1 February 2009

A mixed bag this week with a selection of good quality cabernets, and a bracket of sauvignon blanc. There were several note-worthy wines including the Crossings sauvignon blanc and the MadFish – Sideways cabernet. Both represent excellent value. The Vasse Felix cabernet is excellent.

The pair of cabernets from Houghton’s proved to be the most informative though. Both samples were left in a very hot stairwell for many days in the middle of summer. (This was prior to delivery to me). The Gladstone was showing obvious signs of heat damage that really flattened the fruit. The C.W. Ferguson was in much better condition, though perhaps not quite perfect. The Gladstone has a cork and the Ferguson is under screw cap. A compelling example of the benefits of screw caps.

So to the tasting…

Reviewed

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec – C.W. Ferguson – 2007 (18.2). Wow. Fresh and vibrant fruit with clear varietal black-currant on the nose. Silky and fine, but with high quality fruit and oak. Fine and elegant and good drinking. Will improve with time. (May be even better with a fresh bottle).

Vasse Felix – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007 (17.9). Wow, forward and lifted cassis on the nose with ripe red fruit and red-currants. Develops cedar and cinnamon with air. The palate is ripe and chewy. This is a big, rich wine with excellent mouth-feel. Soft tannins and supple acid make for excellent early drinking. The fine tannins build on the close which will support medium term cellaring.

MadFish – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Sideways – 2008 (17.8). Closed to start but with some vanillin tones and red fruits. Continues on the palate with black-currant and fine oak to close. Well made using good fruit. Fine tannins complement the fine cedary finish.

Crossings – Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (17.4). Soft, fresh and perfumed, with some lantana as well as gooseberry and lychees. The palate is well balanced, round and generous. The finish is savoury and long. Zesty acid to close. This is really good drinking at around $15.

Capel Vale – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – Debut – 2009 (17). Restrained and tight on the nose. The palate is subtle and quite seamless. Lemony fruit dominates the finish. Excellent balance and mouth-feel. A delicate wine.

Castelli – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Cerca – 2008 (17). Dense but closed.. This has quite serious fruit. The palate is dense, chewy, silky elegant, structured. Long and lean finish. Very fine tannins build. Needs ten years to show best though some may question the cooler fruit characters.

MadFish – Cabernet Sauvignon – Gold Turtle – 2007 (16.8). Ripe and dense. Good quality fruit. Red currant. The palate is quite lean, with good structure, but lacking depth. Will flesh out in a few years.

Deepwoods – Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (16.7). A serious style that received more support from other panel members. Closed and dumb. Grapey characters on the nose and palate with some barrel ferment and oak characters. A touch of oxidative winemaking perhaps? Complex but not mainstream.

Cumulus – Sauvignon Blanc – Climbing – 2009 (16.5). Aromatic, but with a grassiness that cuts through on the nose. Some tropical notes and passionfruit. The palate is clean and fresh, but remains lean, tight and grassy. A lemony finish with plenty of acid. Apricot to close.

Millbrook – Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (16.5.) Very pale. More in your face, forward and vibrant, but a bit too cheeky for my palate.

Castelli – Cabernet Sauvignon –2008 (16.5). More closed and structured. Cooler fruit characters with some cigar box. Structured and well made, though the fruit is somewhat hidden on the closed finish. Could do with more fruit density, but will improve with bottle age.

Feet First – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2009 (N.R.) . Good fruit and winemaking, but just too young to assess objectively.

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon – Gladstone – 2004 (N.R.). There is no doubt that this is serious, but the bottle was heat effected.