Tag Archives: Cabernet Merlot

Cabernet and Blends – New Release

8 July 2010

Another interesting tasting, and a couple of surprises.

The Shaw Vineyard Estate cabernet sauvignon is a cracker. This is a very good wine, but it is also really good drinking. There is a generosity to the fruit that is very seductive.

Most of the wines will benefit from some bottle age, especially the likes of Suckfizzle and Howard Park. These are excellent wines, but they will develop much greater drinkability in 5-10 years.

Reviewed

Howard Park – Cabernet – Abercrombie – 2008 (18.5). This is a super wine with well ripened fruit. Excellent wine making has produced a powerful wine with real class. Cedar and spice dominate the nose, and the palate is fine yet has real fruit density. Evolves with air. Textured and chewy to close, this is a star.

Shaw Vineyard Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – Premium – 2008 (18+). Menthol and elastoplast to start. Even a touch of Mortein, (These are all good things – really!). Some mint and eucalypt suggest cool climate fruit. There is a touch of blackcurrant fruit too and cedary oak highlights. The palate is very good. Long and textured, there are more of the cool fruit characters, but these are ripe and delicious. The tannins are very fine and the souring finish adds life.

Suckfizzle – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007 (18). Complex nose with earthy notes to the blackcurrant and sour plum fruit. Tobacco leaf, cedar and herbal notes all add to the nose. The theme follows on the palate with complex fruit and mouth coating texture. Excellent length and firm yet fine tannins. Very good, but needs 10 years.

Cricketwood – Cabernet – 2006 (17.5). Closed. A finely structured and elegant wine, this has soft, high quality fruit. Whilst cool climate fruit is apparent, the fleshiness suggests the fruit ripeness is well judged. Excellent length makes for a satisfying wine. A bargain at $135 per case including delivery to metro Perth. Ph 9384 5555

Stella Bella – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2007 (17.5). Classic nose, with mint and cooler fruit characters. The palate is textured yet very firm at present. Tannins are very fine and the finish is very drying. Not as long as the very best. Gets extra points for being a really good drink now.

Stella Bella – Merlot – Serie Luminosa – 2007 (17.5+) Much more mint and capsicum suggesting a cooler fruit source. Really silky and fine, this is an impressive wine with real length and complexity. Whilst there is some ripe primary fruit, this is Bordeaux-like in its structure and mouth-feel. Fine oak needs time to integrate further. Will improve for 5-10 years, but the style will polarize.

Bligh Estate – Merlot/Cabernet Frank – Blackrock – 2007 (17.3). Dusty, silky nose that is pretty and appealing. There is an amalgam of cedar and spice with ripe fruit in the blueberry and violet spectrum. Quite fine on the palate with a tight, lean structure. This will benefit from a few years in the bottle.

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon – Wisdom – 2008 (17). Balanced and fine, this is all about potential. Menthol and herbal characters to the fore, this is a tight and closed wine. Very good length and chewy tannins suggest that the patient will be rewarded.

Cabernet – New Release

Part One – 31 May 2010

Wow, what a tasting! There was not a bad wine to be seen anywhere.

Ten years ago, a tasting like this would have been unheard of. To have fifteen wines in a tasting and have every one of them score a bronze medal or better would have been quite remarkable. There are several reasons for this increase in quality across the spectrum.

Most importantly, the wholesale adoption of screw caps has removed the problems associated with cork. I estimate that, traditionally, up to 15% of all wines bottled under cork had obvious signs of cork taint. There has also been a dramatic improvement in the quality of corks too, as producers introduce measures to reduce bad quality corks.

There has also been changes in vineyard management and fruit selection, as well as improvements in wine-making techniques. Hygiene is also an important factor too. Finally, the grape glut over recent years has seen quality fruit from premium regions being used in inexpensive wines.

Ultimately though, the consumer is the winner. Wines like the Angoves – Vineyard Select, Long Flat, Ferngrove – Symbols and Xanadu – Next of Kin are very good wines in their own right, and represent superb value.

Drink Up!

