Wine: Mildara Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon Grape: cabernet sauvignon Region: Coonawarra, South Australia Vintage: 1994 Visiting Australia is always interesting wine-wise. There are just so many good vintages available at reasonable prices.
This is particularly so in restaurants where small markups are often found rather than the greedy 200 to 300 per cent markups found in some Hong Kong eateries.
Finding the wines in Hong Kong can be a problem but Mildara Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon is most definitely here and for about the same price as in Australia.
The Coonawarra in the remote southeast of South Australia is the premium red-wine region Down Under, especially for cabernet sauvignon. The vines enjoy the 'terra rossa' soil and the grapes produce rich, full-bodied flavoursome wines.
The Mildara Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon has long been a favourite of mine - the 1979 was particularly enjoyable.
The currently released 1994 is a deep purple, with a strong blackcurrant bouquet, and on the palate lashings of rich ripe berry fruits tempered with new oak. The finish is long.