Cherubino Part 2: Premium Reds

Barry Weinman: 1 August 2022.

For me, the greatest value wines made by Cherubino have been the reds. And the value is apparent right across the range.

Even at the top “Cherubino” range, the prices seem fair, given the inherent quality. And the Omaggio is great current drinking to boot!

In Part 1, I reviewed the Cherubino Chardonnays

Reviewed

Cherubino – Porongurup – Riesling – 2021. Extraordinarily fine and elegant, with flinty minerality and silky texture. The palate is near seamless, with gentle intensity and subtle power. Superb now, but capable of aging for two decades. 95+pts.

Cherubino – Omaggio – Shiraz/Mataro – 2020. Gorgeous nose that is redolent of berries and plum, with gentle savoury characters adding the high notes. The palate is fresh and vibrant, with the delicious fruit flooding the palate. The soft tannins add texture, without impeding the flow of the fruit. A great drink with or without food. 93pts

Cherubino – Block 1 – Shiraz – 2020. This is more reserved, with the fruit slowly unfurling on both the nose and the palate. Precise, with gravelly tannins poking around the edges of the tongue. Very satisfying and food friendly, but needs a few years or an hour in a decanter to really open up. 94pts

Cherubino – Frankland River – Shiraz – 2019. Dusty, savoury, almost earthy nose up front, with the fruit tucked away, cocooned in the structure. But with air, this really starts to sing. Ripe, precise cool climate shiraz, with white pepper and spice adding to the package. The oak adds texture but is otherwise invisible. A day later, this was magical drinking. 95-96pts

Cherubino – Margaret River – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2019 . This has great typicity, with classic blackcurrant/ almost cassis fruit. But it also possesses a juicy/fleshy nature that makes it great drinking now. Supple, balanced and textured, yet there are fine tannins that make their presence felt on the palate which add to the enjoyment and will help cut through rich food. Again, the next day the fruit really started to sing, suggesting that my points will go up over time. 94-95pts.

Cherubino – Budworth – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2018. This is the essence of Cabernet with Ribena-like fruit cascading from the glass in waves. The palate is concentrated, dense, fine, elegant and restrained. The finish is supple and near seamless. Drinks brilliantly, but this really is a 20-year option. With the fruit coming off the Riversdale vineyard, this extraordinary wine that demonstrates that Frankland River can produce Cabernets to rival the best of Margaret River and Bordeaux. 96-97pts