...RE-EMERGENCE: Another (former) Constellation Brand is in the news of late. Back in the late-1990s I was enamoured of the wines from Stonehaven (the Constellation winery in the Limestone Coast), especially the Shiraz, which I considered to be one of the best value for money Shiraz in Australia at the time (the Orlando Lawson’s Padthaway Shiraz being my favourite). Well, Constellation sold the winery and the brand disappeared. Over the years I was able to acquire the occasional bottle at auction, which re-affirmed what great wines they were.
In 2021, CW Wines acquired the winery and re-launched the Stonehaven wine brand with a range of wines including some under the “Stepping Stone” brand. Recently, I had the opportunity to review on social media the following Stonehaven wines:
►Padthaway Chardonnay 2022: An excellent cool-climate Chardy.
►Robe Shiraz 2021: Will evolve into a magnificent wine in 2-3 years.
►Wrattonbully Shiraz 2021: Oh, Yum! What a cracker Shiraz!!!
►Padthaway Cabernet 2021: A very classy, cool country Cabernet.
►Padthaway Shiraz 2021: See the attached, This Week’s Wine Review.
►Coonawarra Reserve Cabernet 2021: A superb classic Coonawarra Cab, which alas is in a bottle that weights a tonne and is sealed by a piece of tree bark (cork) – but the wine is truly magnificent.
They also produce a range of wines called, “First Paw”, the proceeds of which go to the breeding, training and placement of Guide Dogs – a truly worthy cause.
You can check out all their range at the link below. Cheers, Dan T.
Traucki, Dan. "Bursting the Bubble" Web blog post. "Dan's Wine Blog"". WineAssist 9/6/23. https://www.wineassist.com.au/dans-blog/bursting-the-bubble