2021 Parker Estate First Growth, Coonawarra

Never has a new release Cabernet Sauvignon captivated me as much as this First Growth from Parker Coonawarra Estate. Elegance, detail and supreme sophistication, this 2021 release is exceptional. Measured and balanced to every degree, its class seeps from every pore. Blackcurrants, blackberries and blackberry pastilles drive the fruit profile as mint, bay leaf and olive leaf play excellent support roles. Dried herbs and soft spices emerge with time in the glass but the delicately fluent and silky shape cannot be outdone. The oak is handled perfectly and melts into the frame with sheer ease, leaving enough savoury delight to muse over. A wine that has been harpooned back to the top tier where it belongs, this is winemaker Ox Hardy at his best.

98 points Steve Lescynski, Q Wine

100% Abbey vineyard. Maturation occurred in 75% new barriques for 16 months. Just as the '20 vintage hinted at its future potential, with subtle yet distinctive signs, the soon-to-be-released '21 vintage remains intriguingly reserved, keeping its secrets close in this exceptional year. A beautifully fruit-focused wine beginning with rosella and persimmon, following up with ruby figs and just-picked blackberries. There are coffee grinds, sansho pepper and paprika spice. A spider’s web of intricate tannin ensures this wine will age gracefully, unfolding at its own unhurried pace. The prestige it carries makes this a vintage you won’t want to miss. While already drinking beautifully, its true character will emerge between 10 and 18 years from now. I quiver at the thought of how sensationally this wine will evolve.

97 points Shanteh Wale, Halliday Wine Companion

Parker Estate First Growth from Coonawarra is a flagship Cabernet Sauvignon blend that has earned its place among Australia’s most revered wines. First released in the early 1990s, it was inspired by the structure and longevity of Bordeaux’s top châteaux but speaks proudly of its Coonawarra roots. Sourced from the estate’s oldest vines growing on the famed terra rossa soils, this wine is crafted with precision, power and cellar potential in mind.

Winemaker Andrew Hardy carefully selects parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon, often blended with touches of Merlot or Petit Verdot depending on the vintage. After fermentation in small open fermenters, the wine spends up to two years in 100 percent new French oak barriques, building both complexity and stature.

In the glass, First Growth is deeply aromatic, showing blackcurrant, blackberry, tobacco, graphite and fine cedar. The palate is powerful yet composed, with layers of cassis, dark chocolate and savoury spice wrapped in firm tannins and vibrant natural acidity. It's a wine of presence and polish, built to age gracefully for two decades or more.

Serve it with dry-aged beef, lamb shanks, truffled mushroom dishes or aged cheddar. Decant in its youth or cellar for long-term reward.