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Beverages ·Australia's cellar ·Wine shelf ·Balnaves of Coonawarra
winery · Coonawarra, Australia

Balnaves of Coonawarra

Coonawarra, Australia
1

The reputation — the story that sells at the table

Balnaves The Tally is cited by James Halliday (5 Red Stars) and Wine Advocate as one of Coonawarra's essential expressions — a single-vineyard, old-vine Cabernet that rivals John Riddoch in quality while demonstrating the personal, family-scale character that distinguishes it from the larger estate wines. Scoring 95-98 in exceptional vintages, The Tally is Coonawarra's most allocated collector's wine alongside Wynns John Riddoch.

Practice
Balnaves of Coonawarra is a family-owned estate founded in 1975 by Doug Balnaves on 58 hectares of prime Coonawarra terra rossa. The estate's crown jewel is The Tally — a single-vineyard, old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon made only in exceptional vintages from vines planted in 1975. Winemaker Pete Bissell crafts the wine with minimal intervention: hand-harvesting, open-ferment with extended maceration, and aging in 100% French Barriques for 18 months. The Tally has become one of Coonawarra's most sought-after and limited wines — demonstrating that family-scale production with exceptional site specificity can rival Wynns' scale advantage.
Positioning
ultra_premium
Importer lines
US — not yet · UK — not yet · Japan — not yet
Each absence is a signal the demand ledger holds.
Where to get it — Pat's Rule

Origin: Balnaves of Coonawarra, Coonawarra — named here for every reader, everywhere, as the discovery authority.

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