Iconic Coonawarra wine brand Rouge Homme has been returned to its original owners, the Redman family, Treasury Wine Estates announced today.
First bottled in 1952, the label grew an Australian and international following for its distinctive Coonawarra wines, including a Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz blend and clarets.
In 1965, the winery, label and vineyard acreage were purchased by Lindeman’s which continued to market and sell wine under the Rouge Homme brand, eventually forming part of TWE.
Redman Wines was launched in 1966.
Treasury Wine Estates senior viticulturalist Ben Harris said, “We’re proud to have been the custodians of Rouge Homme and are delighted that it’s been acquired by the Redman family.
“With storied brands, unmistakable terroir and exceptional wines, global interest in the Coonawarra region continues to grow, and we look forward to following the next chapter of the Rouge Homme story.”
Redman Wines co-owner and fourth-generation winemaker Dan Redman said he was delighted to have the label back in the family’s brand portfolio.
“Rouge Homme has a special place in the heart of Coonawarra,” he said.
“Welcoming it back in the 60th year of Redman Wines is especially meaningful – a full-circle moment.
“We’re often asked about the connection of Rouge Homme with Redman, with many wine drinkers enjoying the wines that were made in the 50s and 60s.
“The label is synonymous with the Redman family and we’re proud to take it into the future.”
Greg Clayfield, Mike Redman, Mal Redman, Paul Gordon, Dan Redman, Mal Redman, Sarah Pidgeon and Ben Harris.
Rouge Homme is intertwined with the history of the Coonawarra and its rise to international prominence, with connections to TWE dating back more than a century.
Arriving in Coonawarra in 1901, Bill Redman started work at John’s Riddoch winery, part of today’s Wynns Coonawarra Estate, learning winemaking under the watchful eye of the respected Ewen McBain.
In 1908, the Redman family purchased its first 16 hectares and Bill started making his own wine at Riddoch Cellars the following year.
Bill developed a reputation for refined ‘dinner clarets’, initially sold as bulk wine to producers including Yalumba, Wynns, Penfolds and Lindeman’s.
International recognition followed when the 1933 Woodley’s St Adele, made and bottled by Bill, won first place at the 1936 First Empire Wine Competition in London.
Bill’s son Owen joined the family business in 1937 and took the label, and Coonawarra region, to further recognition with a 1947 win at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show.
In 1952, following a visit by legendary art dealer and wine lover Rudy Komon, Rouge Homme was born.
In a nod to the old world that dominated fine wine of the period, ‘red man’ was translated into French using a dictionary.
It wasn’t until after the label was printed that the family was informed that the grammatically correct version would have been ‘Homme de Rouge’.
A three-trophy haul at the 1963 Sydney Royal Wine Show for the 1959 Rouge Homme Claret put the brand firmly on the radar of the Australian wine scene.
Recognition for Rouge Homme’s exceptional Coonawarra reds continued after its 1965 sale to Lindeman’s, including a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirit Competition for the 1985 Rouge Homme Cabernet Sauvignon and a Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy in 1994 for Richardson’s Red Block Dry Red.
The Coonawarra wine region is globally renowned for medium-bodied reds grown in its famed terra rossa soil.
It boasts some of the oldest vines in Australia, with many individual blocks known for their hardiness, superior fruit quality, climate resilience and ability to produce high-quality wines with cellaring longevity – well documented by viticultural research conducted at Wynns Coonawarra Estate since 2016.
Rouge Homme was officially handed over at a lunch at the historic Wynns Coonawarra Estate.
Redman Wines intends to make a small premium release of Rouge Homme in keeping with its award-winning history.
The sale of Rouge Homme back to Redman Wines includes a small quantity of back-vintage wine.