All of the world’s great vineyard growing districts have a number of qualities that set them apart, and often these tend to be naturally similar: valleys, typically with steep hillsides, rivers etc.

Not so in the South Australian subregion of Coonawarra. Here the land is pancake flat and without a notable nearby waterway. Instead it is the famed terra rossa, or red earth, in combination with a cool (by Australian standards) maritime climate that provide much of what has made the area internationally recognised for the quality of its wines.

The red tint has an ancient cause, and indeed the entire Limestone Coast is some of the oldest soil in the world. As the polar caps receded following the end of the last Ice Age, it exposed limestone that then had iron, silica and other nutrients blown across and settled onto it. Thousands of years of oxidation then provided the famous colouring.

The effect this has on the vines is profound. The earth here is incredibly fertile and loamy enough to provide excellent drainage - perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon in particular. This topsoil ranges in depth from just a few centimetres to slightly over a metre, with clay and a pure water source below.