Tasted

Voyager – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot. – 2005 (18.2). Herbal edges with cedar and concentrated fruit. The palate is powerful and ripe with mint, mortein, cassis and dark fruits. The texture is dominated by mouth-coating tannins. Needs years to show its best. Drink with a veal chop.

Angove – Cabernet Sauvignon – Vineyard Select – 2008 (18). Wow. A crowd pleaser. Forward and ripe, this has black fruits, cedar, cigar box/tobacco leaf, blackcurrant and a touch of ribena. There is even a touch of peppermint and fly spray (A good thing). There is plenty of grip from the oak, but the fruit handles this with ease. Tremendous value.

Xanadu – Cabernet Sauvignon – Next of Kin – 2008 (17.8). Savoury notes to the dense, quality fruit. Ripe, textured, long, powerful and quite seamless. A complex wine, though the oak is a touch assertive now, (this should settle in a year or two). Bordeaux-like in style. Great value here.

Galafrey– Cabernet Sauvignon – Reserve – 2001 (17.6). Lovely developed fruit here. Dense, with mint and a touch of eucalypt. The palate is textured, dense and leathery. The ripe fruit is in the black fruits spectrum with mulberry and plum. Good length and mouth-feel. A nicely aging wine that is currently available from the winery.

McHenry Hohnen – Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Petit Verdot – Rolling Stone – 2008 (17.6). Balanced and enticing nose. This has ripe fruit in the red berry spectrum, and a silky mouth feel. Fine tannins are apparent on the finish, but a lovely wine that will improve with age.

Balnaves – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007 (17.5). Leads off with mortein, mint, redcurrants and cedary oak accents. The palate continues the theme nicely. The fine tannins are a little assertive right now, but these should integrate. Typically Coonawara and an excellent result for the year.

Goundrey – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Homestead – 2008 (17.3). Silky, supple and enticing. This is an elegant and refined wine with lovely fruit. Violets, redcurrant, camphor and spice all appear on the palate with quite seamless oak. A leaner style, and good value again.

Mount Avoca – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (17.2). Bright ripe fruit on the nose and palate. This is not the densest wine here, but it is pretty and focused with fine tannins. Easy drinking over the next 5 years.

Ferngrove – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot. – Symbols – 2008 (17). Sweet fruit on the nose with camphor. The palate is dense and showing a touch of extract with licorice, spice and leather. Really slips down easily and hard to resist. A solid wine that is a bargain.

MadFish – Cabernet Sauvignon – Gold Turtle – 2008 (17). Savoury, yes, but complimented by fine ripe fruit. Dense, ripe and closed, with herbal characters to close. Very youthful. An interesting wine that will improve with a few years in the bottle.

Galafrey – Cabernet – 2005 (16.9). An interesting wine that is a bit old fashioned in style with dusty, earthy fruit. Opens nicely, and drinks well.

Long Flat – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2008 (16.6). Fruit is in the cooler spectrum, with herbs and eucalypt fruit characters on the nose. Continues on the palate with some cedar and tobacco. Ripe tannins are a touch firm on the finish. Great value at less than $10.

Windrush – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (16.4). A good quaff this. Fresh and juicy fruit to start, with ribena, plum and herbal notes. This is a fruit-forward style with minimal oak apparent.

Cabernet and Merlot

23 March 2010

What does a good merlot taste like?

This is a question that I have asked myself many times. In Australia, merlot is as much a descriptor of a style of wine as it is a reference to a grape variety. Merlots (and cabernet/merlot blends) have a reputation amongst wine drinkers as being softer and easier drinking than wines labelled Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wineries have realised that the consumer is looking for a particular style in these wines and have moved further towards these softer, easier to drink styles. In this week’s panel tasting, we looked at a cross section of cabernets and merlots. There were two pairs of wines that demonstrated the styles that I have been describing.

The Castelli merlot is an excellent example of the easy drinking style. The wine has high quality fruit and excellent winemaking. The Heggies merlot is made in completely different style. This is a very structured wine that will benefit from many years in the cellar. The wines are chalk and cheese in style, yet both are very good examples of the merlot. I still do not know what a merlot is supposed to taste like, but these are fine examples!

