2022 Wine by Thoms Coonawarra Cabernet
In the vintage of 2022, I had a side project with my good friend Iain Thomas Sandler (ISWine in NSW) making some Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon from an extremely interesting vineyard in the famed Coonawarra terra rossa soil. The vineyard is quite closely planted with the rows only being just over a metre wide and the vines trained onto two cordon wires with one vine trained low then the next on the higher wire. It was so interesting to see this setup right in the middle of all the other “same same” planted vines on the main road that runs through the heart of the Coonawarra.
The grapes were harvested in the cool of the night and then transported up to the CWCo winery in Marananga (Barossa Valley) where we transferred them into open fermenters for fermentation. No additions occured with this wine (no acid or tannin etc), it was basket pressed to old seasoned oak for 12 months and then blended and bottled fresh with out fining or filtration so its a pure representation of the vineyard from that moment in time.
Needless to say this is the first of two releases from this vineyard, this first one is a more juicy vibrant, nouveau style of Coonawarra Cabernet and the second will be a more traditional style built for aging and longevity.
Wine by Thoms is derived from my first name (obviously) and Iain’s middle name and is a bit of a play on the term “Somms” short term for Sommelier.
92 points Halliday Wine Companion 2025 - Single vineyard Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon, close planted and whole-berry ferment. Bright crimson with characters of plush blackberry, blackcurrant, boysenberry and black cherry fruits with hints of fine spice, licorice, dried herbs, faint espresso tones, pencil shavings and earth. Lovely fruit intensity with gravelly tannin support, a seam of fresh acidity and a graceful air as it sails off. Dave Brookes
90 points The Wine Front - It’s meant to be a juicy version of Coonawarra cabernet though the truth is that it still has plenty of heft. It didn’t see any new oak – it was matured in seasoned French – but cedarwood and coffee characters are clearly evident, and they dovetail nicely with the wine’s blackcurrant, mint, boysenberry and tobacco flavours. It’s a solid wine; it offers plenty. Campbell Mattinson
In the vintage of 2022, I had a side project with my good friend Iain Thomas Sandler (ISWine in NSW) making some Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon from an extremely interesting vineyard in the famed Coonawarra terra rossa soil. The vineyard is quite closely planted with the rows only being just over a metre wide and the vines trained onto two cordon wires with one vine trained low then the next on the higher wire. It was so interesting to see this setup right in the middle of all the other “same same” planted vines on the main road that runs through the heart of the Coonawarra.
The grapes were harvested in the cool of the night and then transported up to the CWCo winery in Marananga (Barossa Valley) where we transferred them into open fermenters for fermentation. No additions occured with this wine (no acid or tannin etc), it was basket pressed to old seasoned oak for 12 months and then blended and bottled fresh with out fining or filtration so its a pure representation of the vineyard from that moment in time.
Needless to say this is the first of two releases from this vineyard, this first one is a more juicy vibrant, nouveau style of Coonawarra Cabernet and the second will be a more traditional style built for aging and longevity.
Wine by Thoms is derived from my first name (obviously) and Iain’s middle name and is a bit of a play on the term “Somms” short term for Sommelier.
92 points Halliday Wine Companion 2025 - Single vineyard Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon, close planted and whole-berry ferment. Bright crimson with characters of plush blackberry, blackcurrant, boysenberry and black cherry fruits with hints of fine spice, licorice, dried herbs, faint espresso tones, pencil shavings and earth. Lovely fruit intensity with gravelly tannin support, a seam of fresh acidity and a graceful air as it sails off. Dave Brookes
90 points The Wine Front - It’s meant to be a juicy version of Coonawarra cabernet though the truth is that it still has plenty of heft. It didn’t see any new oak – it was matured in seasoned French – but cedarwood and coffee characters are clearly evident, and they dovetail nicely with the wine’s blackcurrant, mint, boysenberry and tobacco flavours. It’s a solid wine; it offers plenty. Campbell Mattinson
In the vintage of 2022, I had a side project with my good friend Iain Thomas Sandler (ISWine in NSW) making some Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon from an extremely interesting vineyard in the famed Coonawarra terra rossa soil. The vineyard is quite closely planted with the rows only being just over a metre wide and the vines trained onto two cordon wires with one vine trained low then the next on the higher wire. It was so interesting to see this setup right in the middle of all the other “same same” planted vines on the main road that runs through the heart of the Coonawarra.
The grapes were harvested in the cool of the night and then transported up to the CWCo winery in Marananga (Barossa Valley) where we transferred them into open fermenters for fermentation. No additions occured with this wine (no acid or tannin etc), it was basket pressed to old seasoned oak for 12 months and then blended and bottled fresh with out fining or filtration so its a pure representation of the vineyard from that moment in time.
Needless to say this is the first of two releases from this vineyard, this first one is a more juicy vibrant, nouveau style of Coonawarra Cabernet and the second will be a more traditional style built for aging and longevity.
Wine by Thoms is derived from my first name (obviously) and Iain’s middle name and is a bit of a play on the term “Somms” short term for Sommelier.
92 points Halliday Wine Companion 2025 - Single vineyard Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon, close planted and whole-berry ferment. Bright crimson with characters of plush blackberry, blackcurrant, boysenberry and black cherry fruits with hints of fine spice, licorice, dried herbs, faint espresso tones, pencil shavings and earth. Lovely fruit intensity with gravelly tannin support, a seam of fresh acidity and a graceful air as it sails off. Dave Brookes
90 points The Wine Front - It’s meant to be a juicy version of Coonawarra cabernet though the truth is that it still has plenty of heft. It didn’t see any new oak – it was matured in seasoned French – but cedarwood and coffee characters are clearly evident, and they dovetail nicely with the wine’s blackcurrant, mint, boysenberry and tobacco flavours. It’s a solid wine; it offers plenty. Campbell Mattinson
