Awards & Reviews

All wines produced by Lengs & Cooter, since we opened our doors for business in December of 1992, have won an award. Rather than extol the virtues or our own wines we would rather have independent unbiased sources give their views. Accordingly we have published independent accolades which follow:

James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 2009 Edition.

Swinton McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Great hue; the full-bodied palate speaks eloquently of both variety and place, with a ripe tapestry of blackcurrant fruit and dark chocolate; how the wine has handled 3 years in new French hogsheads is amazing.
Screwcap 14.5% alc. RATING 94 DRINK 2020 $25

Winestate July/ August 2008

4.5 STARS Lengs & Cooter Old Vines Clare Valley Shiraz 2004 $30.00 Equal Top in Category.
4.5 STARS Lengs & Cooter Swinton McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 $26.00 Top in Category.

The Week End Australian Magazine 1st Sept 2007 - 30 Great Australian Wines under $30

2007 Lengs & Cooter Riesling $19 - Reflecting the low yields of a difficult vintage, this is classic Clare Riesling which to paraphrase Spinal Tap, turns the flavour--knob all the way up to 11. Rich but dry, intense but elegant, its like squeezing ripe green limes on to your tongue. Yum.

The Independent Weekly February 10-16 2007

Lengs & Cooter Old Vines Clare Shiraz - While this is of fairly high alcohol, it's not jammy and simple like some of it's rivals. Instead it has that classic seamless Clare style that's tight and elegant, more after the flavour of juicy black olives than the usual red berries. There is fruit of course - call it earthy, tannic mulberry and prune - but it's not like fruitgums or cordial. Rather it has a gradual rise of fine drying tannin that will guarantee many years of mellowing and gentle enrichment in the right cellar, bloody cork permitting. Roast beef.

Epicure The Age Tuesday, Feb 6th 2007 - Ralph Kyte Powell

Lengs & Cooter Riesling 2006 $18 - $19 - From a modest start as hobby wine-makers, Karel Lengs and Colin Cooter are now right in the main-stream. Their Watervale-Clare Riesling epitomises the classic style, with an aromatic nose of citrus fruits and minerals. It's still subdued in youth, but the palate opens out nicely with rich flavour, a smooth middle and a delicious long finish.
Ageing? - Yes, one to six years.
Food ideas - Gyoza; prawns.
4.5 stars - First Class, a wine of distinction not far below top rating
$$$ - A wine with a price tag that makes it a steal .

Wine Spectator May - 2007

Lengs & Cooter Riesling Watervale 2006 - Beautifully open generous, this dry Riesling brims with apricot-scented pear and citrus flavors. Hints at a slatelike note on the finish, which just won't quit. Drink now through 2018. 92 points - top score

Wine Advocate Oct 2006 - Robert Parker

2005 LENGS & COOTER THE VICTOR - A terrific value, the 2005 The Victor is a blend of 90% Shiraz and 10% Grenache that was aged in neutral American and French 300 liter hogsheads. Its dark ruby/purple hue is followed by a big, peppery, plum , and cassis-scented nose with background hints of white chocolat and herbs. Richly fruity, medium to full bodied, and supple-textured, it is a hedonistic Australian red to drink over the next 3-4 years. 90 points, Drink 2006 -2010, US$18

QANTAS continues pouring LENGS & COOTER
	A Qantas Air Hostess serving the 2004 Victor Shiraz. This is the second year in a row that Qantas have taken the Victor Shiraz. Also the 2005 Watervale Riesling is served on Qantas Business Class on International flights.