The two wines from Juniper Estate further illustrated these stylistic differences. The cabernet/merlot is forward and fruit driven, while the cabernet sauvignon is structured and quite tannic. Drink the blend while you wait for the straight varietal. Obviously, this style difference is a generalisation with wines like the Cullen’s cabernet/merlot not fitting the easy drinking style.

Finally, there were a few standout wines. The Houghton Gladstone 2004 is a superstar, a spectacular wine in anyone’s language. This wine is expensive, and it deserves to be so. At the other end of the price spectrum, the Houghton “Stripe Range” cabernet/merlot and the Wynns cabernet/shiraz/merlot are fantastic wines for the price. These wines will be discounted to $8 and $12 respectively. Neither wine tastes cheap and both significantly over deliver in quality.

Tasted

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon – Gladstone – 2004 (18.5). More mint and a touch of eucalypt to what is a serious wine. Powerful fruit is balanced by fresh acidity and a fine tannin structure. Yes, there is some new oak, but it really only plays a support role. Chewy finish adds to the palate. Give it 5-10 years.

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon – Gladstone – 2005 (18+). Amazing nose on this with ripe fruit, chocolate and coffee. Well made wine with a silky mouth feel. The structure is tight and fine and this wine is at the start of its life. Not yet released and will need several years to come out of the shadows of the 2004.

Heggies – Merlot – 2007 (18). Dusty, dense and briary on the nose, this is a serious wine that demands attention. The palate is big, rich and brooding with layers of dense fruit complemented by cedary oak. The long finish has balance. This is a masculine wine that demands aging. One for the aficionados. (RRP $40).

Higher Plane – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007 (18). Wow, lovely wine with some tobacco leaf over ripe, structured fruit. Dense and deep, this has great line. The palate is seamless and whilst not a huge wine, there is great structure that ensures a long future. Excellent fruit quality and high class oak need time to mesh completely.

Castelli – Merlot – 2008 (17.8). The nose is dense, sweet and ripe. The fresh red fruit characters come to the fore. The palate is flooded with red currant, spice and a touch of vanilla and cedar to close. This is really silky and supple with fine tannins on a long finish. There is enough structure to please the enthusiast and take some bottle age. I challenge anyone not to like this wine. (RRP $25).

Wynns – Cabernet/Shiraz/Merlot – Red Stripe – 2008 (17.7). Closed and dumb nose hint at potential. There is ripe fruit on the palate, with redcurrants and spice. Fine tannins complement the finish. Good mouth-feel with structure that builds in the glass. A pretty wine that will look good for many years. A bargain!

Juniper Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007 (17.5). Dense, ripe fruit with dusty complexity. Some cedar and even cigar box over lovely blackcurrant fruit. The palate is structured, grippy and firm, with oak tannins overwhelming the fruit right now. Will open and improve with time, but drink the blend now.

Houghton – Cabernet/Merlot – Stripe Range – 2008 (17). Quite serious fruit here with minty eucalypt fruit that appears ripe. The silky mouth-feel defines a palate that shows blackcurrant and spice. There is a touch of chocolaty complexity on the finish of what is a balanced and well-made wine. A bargain!

Voyager – Cabernet/Merlot – Girt By Sea – 2008 (16.8). Some dusty cabernet characters with some capsicum and spice. Quite an herbal palate, with hints of red fruits. Dusty finish. Well made with varietal expression and should improve in the short term.

James Oatley – Cabernet Sauvignon – Tic Tok – 2008 (16.8). Much more forward and fruit driven style. Bright red fruits with a hint of ribena. Follows on the palate with fine fresh fruits and a touch of strawberry even. A commercial style that is easy to drink.

Juniper Estate – Cabernet/Merlot – Juniper’s Crossing – 2008 (16.7) Forward and fruity nose, with some raspberry characters. The palate initially pleases with forward red fruit, but there is enough structure to keep things interesting.