Coonawarra

South Australia · Australia · Wine Auction Prices

Coonawarra, located in the extreme south of South Australia near the Victorian border, is defined by its cigar-shaped belt of terra rossa soil — 15 kilometres long and only 2 kilometres wide — sitting above pure limestone and an underground water table, producing Cabernet Sauvignon of extraordinary elegance and longevity. The terra rossa is a red clay-loam formed by the oxidation of the underlying limestone, providing perfect drainage and heat retention for Cabernet in what would otherwise be a cool, damp climate. Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Penley Estate, Balnaves, Hollick, and Leconfield represent the established tier; Highbank and Parker Estate command the highest auction prices. Coonawarra Cabernet at its best — Wynns John Riddoch, Majella The Malleea — displays blackcurrant, cedar, mint, and eucalyptus with 20+ year ageing potential. The appellation's defining characteristic is restraint: where Barossa Shiraz is lush and generously oaked, Coonawarra Cabernet is structured, linear, and austere, demanding cellaring.

Coonawarra

Coonawarra's terra rossa belt is precisely 15 kilometres long and 2 kilometres wide — a cigar-shaped anomaly of red clay-loam over limestone first mapped by agricultural surveyor John Riddoch in 1890 as the ideal soil for vines.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, produced only in exceptional vintages from the estate's oldest terra rossa Cabernet vines, is named for the 19th-century pioneering viticulturalist and averages $80–100 per bottle at auction with excellent cellaring potential.

The underground aquifer beneath Coonawarra's limestone provides natural vine irrigation, explaining why Cabernet Sauvignon ripens fully despite the region's cold winters and cool, wet springs — a hydrology that has no parallel in any other major Cabernet region.

Highbank Estate's Proprietary Red from pure terra rossa Coonawarra has achieved extraordinary auction prices for a small producer — averaging $300+ per bottle — reflecting the intensity of old-vine material on the prime central terra rossa strip.

$208

Avg Price / Bottle

249

Auction Lots

2014

Top Vintage

$1 – $1.7k

Price Range

In the Glass

Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is defined by its linearity and restraint: blackcurrant, cassis, cedar, and cigar box lead, with a distinctive eucalyptus-mint note often attributed to the region's cool nights and limestone soils. The tannins are firm and fine-grained from the terra rossa drainage, providing a structural backbone that ages gracefully over 15–25 years. The 'Coonawarra character' — cool-climate elegance in a warm-country wine — distinguishes these Cabernets from Barossa reds as clearly as Médoc differs from Pomerol.

Red Wines

Wine	Avg Price	Lots Sold
Highbank Proprietary Red	$309	146
Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz	$104	24
Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon	$83	10
Ausvetia Shiraz	$63	7
Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon	$39	7
Yalumba Cabernet Sauvignon	$49	6
Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon	$66	5
Rosemount Cabernet Sauvignon Show Reserve	$43	5
Bowen Estate Shiraz	$30	5
Penley Estate Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon	$10	5

Top Producers

Highbank Penfolds Ausvetia Penley Estate Rosemount Bowen Estate Wynns Yalumba

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