Robert M. Parker Jr's The Wine Advocate Issue 161

Lengs & Cooter 2003 Reserve Shiraz - It's 15.6% Alcohol is well-concealed behind copious quantities of of blackberry and cassis fruit as well as subtle oak. It is a big, deep full-throttle South Australian Shiraz, which as the owners state, "can be drunk now with the appropriate hunk of meat", or cellared for a decade. 92+ points

2004 The Victor Shiraz - A blend of 86% Shiraz and 14% Grenache, possesses big, sweet, voluptuous black cherry and cassis fruit, hints of herbs. licorice, and flowers, low acidity, soft tannin, and a big, chunky, fleshy finish. Drink it over the next 2-3 years. 89 Points

Australias top 100 wines - The Advertiser Magazine November 22nd 2006

Lengs & Cooter 2006 Watervale Riesling - Here's an intriguing one: Subtly layered and complex, with crunchy red Fuji apple aromas, then oyster shells and holiday smells of the seaside. Mix this with spiced cloves and light toasted characters, some powdery acid lift and you'll get this in it's understated sophistication. Screwcap. 12.5 % alc RATING 92 $18

2006 Advertiser/Hyatt wine of the year. 25th August 2006

Lengs & Cooter 2006 Watervale Riesling - 1st Consumer panel, 2nd Choice Wine Judges Panel.

James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 2007 Edition.

The Victor Shiraz 2004 Elegant, intensely spicy, peppery black fruits; fluid line and flow; fine tannins, good length. Screwcap 14.5% alc. RATING 94 DRINK 2019 $18

Huon Hook - Sydney Morning Herald Good Living Oct 11, 2005

An excellent Clare Riesling in the fuller style, this has lemon and lime leaf aromas, and is soft and round in the mouth. It's up-front and easy to enjoy young, with gentle acidity, yet has a modest 12 per cent alcohol, fine structure and quality to cellar a few years. Food: smoked salmon

Royal Melbourne Wine Show - 12th August 2005

LENGS & COOTER 2005 Watervale Riesling wins top Gold - Class 11. 18.66 points

Halliday Reviews 2005

Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz 2002 Medium -bodied; complex flavours; earth, bitter chocolate, spice, blackberry and plum all there; good tannins and oak. Stained cork. RATING 94 DRINK 2013 $45

Watervale Riesling 2004 Spotless aromatic lime bouquet; good structure focus; intense lime and lemon; long, clean, fruit-driven finish. Screwcap. RATING 93 DRINK 2014 $16

Old Vines Clare Valley Shiraz 2002 Dense colour; powerful, concentrated, focused blackberry, prune and plum; tannins unexpectedly fine and silky. The oldest vines from 1892. RATING 93 DRINK 2014 $25

Swinton McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 Powerful blackberry and bitter chocolate; has the great texture and mouthfeel of this remarkable vintage. Cork.. RATING 92 DRINK 2015 $22

Clare Valley Rose 2004 Raspberry, strawberry and cherry; good length and balance; nice dry finsih. Made from old v vines Grenache. Screwcap. RATING 87 DRINK Now $16

QANTAS selects LENGS & COOTER - Feb 2005

LENGS & COOTER 2003 Victor Shiraz is selected by Qantas for Domestic Business Class.

Mc Laren Vale Wine Show November 2004

LENGS & COOTER 2002 Reserve Shiraz Gold Medal also in the taste-off for the Bushing King/Queen.

Australian Small Winemakers Show 30 October to 6 November 2004

LENGS & COOTER 2002 Old Vines Shiraz - Clare Valley - Gold Medal
LENGS & COOTER 2004 Rose Clare Valley - Silver Medal
LENGS & COOTER 2003 The Victor Shiraz - Bronze Medal
LENGS & COOTER 2002 Swinton Cabernet - McLaren Vale - Bronze Medal

Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate - Oct. 2004 -

LENGS & COOTER 2002 Shiraz Old Vines Clare Valley - US$40 - (90+)
LENGS & COOTER 2002 Shiraz Reserve McLaren Vale - US$60 - (92)
LENGS & COOTER 2003 The Victor Clare Valley - US$18 - (88)
These are prototypical Southern Australian reds with exuberant personalities loads of fruit and plenty of spicy oak. They are aged primarily in American oak, although French wood is gradually being introduced into the wines upbringing (positive trend). A good value. The 2003 Victor ( 85% Shiraz, 12% Grenache, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon) exhibits a deep ruby/purple color, abundant amounts of pepper, spice, black currants, and tobacco characteristics, fine ripeness, a big supple texture, and medium to full body. Consume it over the next 3-4 years. Produced from 30 to 100-year-old Clare Valley vines. The 2002 Shiraz Old Vines reveals such cool climate properties as mint, bay leaf, and black currants intermixed with licorice, underbrush, pepper and vanilla. Rich, medium to full bodied, and well dilineated, it is more streamlined, restrained effort than most of it's Clare Valley peers. Looking for exuberance, power and full-throttle glycerin levels, as well as fruit extract? The 2002 Reserve Shiraz is a pedal-to-the-metal, full bodied red offering an aromatic explosion of melted chocolate, espresso roast black currants and sweet toast oak. Layered, pure and powerful, it can be drunk now or cellaredfor 10-12 years.

WINEWISE August 2004 - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

2002 Lengs & Cooter McLAren Vale Reserve Rich, flavoursome and spicy with excellent persistence and prominent but well handled oak. Cellar. ($45.00)

WineState Sept/Oct 2004

Lengs & Cooter Swinton McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (Rating 5 Stars) Plenty of oak and smoke accents to the aroma that sit well with the intense black fruit characters. Loads of delicious dark chocolate, spice and blackcurrant flavours unfurl in the mouth from this opulently textured cabernet. $22

By Stephen Tanzer - USA - Jul/Aug 2004

2003 Lengs & Cooter The Victor Red Blend 88 (US$20; includes a bit of grenache) Moderately saturated ruby-red. Aromas of cassis, licorice, tar and black pepper. Dense and sweet but juicy, with good volume leavened by nicely integrated acidity. Tangy red berry and licorice flavors are penetrating but not hard. Firm, fresh and persistent, with a finishing note of licorice. A good value.

Cairns Wine Show 2004

Silver medals awarded to the 2002 Old Vines Shiraz, 2002 Reserve Shiraz, 2002 Victor & the 2002 Swinton Cabernet. These all rated in the top 14 of the 325 strong class. The 2003 Riesling was in the top 8 of the class and was awarded a bronze medal.

Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate - Sept. 2003 -

LENGS & COOTER 2001 Shiraz Old Vines Clare Valley - US$40 - (90)

LENGS & COOTER 2001 Shiraz Reserve McLaren Vale - US$60 - (94)

LENGS & COOTER 2002 The Victor Clare Valley - US$18 - (90)

No, this is not the house wine for the Hooter's restaurant chain. And, no, I haven't misspelled the name of the winery. These are serious efforts from the Clare Valley. A great value ...the emphasis on "great", is the 2002 The Victor, a 3,000-case blend of 70% Shiraz and 30% Grenache. It exhibits surprising elegance ( a characteristic of the 2002 vintage ) along with tell-tale toasty oak as well as sweet, dense, black cherry, and black currant fruit notes. This deep/ruby-purple-colored, medium-bodied 2002 is surprisingly defined and stylish. It is hard to believe a wine of this stature, gracefulness, and intensity can be purchased for US$18.00 ( probably even lower at discount shops). Consue it over the next 5-6 years. The 2001 Shiraz Old Vines was no better, largely because some of the Clare Valley's notorious bay leaf, thyme, and Provencal herb notes were a bit too obvious. I admired the wine, and the longer it sat in the glass, the higher it's score rose. This dense ruby/purple-colored Shiraz begins to strut it's stuff as it sits in the glass, revealing secondry aromas of graphite, blackberries, and cherries in a surprisingly measured, restrained yet intensely flavored format. It shouild drink well for 7-10 years. The blockbuster 2001 Shiraz Reserve is the antithesis of it's two siblings. Produced from 15-20-year old vines, this limited Cuvee boasts an in-your-face bouquet of chocolat, espresso, blackberries, and currants tremendous opulence, density, as well as thickness, and a full-bodied long finish. The tannin is sweet enough that the wine can be enjoyed now, but it should age gracefully for a decade or more.

