate showing well balanced notes of forest fruits, liquorice and roasted coffee all supported by firm tannins. A dense and 8ghtly structured wine with a long persistent finish.

97 pts – James Halliday

‘A classic cabernet that pulls no punches in its formation, starting in the vineyard and running through to the finish of the palate. Blackcurrant and cedary oak drive the bouquet, the medium to full-bodied palate following suit. There is a flood of fruit, then the tannins wash ashore as the wave of fruit recedes, oak floating on the whims of the palate; the length and balance are exceptional.’