The Melbourne Age Uncorked Magazine - Issue 17 November 2002. Summer's Best

Lengs & Cooter Riesling 2001 $17.50 (screw-cap). Lengs & Cooter started as hobby winemakers, but have grown serious. This Clare Riesling has a minerally, understated nose that needs some age to develop. The long palate offers more "give" with tasty lime-like fruit intensity, and a dry, clean finish..
Food: yum cha.
Ageing: drink over 5 years.

The Melbourne Age Uncorked by Ralph Kyte-Powell - 27th August 2002. Indulge Yourself $30-$32

Lengs & Cooter started as a backyard hobby, but it's grown like topsy on the strength of very good wines like this Clare Shiraz. It has pleasant intensity of sweet blackberry fruit with hints of mint and very subtle oak in the background. The palate is smooth and well-mannered with nice balance and soft, ripe tannins at the end.
Ageing? Drink over five years.
Food ideas: Roast veal.
Stockists include: Armadale Cellars; Boccaccio, Newmarket.

Wine Spectator 2002 Restaurant Awards, July, 2002

91 LENGS & COOTER Shiraz Clare Valley Old Vines 2000 US$33 Dense, rich and concentrated, brimming with spicy cherry and berry flavors, hinting at mint and coffee on a finely wrought finish. Drink now through 2012, 450 cases made. - H.S.

91 LENGS & COOTER Shiraz McLaren Vale Reserve 2000 US$60 Rich, ripe and plush, dense with bay leaf scented black fruit and dusky spice flavors, which echo on the round, chewy finish. Best from 2004 through 2010. 140 cases made. - H.S.

The Advertiser, November, 2000 - Reviewed by Philip White.

LENGS & COOTER The Victor Clare Valley Shiraz Grenache. 89+ Points; 13.5% alcohol; drink 2003 to 2012 $17.50.
THE meaty nature of low-yielding grenache is evident in this rude, rich brute of a wine. It can surprisingly smell like raw steak but there are pretty hints of lavender and violets here, tooand lemony oak. The palate is soft and fleshy to begin but soon builds to a massive bone-dry finish, where the velvety tannins become gravelly and tough. Cellar it.
FOOD: Great steaming beef stew with root vegetables; cassoulet.

WINEWISE Volume 17 Number 3 - August 2001

Highly Recomended ( first in the class)- 2000 LENGS & COOTER THE VICTOR SHIRAZ GRENACHE: The Fruit component is very powerful indeed, and is enhanced by some secondary, Rhôney character and a hint of dustiness. The tannins have an appealing savoury feel which further add to this wine's considerable attraction. ($18.00) $$VALUE$$

The Advertiser, November 8, 2000 - The top 100 Australian Wines for 2000 - Rated & reviewed by Philip White.

LENGS & COOTER Clare Valley Semillon 2000. ( 90 Points; $15; 13.8% alcohol; drink fresh). PRETTY, perfumed and crisp, this wine reminded me of of the modern Bordeaux blancs, and the delicate wines of Peter and Sue Vinding Diers in particular. It's clean and slender, and it's beautiful savoury greens and lemon juice flavours set it up perfectly for the ice bucket in the sun, whiting and chopped chives on the platter, cool potato salad on the side. It's a delicate, frisky, fresh, bone-dry bistro buster.

New Releases

The recently released 99 Victor, 2000 Semillon and 2000 Riesling have all won medals at the prestigious 2000 Adelaide Wine Show, held during October 2000.

The Sydney Morning Herald - Uncorked - April 2000

LENGS & COOTER SWINTON 1998 $22.00 Karel Lengs and Colin Cooter started off as hobby wine makers, but now have become much more serious. Swinton is a cabernet-shiraz blend from McLaren Vale that offers some floral notes to solid blackberry fruit, hidden by a lot of charry oak.

RATING: 4 stars

Food: herbed rack of lamb. Ageing: keep two years than drink over four.

Wines Recommended by WINEWISE Volume 16 Number 1 - April 2000

1999 LENGS & COOTER CLARE VALLEY SEMILLON: Quite lemony in flavour, with good acid support. Beginning to fill out well. ($14.50).

1999 LENGS & COOTER WATERVALE RIESLING: The full, zesty, lemony flavours and livey acidity offers lots of immediate appeal, but the structure indicates considerable cellaring potential. ($14.50).

1998 LENGS & COOTER OLD VINE CLARE VALLEY SHIRAZ: Although the fruit is substantial and fresh, it has to contend with more than a little new oak. There's a lot of potential here, but expect obvious oak, even after a few years' cellaring. ($25.00).

1998 LENGS & COOTER THE VICTOR SHIRAZ GRENACHE: An attractive medium weight style that benefits from some purfumed grenache lift on the nose. Rewarding early drinking. ($16.00).

1998 LENGS & COOTER SWINTON: Fresh, rich and ripe, faintly chocolately blackcurrant fruit is well balanced by crisp acidity, fine grained tannins and cedary oak. Needs a few years. ($22.00).

The Wine Advocate - March 2000

Referring to the LENGS & COOTER 1998 Clare Valley Shiraz (US $35.00) and the LENGS & COOTER 1998 Reserve Shiraz1998 Reserve Shiraz (US$60.00), Robert Parker Jr. said, “In short these wines are sensational. Both Emerge from what appears to be a spectacular vintage for old vine shiraz. The opaque purple coloured 1998 Shiraz (made from 25 to 100-year old vines) exhibits a stunning, soaring bouquet offering aromas of crème de cassis, smoked herbs, licorice, tar, and creamy new oak. Full bodied and super-concentrated, with notions of blackberry jam as well as moderate tannin, this dazzling Shiraz can be drunk now or cellared for 10 –15 years. Even more profound is the 1998 Shiraz Reserve. The tell-tale bacon fat, pepper, smoke, and blackberry/melted asphalt aromas and flavours can only come from ultra concentrated, voluptuously-textured Shiraz from Australia. Super-powerful, full-bodied, and excitingly pure, this is an unreal wine to drink over the next 15-20 years. Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA tel. (888) 472-5283.”

R. Parker rating:

1998 Old Vine Shiraz 93/100.

1998 Reserve Shiraz 96/100.

The Melbourne Age Uncorked by Ralph Kyte-Powell - 28th March 2000

Messrs Lengs & Cooter were once hobby wine makers. They still seek out small plots of old vines to make classic South Australian styles, but the scale is growing. From Clare, this impenetrable purplish drop has a tight, concentrated nose of black fruits, mint and vanillin American oak. The palate is deep and seamless with balanced black fruit flavour and ripe, fine-grained tannins.
Ageing? two to six years.

Food: char-grilled steaks; aged cheddar.

Available: Philip Murphy, City & Toorak; East Brunswick Hotel.Rating: A great wine - gold medal quality and just a whisker below the top rating.

The Advertiser - April 7th 1999

The announcement last week by Qantas of 30 new Australian wines it has selected for serving to first -class and Business-class passengers placed a bright spotlight on South Australian Wineries - especially smaller wineries being selected by Qantas for the first time. Present at the launch and earning interest from the assembles national media were wine-makers Geoff Merrill (1995 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon), Grant Burge (1996 The Holy Trinity Grenache Shiraz, Mourvedre) and Colin Cooter, who's Lengs & Cooter 1998 Clare Valley Semillon was the only Semillon chosen, much to the envy of rival Hunter Valley producers. Colin Celebrated by meeting with his Sydney distributor, confident that sales will accelerate after this publicity windfall.